How To Make Temporary Recipes For Your Dog At Home

If you’re reading this, you need a healthy meal for your dog to tide them over until their next order of fresh, complete and balanced food arrives at your door.

You can prepare a few days’ worth of food at home by following the recipe below. If your dog has been recommended a specific recipe by a veterinarian, please contact us for more support at help@thefarmersdog.com or 646-780-7957. It’s important to note that these recipes are for short-term feeding only, because they do not provide all of the essential vitamins and minerals that our complete and balanced fresh recipes do. Feed them for no more than 3–5 days.  

Here’s a list of foods to use, what to avoid, and preparation instructions. 

You will need:

• Large pot, skillet or dutch oven
• Spatula
• Kitchen scale
• Standard measuring cups
• Food-safe thermometer 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces of 85% lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground pork (measured raw, fed cooked)
• 1 cup diced sweet potato, lentils, chickpeas, or oats (measured cooked)

Cooking instructions

Step 1

Place the pot, skillet, or dutch oven over medium- to medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add the ground meat. Break apart and stir until the meat is no longer pink and is broken into small pieces or crumbles. Do not drain any liquid or fat.

Step 2

Boil the raw sweet potato, lentils, or chickpeas until they’re fully cooked and are soft when pierced with a fork. If you are cooking oats (regular or quick, unenriched), cook in water according to the instructions on the packaging. Drain, measure as a cooked amount, and add to the pan with the cooked meat.

*Canned chickpeas that are fully cooked may be rinsed, measured, and added directly to the pan with the cooked, ground meat. 

Note: Be sure to check that the ingredients are soft and easily broken in order to avoid choking hazards. Large chunks may require additional cooking time. 

Step 3

Using a food-safe thermometer, check the meat’s temperature in several places to verify that a food-safe temperature of 165°F is reached throughout. 

Step 4

Remove the pan from the heat source. 

Recipe Portioning 

Once the food is cooked, let it cool down a bit (no longer than 20 minutes).

You can estimate your dog’s portions based on the volume of food they typically receive from their fresh recipes per day and provide a similar amount.

If you’re not sure where to start, a rough portioning guide is to feed one-third of a batch per day for a small dog (a dog who weighs 25 pounds or less) and one batch per day for medium- to large-sized dogs (dogs who weigh 50 pounds or more). This starting amount is a guideline only and may need to be adjusted depending on your individual dog and their needs and activity level.

Set aside a few meals’ worth of this food—you can store them in the fridge for up to four days. If a single batch will last longer than four days (for very small dogs), store the remainder in the freezer. Move each portion to the fridge 24 hours before feeding to thaw. If you forget to thaw the food, you can run the container under cold water until it’s fully thawed and ready to feed.

Ingredients to avoid

Be sure to skip these foods and extras when preparing food at home:

• Added salt, spices or other seasonings 
• Garlic, onions, or spicy peppers  
• Cooking oils, sprays, or butter 
• Bones of any kind 
• Human vitamins 
• Other table foods 

IMPORTANT REMINDER: The recipes and cooking instructions listed above are for short-term feeding only. Feeding improperly balanced food long-term can lead to nutritional deficiencies and serious health issues. For those looking to cook at home over the long term, we offer a DIY Nutrient Mix formulated to ensure that home-cooked recipes are complete and balanced. Email diysupport@thefarmersdog.com or call 646-780-7957 for more information.