Tag: ancient grains

Grain-Free or Grain-Inclusive Recipes: Which One Is Right for Your Dog?

Posted on February 13, 2020 - 4:00 pm by
Taste of the Wild

Nowhere is there more choice, it seems, than in the dog food aisle at the grocery store. In addition to deciding whether your pooch prefers beef, chicken, fowl or fish or dry or canned, you can also choose between diets with or without grains. Confused? This should help.

What, exactly, is a grain-free pet food?

Grains serve as a source of carbohydrates to provide pets with energy, fiber and nutrients. These grains usually include corn, wheat, barley, oats, rye, rice, sorghum, millet, quinoa and chia seed. So naturally, diets that don’t include these ingredients are considered grain-free.

Is a grain-free diet the same as a gluten-free diet? Not necessarily. Gluten-free diets exclude grains that contain gluten, such as wheat, barley, rye and oats, but can include other grains such as corn, rice or sorghum that are gluten-free.

At the same time, grain-free diets aren’t necessarily carb-free, either. To provide carbohydrates (and energy), grain-free diets tend to use other ingredients such as vegetables or legumes. Diets with these ingredients could contain more carbohydrates than diets containing grains.

Why choose a grain-free diet?

Owners who believe their dogs have allergies may prefer a grain-free diet as a way to alleviate signs such as itching, scratching or gastrointestinal upset. But the truth is, the causes of most dogs’ skin allergies are environmental substances such as pollens, and molds — those dogs tend to itch in certain seasons of the year.

A small percentage of dogs who show signs year-round may have food allergies. While the allergies are usually triggered by a protein in ingredients such as beef or chicken, grains do contain protein and can potentially cause an allergic reaction.

In rare cases, the gluten in some grains can cause inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract and in some cases, spikes in blood sugar levels after a meal, which could be problematic for diabetic pets. The only documented gluten sensitivities in dogs have been in Irish setters and border terriers.

Why choose a diet containing grains?

If your dog doesn’t have a diagnosed medical condition that requires the omission of certain dietary ingredients, it’s generally recommended to stick with a diet approved for your dog’s life stage. Grains can be important sources of fiber, essential omega fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Ask your veterinarian to recommend a diet that’s right for your dog, which will likely be a standard food such as the one described above or a therapeutic diet for specific health conditions.

If you are a pet parent who worries that your dog has an allergy, discuss this concern with your veterinarian. The doctor will help you determine if your dog is truly allergic and if the allergy is to environmental factors or food.

Ancient Grains in Pet Food: Focus on Sorghum

Posted on January 2, 2020 - 4:00 pm by
Taste of the Wild Pet Food

In the last few years, few pet food ingredients have been as misunderstood as grains. Some folks wondered if grains were necessary at all, or suspected they could have a negative impact on pet health. But as it turns out, grains such as corn, rice, barley, oats — and sorghum — can play a significant role in your pet’s diet.

In fact, dietary grains can be important in the treatment of many common pet conditions, from diabetes and obesity to gastrointestinal problems, according to a recent article in the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association.

What, exactly, do grains do?

Dietary grains primarily serve as a source of carbohydrates. Your pet’s body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, the basic form of energy utilized by the cells of the body. Proteins and fat can also be metabolized into glucose, but the process is often more complicated, so carbohydrates may provide energy faster and more efficiently.

Of course, carbs aren’t a replacement for high-quality proteins (especially for cats, who tend to require more dietary protein than their canine counterparts), but they can offer other advantages. For instance, carbs also provide a source of fiber. While fiber isn’t a nutrient, per se, it can help your pet feel satiated, which is helpful for those chubby pets that constantly beg for more, more, more.

Studies in dogs have shown that dietary fiber may also slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream after a meal, which can be helpful with diabetic control. Fiber is also critical for digestive health and keeps things moving so pets don’t suffer from constipation.

What about sorghum?

Sorghum is a cereal grass that originated in Africa, and the first evidence of the grain was found at an archeological dig on the border of Egypt, dating back to 8,000 B.C. It eventually spread to India, China, Australia and America, where Ben Franklin wrote about sorghum in 1757.

