In this review
In this review
Sombra, our 5-year-old husky, has always been my running buddy. For years he kept up easily, but now he’s slowing down - less excitement to get out the door and calling it early. Even more alarming, we noticed he wasn’t as interested in food, and more specifically his “wild” kibble. That’s when we learned it’s actually common for aging dogs to lose appetite and energy - and that switching to fresh, less-processed food can help improve both1. We decided to give the leading fresh brands a try, to help you decide what’s best for you and your dog.
The Brands
We tested the four leading brands in fresh dog food: Freshpet, Ollie, JustFoodForDogs, and The Farmer’s Dog. We’ve seen Freshpet in our grocery store for years, and all four promise healthy, real dog food, and offer delivery subscriptions. Over two months, we tested each brand for two weeks at a time, observing Sombra’s appetite and noting changes in his behavior and energy.
We also enlisted the help of Veterinarian Dr. Sarah Furtney, DVM, to review each brand on ingredients, taste, convenience, and value. Read on to find out our top pick.
Why is Fresh Dog Food the Best Dog Food?
Fresh dog food is cooked in batches at low temperatures which helps preserve nutrients that are often lost in high-heat kibble processing. Think eating fresh whole foods for dinner, vs. a bag of cheetos.
The higher moisture content in fresh supports your dog’s hydration and digestion,1 and the best fresh dog foods have shorter ingredient lists that include primarily whole foods and real ingredients. Minimally processed foods also avoid filler ingredients like corn or soy and are often appealing to dogs who have grown bored of kibble. That all can translate to improved energy, coat quality, digestive health, and overall long-term wellness for our pups.1, 2
Fresh Dog Foods, Compared:
1. Ingredients & Nutrition: Freshpet Wins
When it comes to dog food, real, minimally-processed ingredients matter most. According to Dr. Furtney, the most nutritious dog food:
- Meets nutritional standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), an independent board which guides animal feed regulations.3
- Lists real meat as the first ingredient to ensure meals include adequate protein and fat levels to build muscle and fuel daily activity.
- Includes vitamin supplementation to ensure meals are complete and balanced.
- Tastes good, because even the most nutritious food won’t help if your dog won’t eat it!
Vitamins are essential to a dog’s long-term health, and must be included in any quality dog food. The most important vitamins include:
- Vitamin A for vision, immune function, and skin & coat health.
- Vitamin D for strong bones and teeth.
- Vitamin E for strong muscle and reproductive health.
- B-Complex Vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin) for energy metabolism, red blood cell production, and nervous system health.4
With those standards in mind, let's compare the nutrition of each brand’s chicken recipe:
Chicken Recipe Breakdown by Brand:
All three brands fall within AAFCO recommendations and list chicken as the first ingredient. That’s a good thing. However, not all brands are equally nutritious.
Freshpet’s has the highest protein level of the group, important for maintaining muscle mass which can degrade with age.5 It ties for highest fat content - the most important source of energy in a dog’s diet - and has the most comprehensive vitamin blend. Freshpet’s recipe also features oats, a high-quality carb with high levels of fiber, B vitamins, iron, and magnesium. That’s better than filler carbs like pasta that other brands, like JustFoodForDogs, contain. For Sombra, that translated into more energy after just a week on Freshpet, pulling harder on our runs and staying energetic at the park when he would usually start to fade.
The Farmer’s Dog has lower protein (11%) - a concern for muscle degradation in an active dog like Sombra. In our testing, we didn’t see the same spark in him that we noticed with Freshpet, and his energy still ran out during our usual runs. Ollie’s recipe has only 10% protein, just 3% fat, and is packed with carbs. It also lacks important vitamins like A, biotin, and folic acid. JustFoodForDogs not only had the lowest protein (8%) and fat (3%) of the group, but its recipes also include lower-quality filler ingredients like rice and macaroni. We were also concerned by its inclusion of seed oils like sunflower and flaxseed oil, which can contribute to inflammation.6 On both Ollie and JustFoodForDogs we didn’t notice a difference in Sombra on JustFoodForDogs compared to when he was on kibble.
Only Freshpet includes optimal protein and fat levels along with high-quality carbs and a full vitamin panel - while the other brands lack in key nutrients and macros.
