The best fresh dog food, tested with real pups

As more companies offer fresh dog food made with gently cooked, whole foods, it can be difficult to choose the right option for your pet. However, the best fresh dog food brands lead the pack with expert-formulated recipes and strong quality control measures. In addition, these services offer convenient delivery and generous discounts when you sign up.

To make my recommendations, I tested several fresh dog food brands with my pup. I also interviewed two board-certified veterinary nutritionists and a food safety expert for their insights. After feeding seven popular brands to my 50-pound dog, Lyla, my top pick is JustFoodForDogs Fresh Frozen Food. There are several recipes to choose from, all backed by pet nutrition research and feeding trials. Below, you can also learn more about other highly rated services for a range of budgets and needs.

Keep in mind that the veterinarians I spoke with say fresh dog food isn't necessarily better than kibble or canned food. Ultimately, the best fresh food for your dog depends on factors like their unique preferences and your veterinarian's advice. No matter the food you choose, the best dog foods are ones that meet the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards for complete and balanced nutrition. Vets also recommend choosing foods from brands that follow the Global Nutrition Guidelines from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA).

Read more abouthow Business Insider Reviews tests and researches pet products.

Our top picks for the best fresh dog food

Best overall: JustFoodForDogs Fresh Frozen Dog Food - See at JustFoodforDogs

Best runner-up: Nom Nom Fresh Dog Food - See at Nom Nom

Best budget: The Farmer's Dog - See at The Farmer's Dog

Best overall

JustFoodForDogs is the best fresh dog food delivery service, thanks to its variety of protein options and special diets and adherence to the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines, a key factor in our recommendations. These guidelines help ensure food is safe and highly nutritious for your pet, says Dr. Emily Luisana, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and cofounder of Peak Veterinary Specialists. Plus, JustFoodForDogs is the only brand that has conducted AAFCO feeding trials to validate the nutrition and digestibility of its food.

It offers six main Fresh Frozen recipes. The chicken and fish recipes are suitable for all life stages, and the turkey, beef, venison, and lamb foods are formulated for adult dogs. You'll also find recipes for sensitive stomachs and joint support, or you can work with the company's in-house veterinary nutritionists to get a custom prescription diet for your dog.

If you have a toy breed, JustFoodForDogs is the least expensive fresh food you'll find. However, prices for small, medium, and large dogs are significantly higher, making it one of the more expensive options we've tested. Food comes in 18-ounce pouches and can be ordered in small (7.8 pounds), medium (23.5 pounds), or large (31.5 pounds) boxes. Each pouch must be thawed overnight in the refrigerator and fed within five days of opening. While it's a small inconvenience, you'll need to portion out the recommended servings for your dog.

I tried the Beef and Russet Potato and Lamb and Brown Rice recipes. My dog can be quite picky, but she loved both of them. I was a bit surprised that the food's consistency closely resembled canned food. However, Dr. Korinn Saker, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and retired associate professor of clinical nutrition at the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University, says all fresh dog food is made with whole ingredients, gently cooked, and then frozen to retain freshness, and a high-quality food may be either ground or whole.

To get started with JustFoodForDogs, you can use its convenient feeding calculator that provides recipe and portion recommendations based on your dog's age, weight, and allergies, among other factors. You can then order directly from JustFoodForDogs or through retailers like Chewy, Petco, and Amazon, all of which offer similar auto-shipping discounts.

Best runner-up

Nom Nom is a fresh dog food delivery service that offers six tasty recipes in preportioned packages. Two of the recipes (the Lamb Pilaf and Turkey and the Chicken Cookout) were released in April 2025, and one of our reporters is trying them now.

I was impressed by the simple, user-friendly website and easy signup process. In addition to adhering to the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines, the brand has participated in published research to assess the digestibility of its food and its effects on the gut microbiome, but it has not conducted AAFCO feeding trials like JustFoodForDogs.

If you're feeding a medium-sized dog, a subscription will cost you about the same per day as JustFoodForDogs. For very small dogs, Nom Nom prices are higher. It offers five protein options (chicken, beef, turkey, pork, lamb), and the turkey and lamb recipes are grain-inclusive. However, you can only select up to two recipes for your dog's meal plan. I do like that the recipes are formulated for all life stages, which includes puppies.

I fed my dog the pork, chicken, and turkey recipes. She preferred the pork and turkey over the chicken, gobbling them up quickly at almost every meal. I found the food can be dry, especially when not immediately eaten. While dryness isn't a nutrition concern, food left out too long is. Dr. Teresa Morishita, professor of poultry medicine and food safety at Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, says fresh dog food is at a greater risk of spoiling if left out for hours, so be sure to toss promptly if your dog doesn't finish their meal.

