It Starts With What’s In The Bowl
When I created James & Ella, one of the most important things for me was knowing exactly what was going into my dogs’ bowls. I believe good nutrition comes down to choosing quality ingredients with a purpose, then bringing them together to create food that helps dogs live happy, healthy lives. So, let’s have a closer look at what’s in the bowl and why each ingredient has earned its place.
Protein At The Heart Of Every Recipe
Protein is one of the most important parts of a dog’s diet, providing essential amino acids that help support muscles, tissues and everyday health. That’s why animal protein is at the heart of our recipes.
Our Freeze-Dried Raw recipes contain particularly high levels of protein, including chicken, beef, duck, venison and pork. Our Kibble + Raw recipes combine high-protein kibble pieces with freeze-dried raw nuggets, while our Cold-Pressed recipes use proteins such as fish, chicken and duck as their foundation.
More Than Just Muscle Meat
You’ll notice that some of our Freeze-Dried Raw recipes include heart and liver alongside the main protein. These ingredients aren’t simply there to increase the meat content. Organ meats are naturally nutrient-rich and provide a variety of vitamins and minerals alongside high-quality protein.
Our Chicken and Beef Freeze-Dried Raw recipes each contain 5% heart and 5% liver, to create a more varied nutritional profile.
Grain Free And Hypoallergenic
All of our recipes are gluten & grain free. Instead of using grains, we use ingredients such as sweet potato, potato, peas and vegetables to provide sources of carbohydrates and fibre.
We also understand that some dogs need a little more consideration when it comes to what they eat. That’s why our food is hypoallergenic and avoids ingredients most likely to cause food intolerances in dogs such as soy, dairy, egg, wheat and artificial additives.
Vegetables With A Purpose
Protein might be at the centre of our recipes, but it’s certainly not the whole story. Across our ranges, you’ll find ingredients such as sweet potato, peas, carrots, pumpkin, beet pulp and celery root.
Sweet potato provides a source of carbohydrates and fibre, while carrots naturally contain beta-carotene. Pumpkin and beet pulp also contribute fibre, which is an important part of supporting normal digestion.
We use these ingredients in different proportions depending on the recipe, creating food that’s nutritionally balanced while still giving dogs a variety of flavours and textures.
Fruit And Plant-Based Goodness
You’ll also find fruit and plant ingredients throughout our recipes. Apples, cranberries, blackberries and blueberries feature across the ranges, while our Cold-Pressed recipes also contain ingredients such as seaweed and nettle.
These ingredients provide naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Berries in particular are naturally rich in antioxidant compounds, while seaweed provides a source of minerals and other nutrients.
Healthy Fats And Omega Oils
Healthy fats are another important part of a dog’s diet. They provide energy and help support normal skin and coat health, while omega fatty acids play an important role throughout the body. Depending on the recipe, you’ll find healthy fat sources such as salmon, salmon oil, fish oil, chicken oil, turkey fat and beef tallow.
Our Freeze-Dried Raw Chicken and Beef recipes both provide omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, while our Kibble + Raw recipes include salmon oil alongside recipe-specific sources of animal fat.
Our Cold-Pressed recipes also include fish oil, chicken oil or linseed oil, depending on the recipe, alongside green-lipped mussel – a natural source of nutrients, including omega fatty acids, and is traditionally valued for supporting joint health.
The Little Ingredients That Make A Difference
Some of the ingredients in our recipes might only appear in small amounts, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a role to play.
You’ll find ingredients such as turmeric, apple and rosemary extract across our Freeze-Dried Raw recipes, while our Kibble + Raw recipes include turmeric, marigold meal and dried spearmint. Our Cold-Pressed recipes also contain ingredients such as turmeric, linseed oil, yucca, fennel, nettle, herbs and apple cider vinegar.
These ingredients provide a variety of naturally occurring plant nutrients and antioxidants. They may not take up much room in the bowl, but they can still make a big difference to what’s inside it.
Supporting The Gut
I’ve always believed that a happy dog starts from the inside out, and a healthy digestive system plays an important role in helping dogs make the most of the nutrients in their food.
Our Freeze-Dried Raw recipes contain natural sources of fibre including sweet potato, peas, pumpkin and fruit, while our Kibble + Raw recipes also include beet pulp and prebiotic MOS (mannan-oligosaccharides). Our Cold-Pressed recipes contain beet pulp, peas and prebiotic ingredients including chicory inulin.
These ingredients each contribute to a healthy digestive system, with fibre helping to support normal digestion and prebiotics helping to support the beneficial bacteria that naturally live within the gut.
Vitamins And Minerals
Getting the balance right is just as important as choosing the ingredients themselves. Our recipes contain carefully measured vitamins and minerals to help provide the nutrients dogs need as part of a complete and balanced diet.
Across the ranges, you’ll find nutrients including vitamins A, D3 and E, as well as B vitamins in our Cold-Pressed recipes. Trace minerals including zinc, iron, manganese, copper, iodine and selenium are also included.
Each vitamin has its own part to play, from supporting healthy vision and immunity to helping maintain strong bones and providing antioxidant support. For me, it’s about getting all those little pieces working together in the right balance.
Why We Don’t Use Unnecessary Fillers
Across our ranges, we’ve chosen ingredients with a nutritional or functional purpose, rather than using unnecessary fillers. From the protein at the heart of the recipe to the vegetables, fruit, oils, vitamins and minerals, every ingredient has a part to play.
I’ve always wanted to know exactly what I’m putting in my own dogs’ bowls, and I think every pet parent should have the same confidence.
What’s In Their Bowl Matters
For me, creating good dog food is about understanding what each ingredient brings to the recipe and how everything works together.
From high-quality animal proteins and nutrient-rich organ meats to vegetables, fruit, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, every part has a role to play in creating complete, balanced nutrition that dogs enjoy.
Until next time,
James x
