Face it, you love your dog(s) and you should want the best for them. Regarding food, you might get scooped up in the bag dry style or if you’re really fancy just a can of smelly stuff. All that is good but probably sets you back a bit per month depending on how many and how often you feed them. There is also storage of said food, large airtight container or just roll the bag up and hope no critters go after it. Canned is good as well but messy, takes up a lot of space and may not be as good as you think for them. It might be quick for you but maybe you want to up your game and give them a healthier diet.
Enter human food and an instapot. If you’ve had a sickly dog, you know the vet will tell you to feed them boiled chicken and soft rice. That is great for them and it digests faster and poopy time is easier, they will actually lose weight if it’s portioned correctly.
Since the cost of a bag of almost any dog food in large quantities can be in excess of 60 bucks, and cans can range from a few bucks per can consider the food you cook at home, hopefully you cook at least once and a while.
Here are some great ideas, and fast easy cooking methods to give your fluffy friends some really good chow.
Chicken breast ground Beef and Turkey can be found in either packages or those little tubes of meat and can be quite cost effective as a fresh good protein. Tuna, hot dogs, some unseasoned deli meats and cheese like provolone can add a bit of flavor mixed with chicken. Not every meal, mind you 2 to 3 times a week is fine unless they have a poor reaction to it. Vomit and gas are a clear indication to stop using them.
Instant white or brown rice and even pasta or a small amount of beans (pinto, garbanzos) nothing pre seasoned, no fava or baked or refired, and no to rice a roni. No garlic onions or any spicy stuff. Anything seasoned is a no no. Bad human.
Fresh veggies, steamed! Yep, you might think they do not like vegetables but in fact they do, you just need them prepared properly to their liking. See the spoiling meter going up here.
You can mix and match all of these ingredients and provide a fresh hot or warm meal for your fur baby.
Insta Pot the perfect tool for this task. Let’s look at simple example 1. We’re going to use some fresh or previously frozen boonless chicken breast or thighs will work too but you get more with the breast and lasts up to 4 days in the fridge. instant rice and fresh peeled and sliced carrots, add green bell, zucchini, asparagus even celery.
Easy dish 1:
3 chicken breasts defrosted or frozen in the instapot with 1/2 cup water and chicken laying on the trivet not touching the bottom. Pressure cook on high (manual setting) for 35 minutes natural release 15 minutes. Remove with tongs place in a container and twist the meat apart so it becomes slightly stringy but still has Chewey chunks. 1/2 to 3/4 cup for a 50lbs dog. put the rest in the fridge for the next day.
1 peeled and sliced carrot, 1/2 green bell and 1/4 of a zucchini chopped. Use a strainer in the instapot keeping the previously cooked chicken water. 12 minutes on the steam setting that should yield about 1/2 cup of fresh steamed veggies.
1/2 -1 cup of instant rice or pasta, cook it as you would for yourself no salt in the water however “i can’t believe its not butter” is a very flavorful addition to the starch. It has no calories and I still can’t believe it’s not butter! Add to chicken in their dish. any leftovers can be added to the previously saved chicken.
Mix all in their cleaned daily serving bowl, mix and let cool. You can add a very small shake of salt, little won’t hurt and they love it. mix and serve. It will either be gone in a few minutes or a little bit left, figure out what’s not eaten and omit it for the next time.
Easy dish 2:
Tube of ground beef, 70/30 should provide two meals, don’t use this more than twice a week cause of the high fat and cholesterol. Prepare your rice or pasta as normal, fry the beef in a pan and mix in the rice or pasta, add steamed veggies and boom, it’s gone.
Same thing with ground turkey
Special dinner for a really good dog if you can swing it. Grab a cut of cheap steak, bottom or flank, even a London broil, do not season, were not worried about tenderness. Cube it then pan fry to medium, add the rice or pasta and always add a veggie.
Carrots and zucchini eaten on a daily basis make your pooch’s fur so soft and shiny, I like shiny things. If you ever not sure what not to use just look up. Never Onion, Garlic or spices!!
I’ve been doing this for my dog for several years now and she loves it. Of course, she is extremely spoiled but knowing I’m saving some cash, it’s freshly made by me, and with an instapot it really makes it easy. It’s not work, it’s love. Keep the food and water bowls clean daily!! Ask yourself if you would eat or drink from it, if not clean it!