Nom Nom's two-week trial is a great way to get started with some of the best fresh dog food, or you can order a sampler pack instead. Chewy and Petsmart sell individual packages, too, but you won't get the convenience of preportioned servings.

You can learn more about my experience in my Nom Nom dog food review.

Best budget

Founded in 2014, The Farmer's Dog is one of the first fresh dog food subscription services. What sets it apart most is its value: It costs about 40% less than our top picks when feeding a 50-pound dog. During signup, you can choose up to three all-life-stages recipes (chicken and grain, beef, turkey, chicken, pork). The Farmer's Dog recently added its chicken and grain recipe, which Business Insider Reviews senior editor Jaclyn Turner recently tested with her pup, Reese. It was one of his favorites, in addition to the beef and original chicken recipes.

The Farmer's Dog meets all of the WSAVA guidelines with both a board-certified companion animal nutritionist and a veterinary nutritionist on its full-time staff. In March 2025, the brand announced it conducted a yearlong feeding study in partnership with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. A press representative says the results will be released later this year.

If you'd like to learn more about The Farmer's Dog recipes before subscribing, you'll need to go through the signup questionnaire and provide your email address. This seems like an unnecessary step, especially since the other brands featured in our guide provide easily accessible details for recipes.

Read more about our experience in my review of The Farmer's Dog.

What else we tested

Although the brands below rated lower than my top picks, The Pets Table stands out because it meets the AAFCO standards and WSAVA guidelines, but it has not yet conducted or participated in nutrition research.

I had good experiences feeding PetPlate, Ollie, and Open Farm. However, all three companies lack a full-time veterinary nutritionist or PhD-level nutrition expert. This is something the veterinarians I interviewed recommend. Instead, these brands consult with nutritionists.

A reporter is currently testing FreshPet with their dog. We'll be sharing their results in the next couple of months.

The Pets Table

The Pets Table is a newer service in the fresh pet food space, launched by meal kit company HelloFresh in June 2023. Recently, it expanded its offerings from three to five all-life-stages recipes containing beef, chicken, turkey, or pork — two of which are grain-inclusive. I liked that I could order up to three different recipes, and the ones I tried were all enticing to my dog. My first box also included a storage container, a cute bandana, and a complimentary bag of treats.

The Pets Table is one of only four services we've tested that employs a full-time veterinary nutritionist. However, the brand has not conducted any feeding trials or participated in research on its food.

Price-wise, The Pets Table falls in the middle on a per-meal cost, but it's the only service that charges shipping. You also don't have flexibility with delivery frequency, but you can cause pause and skip orders. We recommend it if you're looking for a mid-range option with a good variety. And if you'd like to save more money, you can also order half-meals to feed alongside your dog's usual food.

For more information, you can read my full review of The Pets Table.

Ollie

Ollie sells its fresh dog food exclusively through its subscription service. The company offers excellent recipe variety and is comparable in price to The Pets Table. If you'd like to spend less, you can subscribe to smaller portions to supplement your dog's regular kibble.

Regarding its impressive customization and variety, Ollie is similar to PetPlate. With your subscription, you can select up to four of the five recipes for all life stages, including three grain-inclusive options. Your first box also includes a convenient storage container and a scooper.

Ollie doesn't employ a full-time nutrition expert but instead consults with two board-certified veterinary nutritionists, falling short of the WSAVA guidelines. It's worth noting, however, that the brand has a full-time licensed veterinarian on staff.

Recently, Ollie began offering some complementary health screening services that may seem like a nice bonus, but veterinarians advise against these virtual screenings. If you have concerns about your dog's weight or stool consistency, your veterinarian should always be the person to evaluate your pet.

PetPlate

PetPlate is the only fresh dog food subscription service that allows you to include any number of recipes in your dog's meal plan. Saker says variety isn't necessarily important in a dog's diet as long as you provide the same nutritional value at each meal. However, some people may want the option to try a variety of recipes. Be aware that this is one of the priciest services, though you can order smaller portions to use as toppers.

PetPlate falls short of meeting all of the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines. For one, its food is produced in facilities owned by co-manufacturers. The company also does not employ a full-time animal nutrition expert, but the recipes are formulated by Dr. Renee Streeter, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and consultant to PetPlate.

I like that no matter which recipes you choose, you can access a detailed feeding guide via your PetPlate account. The guide includes instructions for portioning, storing, and heating your dog's food, which is particularly useful since my dog prefers warm food. She tried the Lip Lickin' Lamb and the Tail Waggin' Turkey and enjoyed both, although I had to add broth to keep her interested during the last half of our trial period.

