The revolution in pet health, dog food and nutrition is here - it's time to change how we feed our pets

The revolution in pet health and nutrition is here

If you thought meal prepping and nutrition was just for humans then think again.

Healthy Active Pet has launched with a mission to help pet owners re-think pet nutrition for dogs and cats and rethink about dog food recipes, cat food recipes and raw dog food.

Healthy Active Pet is the brain child of Rhian Allen who is also the Founder of The Healthy Mummy (you can read Rhian's story and why she launched Healthy Active Pet here)

Rhian says, “I am so passionate about pet health and nutrition and my goal is to empower pet owners to learn how to fuel their pets health and longevity by feeding them a species appropriate diet to help them to live long, healthy and happy life”

The premise of Healthy Active Pet is that to be healthy and live a long life, pets need the correct nutrition - without this correct nutrition, dogs and cats can become very unhealthy.

And the number one way to deliver the best nutrition for your animal is feeding them a species appropriate diet - and not by feeding them kibble.

And for dogs this means a fresh food diet - high in protein and low in carbohydrates.

What is the problem with kibble and commercial pet food?

Healthy Active Peti nutritionist, Clare, states that “These types of foods are made from extremely processed ingredients of dubious quality – often waste products from other industries – that are not suitable to a dog or cat’s digestive needs or requirements.

They are generally upwards of 50% processed starches, with the bulk of the actual nutrients coming from cheap synthetic supplements.

These foods are difficult to digest, contribute to chronic inflammation, spike insulin (leading to weight gain - nearly 50% of dogs are now overweight in Australia and 35% of cats) and do not support the health or wellbeing of our pets.

Heavily processed pet food like kibbles and tinned dog and cat products are almost always made from meat that has either been rendered to a shelf stable powder, or otherwise processed to a meat “slurry” that is then sterilised.

Rendering is a process favoured by the fertiliser industry, whereby meat and bones that are not fit for human consumption are crushed and then heated to very high temperatures until the water and fat separate.

The remaining “meat” is dried to a long life powder that contains mostly protein and bone, and then turned into garden fertiliser, dry dog food and livestock feed. 

We know that for good health we should avoid heavily processed meats and refined carbs; the same applies to our pets but in commercial pet food this is not the case.

So what’s the answer?

Healthy Active Pet have created a number of meal plans, recipes and programs to help pet owners make nutritious and healthy food at home and as all the recipes, meal plans and shopping lists have been done - all you need to do as a pet owner is prepare the food and watch your furry friend thrive.

Rhian says, “we have all got pretty good at understanding that fresh food is crucial for our good health and one of the best ways to get costs down is to meal prep. So it made sense to me that I wanted to take the same approach for our pets.

By meal prepping our pets food we can save so much money and time on ingredients - all with the knowledge that we are feeding the best possible diet to keep them in excellent health”

Rhian has 2 dogs and 2 cats so has become an expert in this pet meal prep and says, “what I love about meal prep for my pets is that it is so much quicker and easier than when I do meal prep for the rest of my family!

As most of the food is raw (with the exception of a couple of veggies) so it is more assembly than cooking and I can do a whole weeks worth in 10 minutes!”

Rhian’s top tips to save money on feeding fresh food for your pet

• Fresh feeding doesn't mean you have to feed your pet prime cuts – in fact, more often than not, the things we overlook in our diet pack an even bigger nutritional punch! Some organ meats like liver should only be fed in moderation, but other offal like hearts, gizzards or poultry frames and necks are a fantastic way to incorporate nutritious and inexpensive ingredients. (not sure how much of what to feed then see our pet nutritionist created recipes that take the hard work out of it)
  
• Buy things in bulk, when you see them on sale. This is tricky if you have limited storage space but, if you are able to, having a freezer especially for pet food will allow you to take advantage of great deals when you see them. 
• Get to know your butcher! Butchers will sometimes keep offal out the back or even discard it, so getting friendly with them may mean you have access to inexpensive cuts of meat, bulk specials or short dated stock
  
   
• Shop around for good deals. Buy your meat from a range of meat and fish markets, butchers, supermarket specials and online pet stores. Some bigger independent pet stores offer frozen courier delivery, which can be worthwhile to make the most of their specials.  

• Plan ahead and make a budget. You might be surprised to learn how far you can stretch things with some research, planning and bargain hunting.  
• DIY your food rather than buying pre-made fresh food. It does take a bit of time, but it’s generally a much cheaper way to feed your pet a fresh food diet.  

• Bulk out batches of food with cheaper items like eggs, veggies, fish frames from the market (these will sometimes be free!) and offal.
• Make your own treats. Treats add up very quickly, especially if you have a new puppy and are doing training. 
• Join Facebook groups to find specials in your area or even a raw food buying co-op, where people pool resources to buy in bulk. You can join the Healthy Active Pet Facebook Group here
• Factor in the reduction in vet bills as a result of feeding a fresh food diet and having a healthier pet for it. 
• To save time, make a plan, do a big shop and set aside half a day to prep in bulk once a month. If you freeze daily serves of food you can just grab a portion out of the freezer every night before bed. Our meal plans and recipes come with shopping lists for each week to make your life easier
• Use appliances that cut down on labour – a food processor is great for chopping veggies. If you plan to cook your dog’s food, a slow cooker that can be left on while you do other tasks is a great idea (just make sure you keep the liquid to conserve any leaked nutrients).
• Use pre-cut or frozen vegetables and fruit to save time and often money. If you can get these on sale or reduced to clear, even better. 
• Hybrid feed. If the cost or time investment of fully fresh feeding is too great, don’t beat yourself up! Hybrid feeding is when you feed partly fresh food and partly commercial/processed food.
  
• Or you could half make fresh food (such as from our meal plans and recipes) and half of our air dried complete meal. This is completely ok and your pet will still reap the rewards of having lots of nutritious fresh foods in their diet. 

We hope this has helped and if you need help on meal planning and recipes then come and check out our recipe books and plans