Rating: 
Nature’s Recipe canned dog food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
The Nature’s Recipe product line includes ten canned dog foods. Since we could not locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these products on the Nature’s Recipe website, we’re unable to report life stage recommendations.
- Nature’s Recipe Adult Lamb & Rice Cuts
- Nature’s Recipe Senior Lamb & Rice Cuts
- Nature’s Recipe Adult Lamb & Rice Ground
- Nature’s Recipe Easy-to-Digest Lamb & Rice Cuts
- Nature’s Recipe Easy-to-Digest Lamb & Rice Ground
- Nature’s Recipe Senior Lamb & Rice Ground (2 stars)
- Nature’s Recipe Healthy Skin & Coat Venison & Rice Cuts
- Nature’s Recipe Healthy Skin & Coat Venison & Rice Ground
- Nature’s Recipe Healthy Skin & Coat Vegetarian Cuts (2 stars)
- Nature’s Recipe Healthy Skin & Coat Vegetarian Ground (1 star)
Nature’s Recipe Senior Lamb and Rice Recipe Cuts in Gravy was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Nature's Recipe Senior Lamb and Rice Cuts in Gravy
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Water sufficient for processing, lamb, soy protein concentrate, brown rice, peas, dried egg product, carrots, canola oil, rice flour, salt, brewers yeast, calcium carbonate, guar gum, dicalcium phosphate, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, inositol, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, beta carotene, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), menadione sodium bisulfate complex (source of vitamin K activity), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), malted barley flour, potassium chloride, sodium tripolyphosphate, choline chloride, carrageenan, minerals (zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite).
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.5%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is water… which (of course) adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.
The second ingredient is lamb. Lamb is considered “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered” lamb and associated with skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1
Lamb is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The third ingredient is soy protein concentrate… basically, what’s left of soybeans after removing the water soluble carbohydrates. This plant-based ingredient contains about 70% protein.
The fourth item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The fifth ingredient mentions peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
What’s more, peas contain about 25% protein which must be considered when evaluating the total protein reported in this food.
The sixth ingredient is dried egg product… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The seventh ingredient includes carrots. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The eighth ingredient is canola oil. Most applaud canola for its favorable omega-3 content… while a vocal minority condemn it as an unhealthy fat.
Current thinking (ours included) finds the negative stories about canola oil more the stuff of urban legend than actual science.2
The ninth ingredient is rice flour. Rice flour is made from either white or brown rice and is considered a good gluten-free substitute for wheat flour.
Brewers dried yeast can be a controversial item. Although it’s a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient contains about 45% protein… and is rich in other healthy nutrients.
Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.
Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.
What’s more, a vocal minority insist yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is something we’ve not been able to scientifically verify.
In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can be considered a nutritious additive.
Guar gum is a gelling or thickening agent found in many wet pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With two notable exceptions…
First, this product also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
And lastly, this Nature’s Recipe product also contains menadione… a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.
Nature’s Recipe Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Nature’s Recipe canned dog food looks to be an average kibble.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 32%, a fat level of 18% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 42%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 31% and a mean fat level of 19%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 42% for the overall product line.
Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.
What’s more, when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the soy protein concentrate, this looks like the profile of a wet food containing only a modest amount of meat.
Regarding the two vegetarian recipes…
Please understand we do recognize the need for some dog owners to provide (for whatever reason) a completely meat-free diet.
However, we also respect a dog’s natural carnivorous bias. For this reason, the highest rating awarded any vegetarian dog food found on this website can never exceed two stars.
Bottom line?
Nature’s Recipe is a plant-based canned dog food using a modest amount of lamb or venison as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand three stars.
Recommended (except for 1 and 2-star recipes).
Those looking for a kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Nature’s Recipe dry dog food.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
06/08/2010 Original review
01/08/2011 Review updated
- Adapted by the Dog Food Advisor and based upon the official definition for beef published by the Association of American Feed Control Officials, 2008 Edition ↩
- Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005) ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.