PetPlate arrives in 20-ounce containers that are easy enough to measure out portions, but it would be nice if the meals came in preportioned packages. If you're sensitive to strong odors, this might not be the best service for you. The food has an odor that may be off-putting to some people, but my dog didn't mind it one bit.

Open Farm

Open Farm is the most expensive fresh dog food in this guide. However, it differs from all other services in that it is a Certified B corp that bills itself as an ethical and sustainable alternative to other commercial pet food. Depending on the recipe, you may see certifications from Certified Humane, Global Animal Partnership, and Ocean Wise, and you can view the sources of each food's ingredients on its product page. Open Farm also participates in the TerraCycle program, although you must save and ultimately ship the used packaging for recycling for it to have any benefit.

Open Farm's line of fresh food consists of nine recipes, including one specifically for puppies, two for all life stages, and six for adult dogs only. The recipes are sold by the box (8 lbs. or 16 lbs.) via the Open Farm website and at brick-and-mortar pet stores around the US. Meal plans and subscriptions are not offered, but setting up auto-ship will get you a 5% discount.

Like PetPlate and Ollie, Open Farm does not employ a full-time nutrition expert but consults with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist.

What to look for in fresh dog food

Veterinarians say there are some key things to consider when choosing the best food for your dog.

AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement: Always look for the AAFCO statement on a pet food label. The label should state that the food is complete and balanced for your dog's life stage, meaning it includes the minimum amounts of recommended nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. A food may be labeled maintenance, meaning it's appropriate for adult dogs over 1 year of age. Foods labeled growth are intended for dogs under a year old and pregnant and lactating dogs. A food that says it's for all life stages is appropriate for any age.

In addition, a food's label should include a guaranteed analysis, which lists the minimum percentage of essential nutrients like protein and fat present in the food. The AAFCO minimums for protein are 22.5% for puppies and 18% for adult dogs, and for fat, the minimums are 8.5% for puppies and 5.5% for adults. Brands might also list percentages of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, but there is no requirement for this information to be on the label.

WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines: The WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines on Selecting Pet Foods are a guidepost for choosing pet food from a manufacturer that meets high quality control standards. The veterinarians I interviewed recommend purchasing food from a company that meets the guidelines, which include best practices for food formulation and manufacturing. WSAVA also warns pet owners that marketing terms like "holistic," "natural," and "free of fillers" are not based on regulated standards and do not signify a brand or food is of higher quality.

Recipe variety: Look for brands with a variety of protein options and grain-inclusive recipes. For this guide, I looked for at least four different protein options, particularly since some dogs are sensitive to more common meats like chicken and beef.

While grain-free dog food has received a heavy marketing push over the last decade, questions remain about whether a grain-free diet puts dogs at increased risk of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a serious and sometimes fatal disease of the heart. For this reason, many veterinarians recommend feeding a grain-inclusive diet until more is known about the relationship between DCM and grain-free foods. Always ask your vet if any food you're considering is the best for your dog.

Healthy extras: Experts say that when it comes down to it, fresh food isn't inherently better than dry and canned food just because it's cooked whole. However, many fresh dog foods contain extra ingredients, such as fish oil and probiotics. These ingredients may offer additional health benefits. For example, the best fish oil for dogs contains omega-3 fatty acids, which can support heart and joint health, while the best probiotics for dogs can aid in digestion.

Ease of ordering and feeding instructions: Signing up for fresh dog food delivery should be simple. A brand should, at minimum, ask about your pet's age, weight, activity level, sex, whether they are spayed or neutered, and any food sensitivities. Saker recommends avoiding brands with questionnaires that skip over these questions, which are useful in determining the appropriate nutrition profile for your pet. Regardless of whether meals are preportioned, the company should also provide detailed feeding instructions, ideally on the packaging.

Cost: The best fresh dog food costs significantly more than other pet foods. Most companies offer a big discount on your first order, so read the fine print to determine the price for additional shipments.

Customer service: It should be easy to reach a customer service representative if you have questions or concerns about your order. Services that offer phone, chat, and email support are especially convenient.

Shipping and delivery notifications: Shipping and delivery notifications help you keep track of your pet's food. Because fresh food is at risk of spoiling if allowed to thaw, delivery notifications are especially important.

