In an effort to help Winston to be healthier and more eco-friendly I’ve been making food from scratch for him. He’s not a big eater (at 15 pounds he obviously doesn’t need to much) but he does eat one bowl of homemade food and one bowl of Newman’s Own Organic dog food each day.

His food is super easy to make. I grill chicken breast and make white rice. After chopping the chicken breast I add that to the white rice and then add fresh or frozen veggies depending on what I have on hand. I typically use frozen peas and fresh chopped carrots. I mix it all together so that it is 1/3 chicken, 1/3 rice and 1/3 veggies – you can make the batch as large or small as you like. I prefer to make a large batch and then freeze it. I put it into jars that hold enough for a few days. That way I can pull a jar out of the freezer every few days and have fresh food for him. I add a multi vitamin to the bowl as well – just to be sure he’s getting all the nutrients he needs.  I originally thought he’d like the taste of the vitamin but since he won’t eat it whole as a treat then I chop it up and put in on his food – next time I’ll just buy a vitamin power as that will be much easier to sprinkle on. He absolutely loves his specially made food and gets so much more excited about it than his hard food.

I’m SO EXCITED for this new line of dog food to come out!  Winston is going to love it and I’ll love the peace of mind knowing that not only is this food organic and good for him but 6% of the wholesale price will go to the Humane Society of the US!  I completely trust this organization.   Their stamp of approval on this food means a lot and I’m happy knowing that part of the profits will be going to a very important cause.

‘Humane Choice’ brand to be sold at PETCO, Whole Foods (in NY & NJ), and other stores

Selecting a high-quality pet food is one of the most important decisions a pet parent can make. To celebrate pets, The Humane Society of the United States announces the nationwide launch of a cruelty-free, all natural and certified organic “Humane Choice” dog food. The HSUS developed this new product to offer consumers a wholesome and nutritious dog food that does not contain animal-based proteins or support the factory farming industry. 

Consumers have become more aware of the quality and humane standards of their pet’s food after the recent pet food adulteration scandals, massive pet food recalls, and the increased exposure of inhumane factory farming practices. The HSUS’ new Humane Choice dog food is nutritionally complete and balanced, contains the finest quality organic plant-based ingredients and meets the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials for adult dog food. The food was not tested on laboratory animals, is cruelty-free and does not contain any fats or proteins derived from animals.

“Americans are concerned about the food we eat, and it just makes sense that we’d be concerned about the food we provide to our pets,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS. “Humane Choice is a nutritious, environmentally friendly and ethically responsible food for our best friends. Every bag of Humane Choice helps us celebrate the pets we love, and provides us with additional resources to help animals through our programs.”

The Humane Choice dog food is currently available in several independently owned pet supply stores and at PETCO.com and will soon be on store shelves at selected PETCO locations and selected Whole Foods locations in New Jersey and New York. More PETCO and Whole Foods locations will carry Humane Choice in the spring. The HSUS will receive 6 percent of the wholesale price of each 6.6-pound bag sold and will use the funds in its programs to provide spaying and neutering and other veterinary care for animals, to rescue animals from natural disasters and cruelty cases, to conduct undercover investigations of animal abuse and more.

Humane Choice is produced by a USDA Organic-certified grower and manufacturer in Uruguay. The family-owned and operated business has been growing grains and vegetables and making and exporting organic and vegetarian dog food for many years. Humane Choice does not contain corn, dairy, artificial coloring, wheat, wheat gluten, animal-based protein, or ingredients produced by genetic engineering.

For more information on Humane Choice dog food, click here.

I just made these pumpkin dog treats for Winston and he loves them!  I used nearly all organic ingredients as well!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, mix together and roll into little balls, smash them down with a fork – like you would for peanut butter cookies, then bake for another 20-25 minutes or more depending on desired crunch.  I made these on the softer side for Winston but if your dog prefers a harder crunch bake them longer – you can’t really over-bake them (unless you burn them) but even if they’re super crunchy and dried out your pooch will still love them. 

Note – if you make them softer keep them in the refrigerator – mine got moldy sitting out.  In the end I decided it was just easier to bake them longer and have them be crunchy so I could keep them out on the counter.  You could also roll them out and cut into cute shapes – this is what I normally do but I was being lazy.  The reason I prefer to roll them out is because then they’re thinner and thus bake faster and more thoroughly.

Eating organic food is very important to me so it is important that I offer the same high standards of food to my dog Winston.  He is a big fan of the chicken and rice dry dog food.  The great thing I can by it in 25lb bags – it lasts forever but it is nice to buy in bulk – many other natural dog foods at the store don’t come in bags that large.  I purchase mine at Whole Foods Market but they also have it at Target.

Check out their page – What’s In It – What’s Not!

All after-tax profits from Newman’s Own and Newman’s Organics are given away to educational and charitable organizations so you can feel good about your purchase in more ways than one!

They DO NOT test their food on animals in laboratories as many companies do…they do testing in labs WITHOUT animals and then animals in shelters test it out to give their seal of approval on the flavor