Raw Food Diet in a Box? The Honest Kitchen Dog and Cat Food Is Purr-fect!

Lisa Holt, RN, MS — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:33:17 +0000

Simon the puppy playing with his human brother! Photo courtesy of Alexandra Holt.

When Simon the puppy became part of the family this year I knew that he’d join the kitties and the humans in eating a human grade whole foods diet. I set off into the kitchen and whipped up my first batch of homemade dog food. Simon loved it and I loved making it for him, but I wondered if I should be feeding him a raw food diet. After all, in the wild, dogs certainly don’t cook their food! But my food, and Simon’s too, comes from the grocery store. What if the chicken or beef I was buying him was contaminated with some sort of bacteria or parasite? I just didn’t have enough control over the ingredients to ensure that Simon was going to avoid illness, so I cooked it and reassured myself that he was eating a fabulous diet that most dogs could only dream of. Then I heard about The Honest Kitchen and discovered the answer to my raw food conundrum! I really can offer Simon a safe raw food diet without moving to a farm!

About The Honest Kitchen

The Honest Kitchen is a private, family owned company located in San Diego, California. Lucy Postins started cooking for her Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy back in 2000. By 2001 she had developed a recipe using all human grade raw ingredients that used dehydration as the method to preserve the food safely without removing any of the nutritional value. In 2002, The Honest Kitchen was officially born after they located a human food manufacturer who could produce their food on a large scale. They are a company committed to quality canine and feline nutrition.

Whole Dog Journal - 2007 Editor

All products and ingredients are 100% human food grade.
All products are produced in an FDA approved human food producing facility.
All meats are hormone and antibiotic free.
All fruits and vegetables are GMO free.
All grains are certified organic.
No chemical preservatives, no by-products, no added salt or sugar, no chemical preservatives, no artificial colors.
Great for dogs and cats with allergies – no beet pulp, rice, wheat, corn or soy (common allergens that cause dry, itchy skin, hair loss/dullness, lack of energy, chronic ear problems, chewing at feet, etc.).

The Honest Kitchen knows that eating the exact same meal day after day isn’t good for people and it isn’t good for our pets either. They offer a wide range of products with quality, nutritious, human quality foods. It is easy to incorporate these products as a base for homemade whole pet food diets or BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) diets, or the product can be used as a stand alone meal (with the exception of the Preference product – you have to add your own protein).

About The Honest Kitchen’s Dehydration Process

Dehydration is simply the process where water is removed from a substance. When you dehydrate a food, all of the nutrients of the food remains behind. All that is missing is the water!

Fruits and vegetables are dried at temperatures below 104*F and are still considered raw.
Meat and eggs are dried at temperatures above 120*F – high enough to kill bacteria without destroying the nutrients. This drying method makes the meat/eggs safe enough for human consumption and allows products to be made in the human food manufacturing facility used by The Honest Kitchen.

Taking water out prevents:

enzymatic activity (which could cause food to decompose (rot!))

growth of bacteria, yeast, and molds

Taking water out does NOT destroy or kill food enzymes. It simply suspends their activity until the food is rehydrated.

The dehydration process allows The Honest Kitchen to provide human grade raw pet foods with all of the natural nutrients present. There is no high heat processing or extrusion used and is therefore very highly concentrated nutrition. This process also makes the product safe for all dogs and cats at all stages of life and all stages of health. Even an immunocompromised pet can enjoy this product!

About the Honest Kitchen Products

Getting your first box of The Honest Kitchen product is a unique sensory experience! The first thing you’ll notice is that it comes in a box. The box is made from 100% American recycled, biodegradable paper and is printed with soy-based inks. The oval cut out in the front of the box allows you a sneak peak of the food inside. You’ll be surprised to feel how light the box is! Removing the water from the product during the dehydration process allows The Honest Kitchen to package 17 pounds of food (once rehydrated) into a 4 pound box! No more heavy bags of food to lug into the house!

Time to open the box and check out this product! Open the lid and you’ll see that the food is further packaged in partially post-consumer recycled plastic to help keep the product fresh. Puncture the plastic and a burst of fresh spinach, kelp, parsley, and rosemary scents flood your nose. I glanced again at the ingredients, and sure enough, those were all in the list along with dehydrated chicken, sweet potatoes, and organic quinoa. Simon perked up at the great smells and came to join me in the kitchen. He waited patiently at my feet as I followed the very easy to read directions on the back of the box of Thrive.

“Mix 1 cup food with 1-1.5 cups of warm water.
Stir well and let hydrate 5-10 minutes.
Mix in your pet’s choice of vegetables, fruit, raw or cooked meats or raw meaty bones – or serve just as it is!”

Add the water into the food and it turns into a soup like consistency. The clock ticked closer to 5 minutes and I could visibly see that the food was rehydrating and thickening. After 5 minutes, I could no longer fend off Simon’s begging and gave him his bowl, serving it “just as it is.” He dove into the food with great gusto and licked the bowl clean.

About the Honest Kitchen Culture

Not sure how much of your own ingredients to add? Not sure which product to pick? Give them a call! Lucy Postins, the company founder, was happy to talk with me by phone to discuss Simon’s particular nutritional needs. Talking with Lucy gave me an insight into the corporate culture at The Honest Kitchen.

Pawlanthropy is The Honest Kitchen’s philanthropic program. In 2007, The Honest Kitchen donated 25% of their net profits to a number of animal-welfare, humanitarian and environmental charitable causes.

The Honest Kitchen sincerely believe in doing their part to protect and preserve the planet by using recycled materials and the best quality products possible in their foods.

This company of 11 human and 7 canine employees seem to really enjoy their pet friendly work environment and are devoted to making “pets lives better everywhere.”

Simon definitely loved this high quality, nutrient dense, human grade, dehydrated raw food meal and I loved being able to serve him this simple to prepare food from this extraordinary company. The Honest Kitchen products can be found in the Orlando/Central Florida area at The Pet Pantry and Louise’s Pet Connection or can be ordered directly from The Honest Kitchen.

Dog food products

Preference: Foundation-Mix for Homemade, Grain-Free Dog Food – Just add meat!

Thrive: Natural, Gluten-free Dehydrated Raw Dog Food
Force: Dehydrated Raw, Grain-Free Dog Food, wheat and gluten free
Embark: Dehydrated Raw, Low-Carb Dog Food
Verve: Dehydrated Raw, Organic Beef and grains

Cat food products

Prowl: Dehydrated raw cat food

Dog and Cat Supplements and Treats also available!

Check out these other articles for more on natural pet food diets!