Our pets are part of the family, so it makes sense that we want to feed them the very best. In the past, commercial dog food options were limited and contained a lot of fillers, preservatives, and unhealthy ingredients. Now, we have a wide range of holistic dog food options to give our dogs the best possible nutrition.

Of course, the term “holistic” isn’t regulated and means something different to everyone. You must be careful when selecting holistic dog food and check the ingredient list to ensure it’s high-quality food.

Fortunately, we’ve narrowed our picks for the best holistic dog foods this year to help you decide. While the meaning of holistic may vary, we’ve chosen the best options based on reviews and ingredients.

A Glance at Our Winners in 2024

The 11 Best Holistic Dog Foods

1. Nom Nom Fresh Dog Food Subscription – Best Overall

We recommend Nom Nom dog food as the best overall holistic dog food. Nom Nom is a quality dog food delivery service that has human-grade, fresh dog food in four different flavor varieties. Even the pickiest of dogs love Nom Nom fresh food, and the high-quality ingredients ensure that they are getting the best quality nutrition.

Nom Nom’s ordering process makes it easy to customize a diet plan that fits your dog. You simply fill out a profile, and you will receive personalized recommendations based on your dog’s needs.

However, Nom Nom dog food is on the pricey side. It’s worth it for the extra quality that you get but may not be an option if you’re pinching pennies. Your location will also determine whether you can buy Nom Nom food. At this time, delivery is not available in all states.

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2. Diamond Naturals Chicken & Rice All Life Dry Dog Food – Budget Buy

Diamond Naturals Chicken & Rice Formula All Life Stages Dry Dog Food is the best holistic dog food for the money. The food contains natural superfoods and probiotics to support digestive health, and cage-free chicken is the first ingredient. Plenty of real fruits and vegetables are included for antioxidants and vitamins, including kale, blueberries, and coconut. Omega fatty acids support coat and skin health.

All ingredients come from domestic and global sources, and the food is manufactured in the US. Diamond Naturals also uses the K9 strain proprietary probiotics for optimal digestion and nutrient absorption. The food is made with no corn, wheat, grain, or soy. This is an excellent bargain for natural or holistic food with quality ingredients, though some reviewers noted quality-control issues or that their dogs wouldn’t touch it.

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3. Ziwi Peak Beef Grain-Free Air-Dried Dog Food

Ziwi Peak Beef Grain-Free Air-Dried Dog Food is a simple, holistic dog food recipe. Bringing the best of New Zealand, Ziwi Peak dog food has fresh meat, organs, and bones for well-rounded protein and green mussels with chondroitin and glucosamine for joint support.  All food is dehydrated using a twin-stage air-drying process that preserves the ingredients and eliminates bacterial growth.

Though raw, the dehydrating process makes the food safe for human handling, so it’s free from preservatives, sugars, and glycerin. The formula can be fed as a meal on its own or added to other food as a topper. All meats and fish are free-range or wild-caught and sustainably sourced. This food is expensive, however.

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4. Holistic Adult & Puppy Grain-Free Fish – Best for Puppies

Holistic Select Adult & Puppy Grain-Free Salmon, Anchovy & Sardine Meal Recipe Dry Dog Food is a healthy, natural option for puppies. Free from preservatives and fillers, the food has salmon, anchovies, and sardines as the primary protein sources and plenty of omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat development. For pups with sensitive stomachs, the food has probiotics and fiber to support optimal digestion.

Vitamins, nutrients, and fiber come from whole fruits and vegetables like pumpkin, papaya, cranberries, beet pulp, and flaxseed. Along with healthy ingredients, the recipe is specially formulated to be delicious and appetizing for puppies, even if they’re picky. All ingredients are from trusted sources and the food is manufactured in the US. Some reviewers noted that their puppies didn’t like the food or experienced digestive upset.

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5. Earthborn Coastal Catch Grain-Free Natural Dog Food

Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch Grain-Free Natural Dry Dog Food is great holistic dog food because of its high-quality protein. Herring meal, salmon meal, and whitefish meal are the first ingredients and primary protein sources. The food also supports nutrition with apples, carrots, blueberries, cranberries, and spinach, which contain antioxidants for immune health. L-carnitine and omega fatty acids are also included for healthy muscle mass, skin, and coat.

The food is free of grain and gluten for sensitive dogs and uses natural fruit and vegetable fiber to support maximum digestibility and absorption. Ideal for all breeds, this adult formula is dry and may be combined with wet food or food toppers. Despite plenty of good reviews, some reviewers’ dogs didn’t like the food.

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6. Instinct Chicken & Brown Rice Raw Dry Dog Food

Instinct Be Natural Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Dry Dog Food is made with cage-free chicken for all-natural protein and excellent support for muscle mass and bone health. Each piece of kibble has a raw coating of chicken that’s freeze-dried for taste, texture, and food safety. Vitamins and minerals are added to ensure complete nutrition.

No fillers, corn, wheat, soy, chicken, or byproducts are used in the food, but it does have barley and brown rice. All food is manufactured in the US with ingredients sourced from all over the world. But according to reviewers, some dogs didn’t like it and others experienced digestive upset.

