Fruits and vegetables are packed full of nutrients! The amount of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals found in many fruits and veggies are hard to pass up. They also taste great and act as the perfect way to add variety and excitement to your pet's meal plan. A powerful diet plan is one that is full of pure, whole food nutrition, but since dogs are not designed to fully digest fruits and vegetables the best way to serve them is to process them. Boiling them, steaming them or processing them in a food processor will help dogs digest these foods properly and absorb the nutrients more efficiently.
Best served fresh or frozen, blueberries are a superfood packed full of nutritional goodness! Blueberries are best known for their powerful antioxidants that help fight free radicals and help fight disease. Blueberries are also rich in vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese and fiber!
Carrots are another antioxidant rich food and are also a great source of insoluble and soluble fiber. Carrots are rich in nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B1, vitamin E and so much more! Carrots are also very rich in beta-carotene and act as a coat colour enhancer, intensifying pigment in a dog's fur. Try boiling carrots, processing them raw or grating them over your dog's food to ensure maximum nutrient absorption.
One of the most well known superfoods, and just as healthy for dogs as it is for humans! Spinach is full of iron, zinc, niacin, fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin A and much more. Spinach also provides powerful antioxidants and beta-carotene, helping fight disease and strengthen the body's cells. Blanch, steam or shred raw spinach!
Kale is known for helping to prevent cancer and is full of antioxidants. It is a nutrient dense leafy green containing beta carotene, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin K, lutein, zeaxanthin and so much more. Kale also has anti-inflammatory properties, and when combined with antioxidants and healthy flavonoids is has proven to be a fantastic addition to a dog's diet. You can prepare kale for your dog the same way you would spinach
NEVER feed apple seeds or the apple core to your dog, feeding the seeds or the core can cause toxicity due to the cyanide found in the seed. The apple meat, however, is packed full of nutritional goodness! Apples are full of phytonutrients, calcium, fiber, vitamins A and C, folate, potassium and magnesium. Feed these raw with the skin, an apple a day keeps the veterinarian away!
Sweet potato is best served boiled and cut into cubes and is ideal for dogs that are in need of some healthy fiber to firm up their stool. Sweet potato is an excellent addition to a bland diet program for sick pets. Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene and are excellent for intensifying colour pigment in a dog's fur. They are jam packed full of vitamins and minerals such as vitamins K, C, E and A, folate, potassium and calcium.
When adding new food to your dog's diet, make sure you are aware of toxic and dangerous foods to avoid. You can find out about toxic and dangerous foods for your dog by reading the following article: Dangerous and toxic foods that can harm your dogs.
Want to make dramatic positive changes with your dog's nutrition? K9 Instinct provides a collection of great canine diet and nutrition eBooks to help you keep your dog healthy and strong!
Angel
K9 Instinct
www.k9instinct.com