2. Taste: Freshpet Wins
With Sombra’s recent decreased appetite, we watched him closely during our taste-testing. As Dr. Furtney explains, “Taste is very important – if a dog won’t eat a food, even the most nutritious formula won’t help.”
Our fresh journey started with The Farmer’s Dog. At first, Sombra ate his full bowl, but after a few days he started to leave pieces behind - he especially avoided the lentils and veggies.
JustFoodForDogs was Sombra’s least favorite. He hesitated before eating and even boycotted Venison & Squash recipe after a few bites. Having to coax Sombra to eat JustFoodForDogs in the same way as his kibble was not the mealtime excitement we hoped for.
With Ollie, we saw some difference in Sombra’s appetite. He enjoyed the Turkey & Blueberries recipe and happily licked the container after we scooped it into his bowl, but didn’t love the Chicken & Carrots dish. We were also concerned about the health effects of insufficient protein and fat in Ollie’s recipes.
Freshpet was the clear winner in our taste testing. Sombra ate every recipe enthusiastically, cleaning each and every bowl. His favorite was the Beef & Chicken and he came running every time he heard the Freshpet bag crinkle. Freshpet also stands out with large (easier to serve) chunks of meat - unlike the mushy texture of the other three brands.
3. Convenience: Freshpet Ties with Ollie
For a busy working pet parent, easy, mess-free serving is important. All four fresh brands deliver two weeks of food at a time and offer a meal plan builder based on breed, weight, activity level, and allergies. We put the same information in each – Breed (Husky), weight (65lbs), activity level (active), Weight (ideal), and Allergies (None).
Freshpet tied with Ollie as the easiest purchasing process. With Freshpet, we could view Sombra’s profile, nutrition info, and cost breakdown on a single page, while Ollie’s survey was just four pages long with only questions relevant to his diet. The other brands required time consuming, multi-page surveys with some seemingly irrelevant questions (does it really matter if he’s “cute” or “silly”?)
The Farmer’s Dog ordering experience was overcomplicated with a long survey and unnecessary questions.
JustFoodForDogs had the longest survey (16 pages) and only allowed me to order one recipe at a time.
Freshpet is also the most convenient to serve. The food comes in resealable bags that can stay fresh in the fridge for seven days. The included serving scoop with our order took the guesswork out of portioning. Most noticeably, it’s also the only brand that isn’t a mushy mess. No countertop messes or dirty utensils here.
Ollie’s food was similarly easy to serve – it comes in pre-portioned peel-off trays, meaning no cutting or portioning. However, the food does require thawing out of the freezer and scooping out of the bag.
The Farmer’s Dog and JustFoodForDogs tied for the worst serving experience. Like Ollie, both thaw from the freezer, but the food comes in large, bulk, non-resealable containers. That means guesswork on portioning, and a gooey mess every time.
4. Value: Freshpet Ties with Farmer’s Dog
For Sombra, who eats two meals a day, Freshpet costs $2.71 per meal with TCD’s discount ($5.42 without) for three recipes. That made it the most affordable option in this test, and given its higher nutrition and easy-to-serve format, our pick for best value.
The Farmer’s Dog was $5.24 per meal for three recipes. It’s the cheapest option without discounts, but the lower protein, inconvenient frozen packs, and mushy mess did not justify the cost savings to us. Ollie was higher at $5.75 per meal for three recipes - plus lower nutrition. JustFoodForDogs was by far the worst value at $8.29–$10.07 per meal for a single recipe, with more filler ingredients and fewer recipes.
Our #1 Choice for Fresh Dog Food: Freshpet
After testing the top four fresh dog food brands - Freshpet, The Farmer’s Dog, Ollie, and JustFoodForDogs - Freshpet is the clear winner. It has the strongest nutritional profile, the easiest, no-mess, serving format, and is Sombra’s favorite.
We’ve made a permanent switch to Freshpet for Sombra’s diet, and could not be happier with the results. He has more energy for our runs, is excited every time he hears the bag opening, and seems much more like the puppy we brought home a few years ago. His poops have also gotten firmer and less smelly.
Dr. Furtney, our practicing Veterinarian agrees: “I recommend Freshpet with its balanced nutrition and real, whole ingredients that you can actually see.”
Ready to try Freshpet? Save 50% on your first box with TCD’s discount:
