If your pet is a picky eater, then he may appreciate having a treat added to his food bowl. Think of it like your meal, when you add ketchup to French fries… or add bacon to almost anything.
Of course, unlike your addition of bacon, you'd probably prefer to give your dog something healthy as an add-in. While your dog may enjoy having bacon added to his dog food every day, your dog's health may suffer, as he doesn't understand that certain types of foods need to be eaten in moderation. To help you select the ideal add-ins for your dog, I've created the infographic below to explain both the benefits of Superfoods and which you may want your pup to try!
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Adding Superfoods for Your Dog
Dogs will enjoy a variety of foods as add-ins, including those that will be good for them. The superfoods listed in the accompanying infographic can provide both a great add-in to the dog's regular food as well as desirable vitamins and minerals that will contribute to your dog's good health. Some superfoods are better as a standalone food, while others are great to add to the kibble. The following list includes the five best superfoods to add to a dog’s regular kibble!
- Broccoli. Cooked broccoli needs to be cut into very small pieces to be added to your dog's food. Some dogs may like the stalk of the broccoli better than the flowery head, and others will want to eat the flowery head only. The vitamins in broccoli can help a dog's digestion, while also healing any skin problems and preventing cancer.
- Carrots. If you're going to add carrots to your dog's food, you'll be adding vitamins A and C to the animal's diet, which will help its heart and eyes. Most dogs will like the carrots better as an add-in if they're cooked, rather than raw. The soft carrots won't help to clean your dog's teeth as well as a raw, hard carrot, but they will provide plenty of health benefits.
- Fish oil. Pouring a bit of fish oil over the top of the dog's food bowl can help the dog's coat and skin look healthier, and salmon oil may even help alleviate a dog's problems with allergies. The Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids in the fish are especially beneficial for the dog's overall health.
- Kale. As with the other foods on this list, kale is a superfood for both humans and dogs, providing the benefits found in vitamins A, C, and K, while also providing high levels of calcium and iron. If you search the Internet for baked dog treats with kale, you'll find plenty of options that can help you introduce this superfood to your dog's diet. You can spread steamed kale over the top of your dog's regular food too.
- Spinach. Steamed spinach offers plenty of iron and vitamin K, which will help the health of your dog's bones and heart. Spinach is also a great cancer-preventing vegetable, making it a great add-in to your dog's regular meal time dog food. As with kale, baking spinach into dog treats is a good way to add this superfood to your dog's diet.
Don't Be Afraid to Try Many Options
You may have to experiment a little bit to find just the right combination of superfoods and dog food to appeal to your dog's taste buds, just be careful of food allergies. Most dogs enjoy eating a few different superfoods, so the experiments shouldn't take too long.
You also may want to read through the list of ingredients on your dog food bag. Once you know which nutrients the dog food provides to your pet, you can pick a superfood that will supplement the dog food's nutrients, giving your dog the entire range of vitamins and minerals it needs!
Can't get enough superfoods in your pet's diet? You can read more about superfoods for pets in the article below!
