1. Rachael Ray Nutrish Real Chicken & Veggies Recipe
Key Features
Calorie content for each serving: 329 per cup
Minimum protein content: 26%
Minimum fat content: 14%
Maximum fiber and moisture content: 4% and 10%
Ingredients forming the top 5: real chicken meat and meal, whole grain corn, soybean meal, and dried peas
Minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids
Made of simple, pretty straightforward ingredients, this Rachael Ray dog food is perfect for maintaining the health and optimum functioning of your dog regardless of its breed or size. It boasts of using only real US farm-raised chicken that has been processed in the famed kitchen of Ainsworth Pet Nutrition. It is beefed up with all the wholesome veggies and fruits you can find. Unfortunately, it does include corn, soybean, and a few moderately glycemic ingredients in its formulation. Nevertheless, the protein-rich chicken coupled with the micronutrient-dense fruits and vegetables in the formulation is often enough to make sure your dog grows to become a happy and healthy hound.
2. Rachael Ray Nutrish Limited Ingredient Lamb Meal & Rice
Key Features
Calorie content for each serving: 321 per cup
Minimum protein content: 20%
Minimum fat content: 13%
Maximum fiber and moisture content: 4% and 10%
Ingredients forming the top 5: real lamb meal, brown and ground rice, chicken fat, and dried plain beet pulp
Vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids
A number of Nutrish dog food reviews say a lot of positive things about the Rachael Ray Just 6 limited ingredient diet. First, it contains lamb meal as the principal source of its protein. The five other ingredients are brown and ground rice, chicken fat, dried beet pulp, and natural pork flavor. Technically, one cannot really classify the pork flavor as a major ingredient since its main purpose is only to elevate the palatability of the Just 6 dog food. Second, being a limited ingredient diet, you won’t see any allergenic proteins in the formula. Lamb is a protein that is considered novel, meaning your dog is not yet sensitized to the protein. This reduces the risk of developing food allergies in your pet. If you are looking for more options, check out our guide on limited ingredient dog food.
3. Rachael Ray Nutrish Super Premium Dry Dog Food
Key Features
Calorie content for each serving: 295 per cup
Minimum protein content: 26%
Minimum fat content: 10%
Maximum fiber and moisture content: 6% and 11%
Ingredients forming the top 5: real turkey meat and meal, brown and ground rice, and dried peas
Essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins
Treat your beloved pet to the delicious taste of turkey and venison with this Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food that also includes peas and brown rice to give your pet the kind of wholesome goodness it needs. Its low calorie and low fat formulation makes this Rachael Ray dog food a good choice for those pooches that are easily predisposed to obesity. The addition of l-carnitine also helps ensure your pet will have a much more desirable weight than others. Our only lament is that the formula comes with corn. Moreover, we find the addition of pea protein to be an issue since it somehow muddles the actual amount of proteins provided by turkey. Nonetheless, if you’ve got a hound that’s prone to obesity, this Rachael Ray creation is always a good choice.
4. Rachael Ray Nutrish Premium Natural Wet Dog Food
Key Features
Calorie content: 235 per container (Chicken Paw Pie); 252 per container (Hearty Beef Stew); 237 per container (Savory Lamb Stew)
Minimum protein content: 9%
Minimum fat content: 5%
Maximum fiber and moisture content: 2% and 78%
Ingredients forming the top 5: chicken broth, real chicken meat, dried egg, egg white, and pea protein (for Chicken Paw Pie); chicken broth, real beef and chicken meats, dried egg, and egg white (for Hearty Beef Stew); chicken broth, real lamb meat, dried egg, chicken, and egg (for Savory Lamb Stew)
Minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids
This Rachael Ray wet dog food is intended for adult dogs. However, it could very well pass as a good Rachael Ray puppy food since it has a softer texture and a more palatable flavor that puppies will definitely love. Designed straight from the kitchens of Rachael Ray Nutrish this delicious pack of stew gives all the delicious and nutritious goodness of beef, lamb, and chicken in three different savory meals. Each formulation in this 3-variant pack comes with chicken broth instead of the more traditional water for processing. This Rachael Ray grain free dog food in wet formulation is also perfect for those dogs that may have gluten allergies, although we found high glycemic potatoes in the Hearty Beef Stew variant. Still, this dog food makes for a great topper for your pet’s kibbles or as a standalone gourmet feast. Head over to our review of dog food toppers for more choices.
