Biologically Appropriate Raw Food for Adults
Have you ever wondered what is a BARF diet?
MUSCLE MEAT - The BARF diet consists of 70% muscle meat. Always remember when feeding muscle meat, the wider the variety, the better! Each protein you use offers a different nutrient profile.
Namely: Arganine, Histidine, Isoleucine & leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Methionine, Valine, Tryptophan, Taurine and many more!
The muscle meat we give our dogs has many nutritional benefits.
They offer water- soluble vitamins, essential protein and amino acid. Keep in mind that every cut of meat has different percentages of fat.
Muscle meat consists of heart, tripe, gizzard, boneless meat, fats, lungs and tongue. Remember: Sourcing your protein is very important because of the digestibility.
RAW EDIBLE BONES- This is 10% of the BARF diet SOFT Raw edible bone varies on the size of your dog - not all RMBs would perfectly fit them.
RMBs provide Calcium and Phosphorus so this may also vary with your pup.
RMBs can be chicken wings, neck, feet, ribs, chicken frames. Other poultry such as quail, turkey and duck can also be used.
If your pup is allergic to poultry you may opt to use rabbit ribs instead.
When I started to feed my dog raw, I had a hard time feeding him RMB, so I would chop them up into small pieces or grind them. ( A tip you can use for your pups too!)
LIVER - This is 5% of your diet Liver provides wonders!
Each animal liver consists of different percentage of nutrients.
5% of liver is just an estimate so if you are using game liver, lessen the amount.
Liver provides fat soluble vitamin A and water- soluble vitamins
If your are feeding your dogs liver treats, keep in mind the amount given and if it covers up the % of their diet, do not add more. You want to avoid excess of Vitamin A in your dogs.
Example: Beef liver - Vitamin A ( retinol) per 100 grams of raw liver 4950 µg
OTHER ORGANS - This is 5% of their diet
Other organs can be kidney, spleen, pancreas, brains and testicles.
They provide essential minerals and water soluble vitamins.
VEGETABLES - This is 7% of their diet.
Vegetables and fruits provide phytochemicals/ polyphenols which are only found on plants.
FEEDING THE RAINBOW:
Harvard Health reported:
Red: Rich in the carotenoid lycopene, a potent scavenger of gene-damaging free radicals strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, apples, beets, watermelon, red grapes, red peppers
Orange and yellow: Provide beta cryptothanxin, which supports intracellular communication and may help prevent heart disease. carrots, sweet potatoes, yellow peppers, oranges, bananas, pineapple,
Green: These foods are rich in cancer-blocking chemicals like sulforaphane, isocyanate, and indoles, which inhibit the action of carcinogens (cancer-causing compounds). Found in: spinach, asparagus,broccoli, alfalfa sprouts, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts
Blue and purple: Have powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins believed to delay cellular aging and help the heart by blocking the formation of blood clots. blueberries, blackberries, Purple cabbage
SEEDS AND NUTS - 2% of the diet
Seeds and nuts must be pre soaked over night because raw nuts contains phytates which are anti-nutrients .
After soaking, you may chopped them or put them in the blender.
FRUITS 1% of thei diet
Fruits contain sugar, so keep this limited to their diet.
Fruits are loaded with anitoxidants that helps with free radical damage.