With so many pet food options available—kibble, raw, freeze-dried, grain-free, pâté, and more—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Many of these choices may not even look appealing. So when we see ads for fresh pet food featuring pre-cooked meals made with real meat and vegetables, conveniently delivered to our doorsteps, it’s only natural to want to learn more.

Unlike conventional kibble, fresh pet food closely resembles the high-quality, chunky canned varieties. It contains little to no preservatives and requires refrigeration to stay fresh between servings. While the term fresh pet food sounds more appealing, we wanted to explore whether it truly offers a healthier option for dogs and cats.

Understanding Fresh Pet Food

Brands like Freshpet, which you can find in the refrigerated section of pet stores, helped popularize fresh pet food. Now, a wide range of companies offer similar options, many through convenient subscription services. The process is simple: pet owners create a profile, answer a few questions about their dog, set their preferred delivery schedule, and soon receive freshly prepared pet food at their doorstep, packed with dry ice for freshness.

There are over a dozen companies offering fresh pet food for cats and dogs, each with its own approach to ingredients, preparation, and storage. The term fresh pet food isn’t strictly defined—it generally refers to food made with little to no preservatives. This can range from homemade meals with boiled chicken and plain rice to commercially produced options made with recognizable ingredients, packaged without preservatives, and then frozen for freshness.

Is Fresh Pet Food Really Better?

Not all fresh pet food brands are necessarily superior to traditional pet food, even if they are labeled as human-grade or free of fillers. Fillers, such as grains and carbohydrates like corn, soy, or wheat, actually provide nutritional benefits for pets. Additionally, preservatives play a key role in maintaining the shelf life, flavor, and aroma of pet food stored at room temperature. These preservatives typically undergo quality-control testing by the FDA or other regulatory bodies to ensure the food remains safe for pets to consume.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) classifies human-grade food as safe for human consumption, meaning all ingredients must meet the same safety standards as those in human food. In contrast, feed grade refers to food deemed suitable for animal consumption. However, when it comes to dogs—who often scavenge from the trash—the difference may be more about marketing than actual nutrition.

Many ingredients that categorize food as feed grade rather than human grade pose no harm to animals. For instance, poultry by-product meal is considered feed grade and may include nutrient-rich organs like the liver, spleen, or kidneys, though it excludes less desirable parts such as feathers or feet.

Many factors can classify food as feed grade instead of human grade, even if they pose no harm to animals. A good example of feed-grade ingredients is poultry by-product meal, which may include poultry liver, spleen, or kidneys but does not contain feathers or feet.

The nutritional value of a pet’s diet is more important than marketing claims. While many fresh pet food services tailor portion sizes to your dog’s needs, portion size alone doesn’t always reflect the total calorie intake. It’s essential to monitor your pet’s weight—whether they’re maintaining, gaining, or losing weight—and adjust their food intake accordingly for a well-balanced diet.

Fresh pet food typically has a lower caloric density compared to kibble, much like the difference between fresh fruit and dried fruit. Most kibble contains between 3.2 to 4.5 kilocalories per gram (91 to 128 kilocalories per ounce), whereas fresh pet food diets range from 1.2 to 4.7 kilocalories per gram. This variation is mainly due to the higher water content in fresh food. To ensure proper feeding, always follow the recommended guidelines for your specific pet food service to avoid overfeeding or underfeeding your pet.

Bottomline

When making significant changes to your pet’s diet, consulting a veterinarian is always the best approach. Each dog’s nutritional needs vary based on factors like breed, size, and metabolism, meaning there’s no universal diet that works for all pets. Fresh pet food isn’t inherently superior to other diets—it ultimately depends on what best suits your dog’s specific health requirements and dietary needs.