Rating: 
Simply Nourish dry dog food receives the Advisor’s above-average rating of 4 stars.
The Simply Nourish Dog Food product line includes 5 kibbles… four claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance and one for growth (Puppy).
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.
- Simply Nourish Adult Lamb and Oatmeal
- Simply Nourish Adult Chicken and Brown Rice
- Simply Nourish Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice
- Simply Nourish Limited Ingredient Turkey and Brown Rice
- Simply Nourish Limited Ingredient Sweet Potato and Salmon
Simply Nourish Adult Lamb and Oatmeal was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Simply Nourish Lamb and Oatmeal Adult
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Lamb, oatmeal, brown rice, turkey meal, brown rice flour, lamb meal, tomato pomace, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural flavor, flaxseed, dried chicory root, dried carrots, dried spinach, dried sweet potato, dried pumpkin, dried blueberries, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, l-ascorbyl-polyphosphate, niacin, vitamin A supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (zinc sulfate, ferric sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), potassium chloride, choline chloride
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.6%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 24% | 13% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 27% | 14% | 51% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 24% | 31% | 45% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is lamb. Although it is a quality item, raw lamb contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The second ingredient lists oatmeal… a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, fiber and is also (unlike many other grains) gluten-free.
The third ingredient is brown rice… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The fourth ingredient is turkey meal. Turkey meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh turkey.
The fifth ingredient includes brown rice flour. Rice flour can be considered a reasonable gluten-free substitute for wheat flour.
The sixth ingredient is lamb meal. Like turkey meal, lamb meal can be considered another protein-rich meat concentrate.
The seventh ingredient is tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content… while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
The eighth ingredient lists 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.1
However, plant-based oils (like canola) are less biologically available to a dog than fish oil as a source of quality omega-3 fats.
After the natural flavor, we find flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
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, chicory root is naturally rich in a substance called inulin… a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
And lastly, this food 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.
Simply Nourish Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Simply Nourish Dog Food looks to be an above-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 27%, a fat level of 14% and estimated carbohydrates of about 51%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 49% for the overall product line.
Average protein. Average fat. And average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Simply Nourish dry dog food is a grain-based kibble using a moderate amount of named poultry or salmon meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
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… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
06/14/2011 Original review
06/17/2011 Last Update
- 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.
Pingback: Im new and I have food questions - Page 2