Packaging: Unlike kibble and canned pet food, fresh dog food doesn't contain preservatives and has a shorter shelf life. To prevent spoilage, it's important to follow the storage and feeding directions. Vacuum-sealed containers are best for fresh dog food. All of the brands I tested package their food in vacuum-sealed containers. You'll also want to consider how the food is kept frozen during shipping. In my testing, foods packed in dry ice tended to be completely frozen upon arrival, while ice packs sometimes allowed food to begin thawing before I unpacked the box. If food arrives thawed or at room temperature, you should not feed it to your dog. Instead, contact customer service to let them know about the issue.

Sustainability: With growing concerns regarding climate change, I looked at each brand's sustainability initiatives. Some recyclable packaging was present in my orders, usually in the insulation. However, most brands package the food in non-recyclable plastic, which isn't ideal. You can also look for brands committed to initiatives like climate neutrality and lowering carbon emissions.

How we tested the best fresh dog food

Before narrowing down fresh dog food brands to test, I ensured each company's recipes met the AAFCO standards. I also looked for brands that meet most or all of the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines recommended by veterinarians.

Ultimately, I zeroed in on six brands to test for at least one week each. This is admittedly a short trial period, but a couple of years ago, other Insider Reviews reporters tested JustFoodForDogs, PetPlate, Ollie, The Farmer's Dog, and Nom Nom, and had positive experiences with each service.

The pet food experts I interviewed explained how fresh food is manufactured and gave me insight into what to look for when selecting nutritious recipes. My sources are Dr. Emily Luisana, a veterinary nutritionist at Friendship Hospital for Animals; Dr. Teresa Morishita, a professor of poultry medicine and food safety at Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine; and Dr. Korinn Saker, a board-certified veterinarian and associate professor of clinical nutrition at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Fresh dog food FAQs

What is the best quality fresh dog food?

While plenty of excellent fresh dog food companies exist, there is no one-size-fits-all food for every pet. But that doesn't mean certain baseline criteria don't apply. Experts say any food you feed your dog should meet the standards set by the AAFCO and, ideally, WSAVA. These organizations evaluate the nutritional needs of animals and establish best practices for quality control.

Even then, it's vital to run any potential new diet by your veterinarian, who knows what's most appropriate for your dog. They can also ensure a brand's feeding recommendations meet your dog's caloric and nutritional needs. "[I]t is important to keep in mind that there are many nutritional considerations when picking a diet outside of the obvious labels such as 'fresh' or 'kibble' such as nutrient content and food safety," Luisana says.

Morishita says that, in addition to ensuring the nutritional content of food, the best fresh dog food must be handled safely. A big element of food safety happens during production, so you'll want to choose brands with high quality assurance standards, which include abiding by FDA regulations for pet food. Morishita says that consumers play an equally important role in safely handling their pets' food, and they should always follow basic food safety procedures when handling fresh dog food. These procedures include keeping the food in the refrigerator or freezer until feeding, cleaning and wiping down all surfaces the fresh food touches, and ensuring that the food isn't left out so long that it can spoil. She says a good rule of thumb is to treat your pet's fresh food like your own. Pets are not immune to spoiled food, even if it's fresh.

Do veterinarians recommend homemade dog food?

"Homemade foods may be recommended for pets that have unique medical needs where there are few, or sometimes no, ideal commercial options," Luisana says, noting that homemade food may also come down to personal preference. But she cautions against going the homemade route if your veterinarian does not recommend it. "The most important thing to understand about homemade diets is that they are difficult to get right and easy to get wrong," she says. If you choose to make your dog's food from scratch, you'll want to do so under the guidance of your veterinarian and a veterinary nutritionist.

The best fresh dog food can be a nice compromise for those who want to feed their dogs something other than kibble or canned food. The companies recommended in this guide make foods formulated by animal nutrition experts to ensure they contain complete and balanced nutrition.

Are dog food subscriptions worth it?

It depends on what you're looking for. The best dog food delivery services can take some of the work out of shopping for and preparing your dog's food. And if your dog is a picky eater, fresh food might be the thing to keep them licking their bowl clean at every meal. However, these services are expensive and require some forethought before feeding, such as remembering to thaw packages in the refrigerator overnight. Choosing the best food for your dog ultimately comes down to a recipe's nutrient profile and your dog's needs — not whether it's fresh or shelf-stable.

Should I feed my dog raw food?

Some people talk about the purported benefits of raw dog food diets, but feeding your dog raw food can be dangerous. Your dog may be more at risk for bacterial infections from raw food, and this type of diet increases the chances of nutritional deficiency. Morishita says raw food contains much of the bacteria that are typically killed during the cooking process, which poses a threat to your pet if they ingest it and to you via cross-contamination. Opting for fresh or processed foods that are cooked is always safer.

The post The best fresh dog food, tested with real pups appeared first on Business Insider