We all love and care for our dogs and only want the best for them. Dogs (and cats, too) can have a massive environmental impact, some of which can Be remedied by choosing sustainable beds/toys. The most environmentally impacting thing is their diet. Pet food releases ~64 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year! You can make sure your dog is well-fed with a balanced diet, and at the same time, you can also leave a positive impression on the planet by using environmentally sustainable dog food; how? Read on.
As a family with two dachshunds (who aren’t particularly fussy when it comes to food—quite the opposite!), we make a particular portion of their food from scratch, while the other portion is comprised of dog biscuits from a local company that uses environmentally sustainable ingredients.
Our homemade recipe is as follows:
Ingredients:
- 500g of chicken mince
- 1 medium head of broccoli
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 punnet of blueberries
- A handful of frozen peas
- A large handful of rolled oats
- 1 Tbs of coconut oil (sustainably sourced, of course)
Method:
- In a frying pan, cook the chicken mince until cooked through
- In a separate large pot, fill with enough water to cover the roughly chopped sweet potato and broccoli
- Boil the pot of vegetables until they are cooked through (use the tip of a knife to test), turn off the heat, and add the peas; wait a minute, then drain in a colander
- In a food processor, whizz” the cooked chicken mince and place it into a large bowl
- “whizz-up” the cooked vegetables and add to the bowl with the chicken mince
- Add the punnet of blueberries, oats, and coconut oil
- Mix all the ingredients carefully
- Portion into individual (small takeaway containers work well) containers.
You can then keep one in the fridge for easy access and freeze the remaining containers. The process usually takes ~30 minutes from start to finish and is an excellent way to get kids involved. The dogs love hanging around for scraps, too!
Environmentally friendly dog food can be a tasty and nutritious meal for your pups and also eco friendly!