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7. Nature’s Logic Canine Chicken Meal All Life Stages Dry

Nature’s Logic Chicken Meal Feast is a completely natural and nutrient-rich dog food that has high-quality chicken as the first ingredient. Fruits and vegetables are added to provide vitamins and nutrients for overall health. All kibble is coated with digestive enzymes and protein with vitamins, minerals, albumin, and globulin.

The food has high-quality grains like millet and grass seed with no corn, wheat, soy, or rice. All ingredients are minimally processed, such as spinach, cranberries, blueberries, and dried kelp. In addition to being manufactured in the US, the processing uses renewable electricity for environmental sustainability. Several reviewers said their dogs didn’t like it and they experienced quality-control issues.

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8. Orijen Tundra Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Orijen Tundra Grain-Free Dry Dog Food offers biologically appropriate nutrition for your dog, complete with ranch-raised venison, grass-fed lamb, Boer goat, pork, duck, and fish. Using the most nutrient-dense parts of the prey animal, the food offers whole animal protein for natural nutrition. Each individual piece of kibble is coated with freeze-dried liver for a superior taste.

The first five ingredients are fresh or raw animal protein, and the food has no corn, wheat, soy, or gluten. There’s no chicken, which is a common source of food allergies or sensitivities in dogs. Though most reviewers were pleased, some dogs wouldn’t touch this food.

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9. Wellness CORE Grain-Free Turkey Meal & Chicken Recipe Dry

Wellness CORE Grain-Free Original Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal & Chicken Meal Recipe Dry Dog Food is a balanced, grain-free dry food that’s specially formulated for high-protein needs. Turkey and chicken are the first ingredients, followed by salmon oil for fatty acids. Vitamins and nutrients come from whole food sources like fruits, vegetables, and wholesome grains.

The food is free from fillers, corn, soy, wheat, gluten, and preservatives. Despite this, it’s manufactured in a facility that processes grains, which means some can be on the food. Be mindful of that if your dog has a known allergy or food sensitivity. Some reviewers noticed dandruff with this food, which resolved when they switched back to their original food.

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10. Nutro Natural Choice Adult Lamb & Brown Rice Dry Food

If you have a small breed or a dog that prefers small bites, Nutro Natural Choice Small Bites Adult Dry Dog Food Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Kibble is a great choice. Real lamb is the first ingredient and provides high-quality protein for muscle and bone health. The food contains essential antioxidants for immunity and fiber for optimal digestion.

Formulated without soy, wheat, corn, or chicken byproducts, this food is ideal for complete nutrition for adult dogs of small or toy breeds or larger breeds that need small kibble. This food is not appropriate for puppies or large breeds, however. Some reviewers said they saw poor results when this company switched their dog food formula recently.

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11. Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Chicken Paw Pie Wet Dog Food

From the same line as the popular dry foods, the Rachael Ray Nutrish Chicken Paw Pie Recipe chicken stew is a mix of chicken and green beans with sweet potatoes in chicken gravy. The natural formula contains vitamins and minerals for complete and balanced nutrition, and real chicken is the first ingredient.

There’s no corn, wheat, or soy, artificial flavors, or preservatives, making it a natural formula for dogs that like wet food or suffer from digestibility issues. Unlike other foods on the list, this food is not made in the US. Reviewers also noted that it smells strong.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Holistic Dog Food

As mentioned, holistic means different things to different people. The idea behind holistic dog food is that it focuses on whole-dog health, which aligns with the medical definition of treating the whole person mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Because of this, there’s no regulation for holistic dog food. Basically, any brand can include “holistic” on the label and get away with it. You must be diligent as a consumer and pet owner in checking labels and reading ingredient lists to understand what’s in your dog food.

The meaning of holistic may not be regulated, but the amount of truth in advertising is. Here’s what you should look for:

Real Animal Sources

Ideally, your food will have real chicken, turkey, fish, or some other protein source as its first ingredients. Dogs can survive without meat, but it is not ideal for their health. Second to animal sources, look for proteins from free-range, wild-caught, ranch-raised, or other sustainable or ethical sources. These meats are of higher quality than meat raised on factory farms.

Grain-Free or Wholesome Grains

While there’s still debate about grain-free health benefits and risks for dogs, there are some grains that are a healthier alternative to low-quality grains like corn and soy. These grains aren’t biologically appropriate for dogs, so it’s better to choose nutritious grains like brown rice, barley, oats, and millet.

AAFCO Standards

Nutritional standards for dog food are developed by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). These guidelines are the basis for the nutritional content, which means that you can trust that your dog is getting the complete and balanced nutrition it needs. Make sure the food you choose meets AAFCO standards.

Conclusion

You want to do the best for your dog, but it can be difficult to choose a holistic or natural dog food that gives your pet everything they need. Nom Nom Now is the best overall holistic dog food for its high-quality protein from real ingredients. If you are on a budget, Diamond Naturals Chicken & Rice Formula All Life Stages Dry Dog Food is the best holistic dog food for the money and offers a wide range of micronutrients.

• See Also: 7 Holistic Dog Treatments (You Should Know About)

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