5. Rachael Ray Nutrish Bright Puppy Natural Real Chicken
Key Features
Calorie content for each serving: 390 per cup
Minimum protein content: 28%
Minimum fat content: 16%
Maximum fiber and moisture content: 5% and 10%
Ingredients forming the top 5: real chicken meat and meal, brown rice, soybean meal, and dried peas
Linoleic acid, ALA, DHA, minerals, vitamins
Puppies served with this Nutrish puppy food will surely be more rambunctious and active because of the moderately high calories that each serving provides. With real US farm-raised chicken forming the core of this Rachael Ray puppy food, you can expect only the best growth patterns for your young hound especially in the development of its muscles, immune system, and other organ systems. The addition of fish oil is also commendable, providing your juvenile 4-legged friend the DHA its brain and eyes require for optimum development. Like most Rachael Ray Nutrish reviews we’re more than inclined to say that this formulation offers one of the best nutrition for any puppy on the planet.
6. Zero Grain Dry Dog Food Poultry Flavors
Key Features
Calorie content for each serving: 353 per cup
Minimum protein content: 26%
Minimum fat content: 14%
Maximum fiber and moisture content: 4% and 11%
Ingredients forming the top 5: real turkey meat and meal, real chicken meal, tapioca, dried peas, and whole dried potatoes
Linoleic acid, ALA, vitamins, glucosamine, minerals, chondroitin
Rachael Ray grain free dog food reviews say the Zero Grain formulation of Rachael Ray Nutrish is perfect for dogs that are diagnosed with hypersensitivity to cereal grains like corn, wheat, and soy. Instead of using these carbs into the formula, Rachael Ray kitchens incorporate peas and potatoes to give your pet the readily-available calories it needs for its active lifestyle. The Zero Grain Rachael Ray dog food formula also relies on the protein goodness of turkey and chicken to help provide for a more meaningful maintenance of the different functions of your pet, including its immune system, cardiovascular system, and nervous system. This Rachael Ray grain free dog food is also a great option for dogs that are predisposed to joint problems.
7. Dish Super Premium Dry Dog Food
Key Features
Calorie content for each serving: 364 per cup
Minimum protein content: 26%
Minimum fat content: 14%
Maximum fiber and moisture content: 4% and 10%
Ingredients forming the top 5: real chicken meat and meal, brown rice, dried peas, and brewer’s rice
Linoleic acid, ALA, minerals, vitamins
Pet parents who are looking for a really gourmet meal they could give to their pets can rely on the DISH formulation of Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food. Still boasting of premium-quality, naturally-raised chicken with peas and brown rice this formula adds the antioxidant-richness of apples, cranberries, carrots, and menhaden fish oil. Aside from its amazing taste that dogs all over the world love, the DISH also comes with the nutrient profile that can only be seen in high-end dog food brands. The farm-raised chicken included in the recipe is slow-roasted and imparted with a savory hickory smoke flavor to titillate the palate of your dog. It’s a premium meal for the best dog in your life.
Rachael Ray Dog Food Review
Rachael Ray Dog Food Company Overview
Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food is a collaboration between celebrity chef and TV personality Rachael Ray and Ainsworth Pet Nutrition. Ainsworth has been in the business of making high quality pet foods for more than 80 years. Ainsworth approached Ray in 2008 for the possibility of establishing a brand of dog food that follows the recipes Ray has been producing for her pet Pit Bull terrier, Isaboo. This was after Ray and her husband spoke passionately on television about their love for animals especially their beloved Pit Bull.
The collaboration provided for a very specific clause which says that proceeds of the sale of each Rachael Ray Nutrish product should go to the funding of one of Ray’s charitable organizations dedicated to provide assistance to animals in need of medical treatments, food, and other needs. Rachael’s Rescue also funds no-kill animal shelters throughout the country.
In spring 2018, Ainsworth Pet Nutrition was bought by J. M. Smucker for $1.9 billion effectively transferring ownership of the Rachael Ray dog food brand to the new company.
Why Rachael Ray Dog Food?
If you’re an avid fan of Rachael Ray you’ll definitely love the Nutrish dog food line since you’ll know that the formulations follow the recipes of the celebrity chef. You can be sure that the recipes follow the same simple ingredients that the TV personality uses in her shows.
Pet parents who dislike artificial ingredients in dog will also be glad that the Rachael Ray dog food only consists of all-natural ingredients such as US farm-raised chicken, locally-sourced turkeys, and the like. Moreover the brand adheres to the principle of “meat protein first” in the ingredients of its dog food variants.
If you also believe that you can make a difference in the lives of shelter animals everywhere, then Rachael Ray Nutrish is for you. Part of the proceeds of the sale will go to the Rachael’s Rescue charitable organization so you’ll be able to contribute to the purchase of food, medicines, and treatment as well as providing help for the countless no-kill animal shelters in the country.
You may also like our article on Cheap Dog Food.
Rachael Ray Dog Food Recalls
We’ve exhausted all efforts to find out if Rachael Ray dog food products have ever been recalled. So far, our exhaustive search turned up nothing.
