Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Nutro Puppy Food in cups product range consists of two recipes, each receiving the Dog Food Advisor’s rating of 4.5 stars.
Real beef or chicken as the first ingredient to support your dog’s growth, muscle development, and overall health, and contains no chicken by-product meal, corn, soy, wheat, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Pros
- Focus on sustainability
- Transparent ingredient usage
- High-quality animal protein as a primary ingredient
Cons
- Not budget-friendly
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Nutro Puppy Grain Free Tender Beef, Peas and Carrot | 4.5 | G |
| Nutro Puppy Grain Free Tender Chicken, Sweet Potato and Pea | 4.5 | G |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Nutro Puppy Grain Free Tender Beef, Peas and Carrot recipe was selected to represent both products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Nutro Puppy Grain Free Tender Beef, Peas and Carrot
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Beef, chicken broth, pork broth, peas, chicken, carrots, chicken liver, animal plasma, tapioca starch, dried egg product, pea fiber, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, salt, dried tomatoes, xanthan gum, choline chloride, fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), sodium acid pyrophosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, magnesium proteinate, sodium hexametaphosphate, manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, biotin, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, potassium iodide, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 8% | 4% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 44% | 19% | 28% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 37% | 39% | 24% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is 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 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The next two ingredients are chicken broth and pork broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, they are a common component in many canned products.
The fourth ingredient lists peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The fifth ingredient is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.2
Chicken is naturally rich in the 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The sixth ingredient includes carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The next ingredient is chicken liver, an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The eighth ingredient is animal plasma. Plasma is what remains of blood after the blood cells themselves have been removed. Plasma can be considered a nutritious addition.
The ninth ingredient is tapioca starch, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.
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 Nutro product.
With four notable exceptions…
First, fish oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.
Depending on its level of freshness and purity, fish oil should be considered a commendable addition.
Next, polyphosphates. There are a number of poly or pyro phosphates which are included in both human and animal foods for a number of reasons, from increasing the palatability, managing the predicted urine pH, or adjusting the textures, as well as contributing phosphorus to the recipe.
Whilst these ingredients are safe to include, a study shows that excessive inorganic phosphorus can upset phosphorus homeostasis in healthy dogs and that adverse health effects cannot be excluded.
In addition, with the exception of magnesium, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.
And lastly, we note the inclusion of sodium hexametaphosphate, a man-made industrial polymer with no known nutritive value.
HMP is used in making soap, detergents, water treatment, metal finishing and most likely here to decrease tartar build-up on the teeth.
Although some might disagree, we’re of the opinion that food is not the place for tartar control chemicals or any other non-nutritive substances.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Nutro Puppy Grain Free Tender Beef, Peas and Carrot appears to be an above-average wet product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 43.2%, a fat level of 20.5% and estimated carbohydrates of about 22.7%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 43.2% and a mean fat level of 21.6%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 21.6% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 50%.
Which means this Instinct product line contains…
Near-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical wet dog food.
Nutro Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Nutro through December 2025.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Nutro Puppy Dog Food
Nutro Puppy in cups is a grain-free wet dog food using a significant amount of named meats as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.
About
Nutro has operated for over 90 years, making it one of the oldest pet food brands. John, Herman, and Albert Saleen founded Nutro in 1933.
Compare Nutro Puppy Dog Food
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