The 8 Best Natural Dog Foods of 2023

Best Overall

The Farmer’s Dog Custom Fresh Dog Food

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To earn the Best Overall spot, a healthy dog food must be nutritionally balanced, made with top quality ingredients that are not genetically modified and free of artificial additives and preservatives. Most importantly, it must also have a proven track record with dogs and their owners. 

The Farmer's Dog is an AAFCO-compliant, lightly cooked, custom diet designed specifically for your dog’s age, current and desired weight, breed and current health condition. They can even tailor diets to specific needs—we spoke with a former veterinary technician who selected a Farmer's Dog diet to mitigate side effects from Addison’s disease–a rare disorder of the adrenal glands.

To get started, you fill out a short questionnaire online and then they package and ship two weeks’ worth of frozen USDA-certified human-grade meats and healthy vegetables and fats. It is pre-portioned for easy feeding. The food itself is prepared fresh and the light cooking makes the food safer than fully raw foods. The proteins are also slightly more digestible while leaving the vitamins and nutrients intact.

We tested a custom diet for a 48 pound, 4-year-old pit bull mix named Kuma, including three different food types—USDA-Certified turkey, beef and beef liver, and chicken and chicken liver blends. Each mix also includes healthy, recognizable plant-based foods like chickpeas, lentils, carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, sunflower seeds and fish oils. The cost was just over $6 per day without the 50 percent discount on the first order. It’s relatively easy to make changes as your dog’s age, weight and health evolve.

Packed with antioxidants and healthy fats that proactively prevent cognitive decline as dogs age, this premium-quality diet is full of omega-3 fatty acids that improve brain function.

Although this healthy dog food brand is more expensive than average, you’ll feel good about how the Farmer’s Dog cares about your dog and the environment down to the last detail. This healthy dog food is free of meals and preservatives and comes in recyclable cardboard boxes. Each food pack is made from BPA-free plastics that are non-toxic. Additionally, the food storage containers and insulation are biodegradable and compostable at home.

Price at time of publish: $6/day

_{Protein Source: USDA-Certified turkey, beef, chicken | Other Key Ingredients: Chickpeas, lentils, carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, fish oils | Available Flavors: Turkey, beef and beef liver, chicken and chicken liver}

Best Dry

Wellness Complete Health Dry Dog Food

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Nutritionally balanced, their ingredients are sourced from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Belgium. Their recipes boast antioxidants like blueberries, spinach flaxseed, and vitamin E, plus taurine for a healthy heart, and probiotics for efficient digestion. Omega fatty acids also benefits your dog's coat. Our dog loved the lamb and barley which is known to be good for dogs that may be allergic to other protein sources.

In addition to its adult dry food line, Wellness Complete Health is also available in formulations for small and large breeds, puppies and seniors, and for those that need to lose weight.

Price at time of publish: $70

_{Protein Source: Chicken, whitefish, lamb | Other Key Ingredients: Barley, peas, carrots, apples | Available Flavors: Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal, Whitefish & Sweet Potato, Lamb and Barley}

Best for Large Breeds

DIAMOND NATURALS Large Breed Adult Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food

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Made in the United States, this dry food is made from either cage-free chicken or pasture-raised lamb and whole grain brown rice blended with a variety of superfood fruits and vegetables like blueberries, oranges, kale, chia seeds and pumpkin. There’s also papaya for healthy digestion and Yucca Schidigera extract the reduces the odor of their poops. Several strains of probiotics round out the recipes. Honestly, the ingredient list sounds tasty and healthy for anyone—not just dogs. 

Tailored for a large-breed dog, it’s high in protein and nutrient-dense without fillers or artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Naturally high in chondroitin and glucosamine–key for long-term joint health–you’ll feel good knowing your large breed dog will age gracefully.

Price at time of publish: $44

_{Protein Source: Chicken or lamb | Other Key Ingredients: Barley, oatmeal, egg, pumpkin, spinach, kale | Available Flavors: Chicken and Rice, Lamb Meal and Rice, Lamb and Rice (puppy)}

Best for Small Breeds

Merrick Healthy Grains Dry Dog Food

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Smaller dogs need food that comes in smaller pieces, so they can comfortably chew and swallow it. But it’s not just size that matters—small breed dogs have different nutritional needs as well. Merrick is one of the brands that Dr. Richardson recommends when it comes to natural dog foods.

Merrick lists the first five ingredients on the front of the packaging—a tip-off that you're getting good-quality ingredients. Whole grains, such as brown rice and quinoa, are included as well to help with digestion. You won’t find corn, wheat or soy so this is a great choice for little dogs prone to skin problems. It is also free of potatoes, peas and lentils (see Why We No Longer Recommend Grain-Free Dog Foods below).

Price at time of publish: $48

_{Protein Source: Chicken | Other Key Ingredients: Brown rice, barley, turkey meal | Available Flavors: Chicken}

Best Budget

Rachael Ray Nutrish Adult Dry Dog Food

4.8

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Nutrish is a fantastic budget option that uses real chicken meat, not animal byproducts. Also included in the formula are prebiotics—the kind of food that feeds the good bacteria in your pet's gut—for digestion. The brand prides itself on its “wholesome” ingredients and explains what purpose the top ingredients serve in your pet's nutrition. Not on that list? Artificial flavors and artificial preservatives.

You can feel good about your purchase, too, because a portion of sales are donated to The Rachael Ray Foundation, which helps animals in need.

Price at time of publish: $22

_{Protein Source: Chicken, turkey, beef or salmon | Other Key Ingredients: Soybean meal, peas, corn, barley, carrots | Available Flavors: Chicken & Veggies, Beef, Pea & Brown Rice, Salmon, Veggies & Brown Rice, Turkey, Brown Rice & Venison}

Best Dehydrated

Sundays Food for Dogs

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Want something truly different? Here’s how dehydrated food works: After it’s made, the food is air dried. This preserves all the nutrients while killing off germs. It's a good option for pet owners who are intrigued by the idea of raw food diets but are worried about potential bacteria in raw meat.

Everything in the food is 100 percent human-grade. That means it’s also safe for humans to eat (no gross fillers or meat byproducts included). It’s also formulated without common allergens (like chicken or wheat) and with ingredients that support digestion (like pumpkin). 

Because it’s dehydrated, the food doesn’t need to be stored in the fridge or freezer, and it also doesn’t need to be heated up or cleaned up carefully after your dog eats.

_{Price at time of publish: $129 | Protein Source: Chicken or beef | Other Key Ingredients: Quinoa, egg, kale, fish and sunflower oils | Available Flavors: Chicken or beef}

Best Fresh Food

PetPlate Fresh Cooked Dog Food

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Your dog will feel and look like royalty on this fresh frozen food. The veterinarian-designed recipes are made custom to your dog’s stats for age, size, breed, activity level, current and desired weight and more. Each is made with human-grade ingredients in a USDA-Certified kitchen. It’s cooked lightly for safety and then flash frozen for delivery to your door. 

Individual portions are delivered in BPA-free. Microwave-safe, recyclable containers so you can thaw and serve them warm or cold. They offer a full meal plan and a topper only plan with flexibility to change plans, recipes and delivery frequency as your dog’s needs change.

Price at time of publish: $4/day

_{Protein Source: Beef, turkey, chicken, lamb, pork and venison | Other Key Ingredients: Barley, sweet potatoes, brown rice, green beans, carrots, apples | Available Flavors: Barkin’ Beef, Tail Waggin’ Turkey, Chompin’ Chicken, Lip Lickin’ Lamb, Power Packed Pork, Lean & Mean Venison}