However, we did manage to find recalls for some of the brand’s cat food products. In June 4, 2015, the brand was required by the FDA to recall 5 variants of its wet cat food recipes because it was established that these products contained significantly higher levels of Vitamin D.
It may also be wise to point out that Rachael Ray Nutrish is currently embroiled in a consumer lawsuit filed in August 2018. The charge alleges that the Nutrish line of products contain “glyphosate”, a dangerous herbicide that is a known endocrine disruptor. On a more positive note, “glyphosate” is a very common ingredient in many pet food products. It would be interesting to know how the lawsuit will pan out.
Take a look at our reviews of Organic Dog Food and Dehydrated Dog Food for more options.
Rachael Ray Dog Food Ingredient Analysis
There are mixed reviews about Rachael Ray dog food. We need to look at its ingredients to have an idea of how this dog food brand fares.
Below average to average proteins
Based on the 6 dry food variants and 1 wet dog food product in this Rachael Ray dog food review, the dog food brand has below average protein content for its dry food products and average protein content for its wet.
The average protein content of the dry dog food variants is 25.33% which can be recomputed to 28.14% when the moisture content has been subtracted from the weight of the dog food. This is way lower than most dog food brands especially those that are positioned as premium products. Most of these brands have a dry protein composition of at least 30%, with some getting to 45% and more. As for the wet dog food of Rachael Ray, it is computed at 40.9%. It is still lower than other brands of wet dog food since many of them come with at least 45%.
Another thing we need to point out here is that we’ve noticed the use of pea protein in some of the formulas. This is a plant-based protein that can give you a highly inaccurate picture of the protein provided by meats, although the brand uses animal proteins as its first ingredient.
Low to below average fats
One of the best things about the Rachael Ray dog food product line is that it has lower fat than most other dog food brands. Whereas other brands will have a dry fat content of about 20%, Rachael Ray comes in at 15%. Even its wet food variety has a dry fat content that is lower than other brands at 22.7%. This is good news for dogs that may be predisposed to obesity.
Unfortunately, not everything is rosy about the brand’s fat composition. Very few of its products contain fish oil that should provide the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. Instead, it includes linolenic acid, a type of omega-6 fatty acid, and APA. Alpha-linoleic acid is virtually useless in pets since they will still need to convert this to become useful.
Average to above average carbs
Taking the protein and fat composition of the products we reviewed, we can safely say that Rachael Ray Nutrish has more carbohydrates than what dogs really need. The computed carbs in Nutrish dry dog food variants is 56.86%. We are a bit perplexed as to how this could have occurred since a review of the ingredients reveals that there are very few ingredients that constitute carbs. This is compared to other dog food brands.
We can only guess that there are fillers in the products, most especially corn, rice, and potatoes as well as other ingredients that may have very little nutrient value compared to other ingredients.
Micronutrients
Glucosamine and chondroitin are not considered as essential nutrients by the NRC and AAFCO. As such Rachael Ray Nutrish doesn’t put them in the formulas unless necessary. There are no probiotics as well. The vitamins and minerals are also sometimes insufficient compared to other brands.
Find out more about Probiotics for Dogs here.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Provides good amounts of proteins and calories for growth and energy
- Lower fat content than other brands of dog food
- Emphasis on using high-quality, all-natural animal-based proteins as first ingredient
- Utilizes all-natural ingredients in all formulations
- Doesn’t contain artificial preservatives, colorings, and flavorings
- Recipes are simple and straightforward with very minimal ingredients
- Includes glucosamine and chondroitin in select formulations
- Meets nutrient requirements as stipulated by AAFCO and NRC guidelines
- You get to contribute to the welfare of animals in no-kill shelters as well as other animals assisted by Rachael’s Rescue
Cons
- More emphasis on omega-6 fatty acids and alpha-linolenic acid rather than DHA and EPA
- Doesn’t contain probiotics
- Some formulas contain cereal grains like corn and soy which are considered as fillers
- Some formulations contain high glycemic ingredients like potatoes
- Some formulations include pea protein which can provide inaccurate meat protein content
Conclusion
The good thing about Rachael Ray dog food products is that it always uses all-natural ingredients, primarily animal proteins in all of its formulations. However, there are variants that contain corn and soy, although none of the products we’ve reviewed contained wheat and wheat gluten. You may also miss the probiotics that is present in many premium-quality dog foods, although it includes prebiotics in some of the pet food products. Glucosamine and chondroitin are also not a standard. It’s a hit-or-miss kind of thing. However, as many Rachael Ray dog food reviews say, the brand caters more to those who put emphasis on all-natural ingredients and not necessarily on the nutritional soundness of the formulation.
