23/11/2025
๐๐ก๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ง๐ฌ
This recipe popped up on my feed today, and mentioning it was B.A.R.F style...
Made from diced pumpkin, grated carrot, diced apple, blueberries, spinach, cranberries, turmeric and raw minced chicken breast - it looks colourful and โhealthy,โ but itโs nowhere near a complete or balanced diet for a dog.
๐ฅฉ๐ฅฆ ๐. ๐๐จ, ๐๐'๐๐ฆ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐
- ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐
A proper BARF diet includes meaty bones, muscle meat, plant matter and offal in specific ratios, but this recipe contains no bones, no organs, and barely any meat. Itโs essentially a bowl of vegetables with a small amount of lean chicken, which does not meet BARF principles or canine nutritional requirements.
๐ฃ ๐. ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐-๐
Chicken breast is very lean and disproportionately high in omega-6, which drives inflammation when not balanced with high-quality omega-3 fats. To fix that, youโd need to include oily fish (sardines, salmon, mackerel etc.) or algae oil (for those on a single protein diet) to supply EPA and DHA - none of which are present here.
๐จ ๐. ๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ง'๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ โ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐โ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ
Pet parents often use chicken liver in chicken recipes, but here's why I wouldn't...
Chicken organs simply arenโt nutrient-dense enough to correct the deficiencies created by a vegetable-heavy, meat-light recipe. Chicken liver is low in zinc, manganese, vitamin D, vitamin E, copper and omega-3s, and adding more chicken parts only increases omega-6 imbalance without solving any of the missing minerals or vitamins.
๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ - ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ -๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฆ
This recipe is critically low in calcium, zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium, iodine, selenium, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin B12, choline, omega-3s and overall protein and fat. These are essential nutrients - not optional extras and prolonged deficiency can lead to brittle bones, fractures, anaemia, thyroid issues, muscle wasting, chronic inflammation, poor skin and coat, immune dysfunction and neurological problems.
No, this isn't fear mongering - I am a fresh food feeder, promoter & recipe formulator but if you can't do it right, then I suggest buying a balanced recipe. Many of these fallouts won't be seen for many years, and by then, owners often do not contribute them to the diet.
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐?!
There are a few ways, one of the easiest is to use a balancing supplement such as Wellbeing for Dogs, Bestie Health, HUNDE, or if you're on a super tight budget, then a synthetic balancer called Predamax.
We could also fix it by thoughtfully adding more ingredients that offer nutrients it is missing or lacking such as...
โ
Beef Heart for taurine, CoQ10, B vitamins, phosphorus - I'd add this at around 20% of the muscle meat portion.
โ
We need to add edible bones or a calcium powder for the calcium requirements.
โ
Add Beef/Lamb Liver & Kidneys/Spleen for copper, zinc, selenium, B12, vit A, etc.
โ
Healthy fats to balance the omega-6 from the chicken - oily fish would be my go-to, either fresh or canned, this also helps add vitamin D. I'd also add a whole free range egg for healthy fats + choline.
โ
My plant matter portion of this recipe would be no more than 25% and would also include spinach/bok choy, kelp, ground pumpkin seeds, and ground sunflower seeds. I would reduce/eliminate the apple; there is enough sugar in this recipe already.
๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ก ๐๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ญ, ๐ฃ๐จ๐ข๐ง ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ญ:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2042692059331413/
๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐:
https://www.patreon.com/realfoodfordogs
