Rating: 
Simply Nourish Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second highest tier rating of 4.5 stars.
The Simply Nourish product line lists six canned dog foods, each claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.
- Simply Nourish Chicken and Fish Stew
- Simply Nourish Chicken and Rice Stew
- Simply Nourish Tuna and Salmon Stew
- Simply Nourish Chicken and Beef Stew
- Simply Nourish Chicken and Pasta Stew
- Simply Nourish Limited Ingredient Fish and Potato Stew
Simply Nourish Chicken and Beef Stew was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.
Simply Nourish Chicken and Beef Stew
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Water sufficient for processing, chicken, sweet potato, pea, beef, tapioca starch, sunflower oil, tricalcium phosphate, xanthan gum, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, vitamin D3 supplement, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement (B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.9%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 10% | 1% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 59% | 8% | 25% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 57% | 19% | 24% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.
The second ingredient is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The third ingredient includes sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.
The fourth ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The fifth ingredient lists beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1
Beef is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The sixth ingredient is tapioca, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.
The seventh ingredient is sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is nutritionally similar to safflower oil. Since these oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and contain no omega-3′s, they’re considered less nutritious than canola or flaxseed oils.
Sunflower oil is notable for its resistance to heat damage during cooking.
There are several different types of sunflower oil, some better than others. Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this ingredient.
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 one notable exceptions…
The minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
Simply Nourish Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Simply Nourish Dog Food looks like an above average wet product.
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 59%, a fat level of 8% and estimated carbohydrates of about 25%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 59% and a mean fat level of 8%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 25% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 14%.
Above-average protein. Below-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, this looks like the profile of a wet product containing a significant amount of meat.
Yet it’s unfortunate the company chose to include non-chelated minerals in its recipes. Without this lower quality ingredient, we’d have been compelled to award this line our highest rating.
Bottom line?
Simply Nourish Dog Food is a meat-based wet product using a significant amount of chicken, beef or fish as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.
Highly recommended.
Please note some products may have been given higher or lower ratings based upon our estimate of their total meat content.
Special Alert
Rice ingredients can sometimes contain arsenic. Until the US FDA establishes safe upper levels for arsenic content, pet owners may wish to limit the total amount of rice fed in a dog's daily diet.
A Final Word
The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.
Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.
Each review is offered in good faith and has been 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 analyze each product, please 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 qualified veterinary professional for help.
In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.
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Notes and Updates
07/01/2011 Original review
11/25/2012 Last Update
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