Warm Up Your Dog’s Diet With These Winter Recipes
Winter is here and so are the Holidays! It’s a time of big family gatherings and lots of yummy meals.
Americans were estimated to have dumped over 200 million pounds of turkey scraps this year. What’s wrong with this picture? You can at least recycle good food left-overs into your dogs’ diet!
Don’t let all that holiday food go to waste! Use the following recipes to create healthy and warming meals that are perfect for your dog’s diet this season.
As the Seasons Change, So Should Your Dog’s Diet
What your dog eats should change to help adapt to the environment.
In cold weather, dogs need “warming foods” – these are foods that help support metabolism and circulation, as well as more fat and complex carbohydrates, unless dogs are sedentary and stay indoors most of the time. Winter is a good time to make stews with chicken, turkey or lamb, or stir fry meat and veggies in oil and ginger.
Try these out at home!
Turkey Fat Berry Mash
Ingredients
- 1 cup of leftover mashed potatoes (white or sweet)
- ½ cup of salad greens (no dressing)
- 1 cup of ground turkey or meat scraps
- 2 tablespoons of dried organic blueberries or cranberries
- 2 tablespoons of alfalfa sprouts
- 4 tablespoons of turkey fat
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Directions
In a large bowl mash together: turkey meat scraps, sprouts, salad, mashed potatoes and berries. Mix well. (I like using my hands to do this). Make 4 to 6 small patties and set them aside. In a large frying pan or wok, add the turkey fat and olive oil. Heat pan or work to medium high heat. Add patties and fry in oil for 2 minutes on each side.
Remove from heat and serve.
Turkey Fat Fried Rice
This is a great high carb, high fiber, high fat snack for cold Winter weather!
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cooked brown rice (*Lundberg Organic brand)
- ½ cup of finely chopped mixed veggies cooked or raw (carrots, celery, kale, cabbage, broccoli, etc.)
- ½ cup of turkey meat scraps (skin, meat, fat)
- ¼ clove of chopped garlic
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- 6 tablespoons of turkey drippings or fat
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Directions
Mix olive oil with turkey fat in a wok or frying pan. Heat pan to medium heat with the garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Stir in your veggies, and mix well. Then add in your brown rice and meat scraps. Stir Fry on high heat for another 5 minutes and you’re done.
Add 2 fish (salmon) oil capsules or 1 teaspoon of cod liver oil after the food cools. Serve ½ cup per 20 to 25 lbs. of dog weight. This meal can be served as a snack or second meal.
Some Considerations
Make sure your Turkey was not injected with MSG, sugar, sodium nitrate or nitrites (i.e. no Butterball brand turkeys!). Read the label on the turkey and try to buy free range or organic birds if you can.
The garlic and ginger were added to this recipe to improve blood flow and circulation since they are “warming herbs.” If your dog suffers from anemia or has blood clotting problems, these herbs should be avoided.
Want More Warming Recipes & Foods?
In Appendix G and Table 2 of my book Fresh Food and Ancient Wisdom: Preparing Healthy and Balanced Meals For Your Dogs, I have listed all the foods that are warming and good to feed during the cold, damp and windy months.
Give these a try and let me know how your pups like them by leaving a comment below!