As a dietary grain, sorghum serves as a great source of carbohydrates (and energy). In addition, it:

  • Contains protein, important for building healthy bones and muscle
  • Has been shown to have a lower glycemic index than rice, meaning that it releases glucose into the bloodstream more slowly, which may be helpful for diabetic pets
  • Is rich in essential omega fatty acids, which can have antioxidant effects
  • Contains niacin and thiamin, B-vitamins that help the body absorb nutrients
  • Includes minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, copper, calcium, zinc and potassium

People are even finding that the nutty flavor of sorghum offers a great alternative to rice and quinoa in their meals. It’s gluten-free, so even those with celiac disease find it easy to digest.

Though it’s still early, sorghum is gaining favor, and more nutritionists are finding a place for it in both human and pet diets.

Introducing Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains

Posted on September 4, 2019 - 3:00 pm by
Four different bags of Taste of the Wild's Ancient Grains recipes.

Pet parents who prefer to feed their dogs a grain-inclusive diet have a new option, Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains. The new line of dry dog foods combines the same flavorful meats found in the original Taste of the Wild recipes with a special blend of four ancient grains: grain sorghum, millet, quinoa and chia seed.

The four Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains recipes are:

  • Ancient Stream Canine Recipe with Smoke-Flavored Salmon
  • Ancient Prairie Canine Recipe with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison
  • Ancient Wetlands Canine Recipe with Roasted Fowl
  • Ancient Mountain Canine Recipe with Roasted Lamb

Like Taste of the Wild and Taste of the Wild PREY recipes, Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains Canine Recipes provide your dog with the complete and balanced nutrition you’ve come to expect — all while reflecting your pet’s ancestral diet.

The #1 ingredient is still real meat, fish or fowl. That’s because dietary protein is so important to your dog’s health. Meats are concentrated sources of amino acids, including those that dogs must get from food. Each Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains Canine Recipe is formulated with combinations of salmon, duck, buffalo, pork and lamb from trusted suppliers.

But Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains doesn’t stop there.

Ancient grains are packed with protein, fiber, essential fatty acids and other key nutrients. Quinoa, chia seed, grain sorghum and millet were specifically chosen for their superfood reputations and nutritional contents, which include quality protein.

  • Quinoa is higher in protein, fat and fiber than conventional grains (e.g., corn and wheat). In fact, it has substantially more fiber than other grains. This super-seed provides iron and has relatively high levels of the essential amino acids lysine and arginine; magnesium, a key mineral for normal nerve and muscle function and strong bones; and riboflavin (vitamin B2), which helps the body convert nutrients to energy. More than 50 percent of the fatty acids in quinoa are linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 fatty acid that’s important for skin health.
  • Chia seed is rich in protein, dietary fiber and fat, much of which is the essential omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Most of the dietary fiber that chia provides is insoluble fiber, which is important for healthy digestion and waste removal.
  • Millet provides a balance of soluble and insoluble fiber and digestible protein that’s rich in methionine, an essential amino acid that dogs use to make taurine. In addition, millet is high in B vitamins, iron and vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps protect your dog’s body from damage caused by free radicals.
  • Grain sorghum is rich in antioxidants, dietary fiber, several B vitamins, iron and zinc. In addition, the starch in sorghum is digested more slowly and has a lower glycemic index compared to conventional grains.

Collectively, these quality ingredients provide the amino acids and fatty acids your dog needs for strong muscles, normal organ and immune system function, healthy skin and shiny coat.

Probiotics provide digestive and immune system support. Healthy digestive and immune systems are vital to your dog’s overall health. That’s why every Taste of the Wild dry dog food recipe is enhanced with our proprietary K9 Strain Probiotics, a species-specific blend of beneficial bacteria developed for use in our dog foods. Each pound of Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains is guaranteed to provide 80 million live, active cultures to support healthy digestion and immune system activities.

Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains provides nutrition for all life stages. From puppy to adult to senior, these new canine recipes are formulated to meet the nutritional needs of dogs at any age and life stage, including large breed dogs (70 pounds or more as adults).

To learn more about each of the Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains Canine Recipes, visit the formula finder.

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