I brought home Oliver, my golden retriever, four years ago, and have been spoiling him with treats, walks, dog parks, and tummy scratches since. Same (or so I thought) when it came to his food: feeding him only quality, high protein, natural dry food. As he’s gotten older and slowed down a step, I started to look more closely at what he was eating, and that’s when I found out about the benefits of gently cooked dog food. 

To start our fresh journey, I ordered food from the three leading brands: Nom Nom, The Farmer’s Dog, and Ollie. Oliver and I put them to the test, comparing them on taste, ingredients, health benefits, and price. My testing with Oliver revealed one clear winner, based on his excitement at mealtime and the benefits I observed. To make an informed choice, we also enlisted the help of Certified Pet Nutritionist Jennifer Baird to help us compare the three brands holistically.

Our verdict: Nom Nom wins with high-quality ingredients and meals prepared to maximize health benefits – not to mention it was the best-tasting food of the bunch.

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‍1. Taste and Variety: Nom Nom Wins

Nom Nom, The Farmer’s Dog, and Ollie each offer 4-6 recipes depending on your dog’s needs. To find Oliver’s favorite, I ordered 3 recipes from each brand and tried them over the course of 3 weeks.

First up was The Farmer’s Dog. We tried the Chicken, Turkey, and Beef recipes. On the first day, Oliver didn’t finish his bowl of the beef recipe. He ended up liking chicken and turkey just about as much as his previous dry food, but I noticed looser stools – not a great sign.

In our second week of testing, we moved on to Ollie. I ordered the Beef with Sweet Potatoes, Turkey with Blueberries, and Pork with Apples recipes. Our experience with Ollie was similar to The Farmer’s Dog – Oliver wasn’t a huge fan of the pork, but ate the other two just as well as his usual dry food. I wondered if that was because both Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog still have that ground-up mush texture à la canned dog food.

Lastly, we tested Nom Nom, sampling all four recipes – Beef Mash, Pork Potluck, Chicken Cuisine, and Turkey Fare. From day one, it was clear that Nom Nom was Oliver’s favorite. From the tail-wagging to chomping down the food in a few quick swallows, Oliver’s excitement was on a different level. Nom Nom stood out to me because I can actually see the whole ingredients, versus the mushy texture of The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie.

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2. Ingredients and Cooking Process: Nom Nom Wins

The results of our taste test revealed Nom Nom to be Oliver’s clear favorite, but as a dog mom, it’s important to choose the food that’s actually best for Oliver. To start, I compared the nutritional breakdowns of each brand. 

Turkey Recipe Breakdown by Brand:

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All three brands are within the AAFCO recommended ranges for nutritional breakdowns. However, Nom Nom stands out with high protein and low fat.

The real difference is in the cooking process itself. While all three include animal protein as the first ingredient and no corn, wheat or soy, Nom Nom is the only brand that cooks ingredients separately and then combines them before freezing.

Our pet nutritionist, Jennifer Baird, told me why this is so important: “slowly cooking each ingredient separately and then combining just before freezing is ideal for maximum nutritional availability, and prolongs freezer shelf-life.” From Nom Nom’s website: “Every meat and veggie is gently cooked individually, then mixed in batches to seal in vital nutrients and maximize digestibility.” 

The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie, on the other hand, cook the entire recipe together in batches and then freeze. While they are gently cooked, more mixing and cooking causes “more loss of nutrients,” she added. 

After speaking with Baird, the choice became obvious. I want food that not only tastes great, but gives Oliver the maximum nutrition possible – and with its ideal cooking process, Nom Nom is the clear winner.

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3. Health Benefits: Nom Nom Wins

Nom Nom’s cooking process ensures the most nutritional availability – but what about the ingredients themselves? I asked Baird what to look for in gently cooked dog food: “Specific animal protein as the first ingredient, plenty of vegetables, no corn, wheat or soy, no food coloring, no by-products, and all ingredients cooked gently before packaging and storing.” 

Unlike dry food – in which animal protein is not the most prominent ingredient due to filler products – with gently cooked food like Nom Nom, