We believe feeding all-natural foods to our dog is crucial to their diet. Out of all the commercial food in the market the claims to be all-natural, we found Honest Kitchen to be the best. If there was a better food available, we would sell it but there isn't. Honest Kitchen truly is the best. Here are a few reasons why we feel so strongly about Honest Kitchen's food:
- Verve, Keen, and Preference are gently dehydrated without extrusion or intense heat processing. It removes only the water and preserves the vital nutrients present in the raw ingredients. These are the first-ever, prepare-at-home diets to offer complete convenience, nutritional balance, and exceptional quality and value.
- These synergistic blends are bursting with naturally occurring enzymes, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and phytonutrients. It also has healthy fats, protein, and fiber--everything that fuels a dog to lead a healthy life. The foods are brightly-colored so we know that there many valuable phyto-nutrients and antioxidants to quench free radicals.
- Honest Kitchen is guaranteed to be 100% human food-grade. It's not processed in a pet food plant. The food is completely FDA-approved and produced in a facility in Southern California, the same place that makes the food you and I eat.
- There are no "red flag" ingredients. There are no by-products, added salt or sugar, chemical preservatives, artificial colors or flavors of any kind, beat pulpm rice, wheat, corn, or soy. All of those are common allergens for dogs that can cause gastrointestinal problems (GI upset), dry, itchy skin, hair loss or dullness, lack of energy, chronic ear problems, and chewing at the feet.
Fast food has never been viewed as a healthy option day after day for human beings. Unfortunately, many pet food conglomerates claim that a "fast food" diet of kibble and canned products, should form the only source of nutrition for our pets. Many will insist that their "fast food" should not be supplemented with real food at all for fear of 'unbalancing' what they have cooked up.
Manufacturers have and will continue to promote the idea that "people food" is bad for dogs. At Honest Kitchen, they don't think the same way as these big manufacturers. They believe that a selection of fresh, wholesome, human-grade ingredients is better than the cooked mixture of by-products, fillers, and other processed ingredients that are very sadly being served to many unfortunate pets day after day.
The Honest Kitchen All-natural Dehydrated Dog Foods meet all the nutritional requirements established by AAFCO (the Association of American Feed Control Officials) and are tested in an ISO accredited laboratory to validate their nutritional content. The dehydrated dog food can be feed alone, if desired. We also encourage the addition of other fresh foods, raw meat and bones, or cooked meats (never cooked bones), if you wish.
The dehydrated raw ingredients are clearly recognizable as real foods. There is no longer a need to have to trust the label to tell you what is in your dog's food. Now you can choose the products, where what you see is what you get. All grains in Honest Kitchen food are certified organic. The meats are hormone- and antibiotic-free and the fruits and vegetables are guaranteed non-GMO. Honest Kitchen's Quinoa is certified fair-trade.
The difference you will see in your dog is clear after just a few weeks of feeding a minimally processed diet. You will see brighter eyes, better skin and coat quality, higher energy levels, and reduced incidence of chronic food-allergy related problems, such as itching, scratching, foot chewing and debris buildup in the ears.
All of the meats used are USDA approved, US Origin. Our fruits and vegetables are guaranteed non-GMP and our grains, kelp and flax are certified organic.
Dehydrated foods should be stored in a cool, dry place. Our products have a shelf life of 12 months or more, depending upon ambient temperature and humidity. The containers should be closed tightly between meals. We recommend thoroughly cleaning and drying our re-usable buckets, prior to re-filling.
One cup of dehydrated food will make about 1 lb of fresh food. A 4 lb size holds about 17 cups and makes about 17 lbs of fresh food. A 10 lb size holds about 43 dry cups and makes about 43 lbs of fresh food.
After re-hydration, a process that takes just ten minutes, these foods should be consumed right away. Any left over food should be treated like fresh food, and refrigerated or discarded.
All three foods can be fed as a stand-alone diet. Additional foods can be added to the suggested serving sizes if desired. We suggest adding about half a cup of home-prepared ingredients for each dry-measured cup of food. For convenience, all our feeding guidelines are based on dry-measured cups.
The most obvious visual difference between Honest Kitchen's dehydrated food and canned or extruded foods, is the vibrant colors that remain intact, through the gentle process of dehydration. Numerous studies have highlighted the importance of the bright pigments that exist in fresh fruits and vegetables. These vivid substances are potent phytonutrients - antioxidants, which are highly beneficial for total health and well-being. The enzyme content of dehydrated food is also much higher than conventional pet food.
Dehydration, or drying, is one of the oldest and gentlest methods of food preservation. Food dehydration works by removing only the water. All other nutrients remain - and become highly concentrated. Dried foods are highly nutritious, easy to prepare and store, and light-weight to ship.
The removal of moisture prevents enzymatic activity (which can lead to browning and decomposition of foods) and also prevents the growth of bacteria, yeast, and molds. Dehydration does not destroy or kill the food enzymes, as occurs in cooking and freezing or high pressure processing such as extrusion. Enzyme activity in dehydrated foods is simply suspended until the food is re-hydrated.
The raw fruit and vegetable ingredients are harvested at the peak of their ripeness, cleaned and trimmed and then gently dried. Once re-hydrated, dried foods resemble fresh food in terms of appearance, palatability and nutritional value.
The food dehydration process takes place at moderate temperatures (below 104 degrees F) so the ingredients are still considered raw. The only exceptions are the meat and egg ingredients, which dehydrated at a higher temperature (above 120 degrees F) to kill any pathogenic bacteria that may be present. This is required to maintain their human-edible status and allow the meats into the human-food manufacturing facility where our products are made.
These foods can be fed alone, or as an accompaniment to a raw food or other home-prepared diet. Dehydrated raw food is considerably different from conventional cooked or processed foods and you pet should be given sufficient time to adjust.
- For dogs already consuming some raw or home made (unprocessed) food, our foods can usually be re-hydrated and mixed directly with your own ingredients right away.
- For dogs transitioning from a processed diet of kibble or canned food, these foods should be introduced more gradually, over a period of four to seven days depending on your dog's sensitivity.
- Re-hydrate following the guidelines on the label, and mix a small amount of our food with the regular kibble or canned food for the first couple of days. Gradually increase the ration to half and half for a few days, and then completely remove the old food. This will allow time for the natural 'friendly' gut flora in the intestines to become accustomed to the new diet and become more efficient at assimilating the re-hydrated food.
- Most dogs will enjoy some additional cooked meat or raw meat and bones, (please never add cooked bones) being added to these foods. The formulas are designed carefully balanced levels of calcium, phosphorus and other vital nutrients, which allow additional ingredients to be added without disrupting important ratios.
- You may also wish to add your own additional vegetables, fruits or other ingredients such as yogurt or cottage cheese.
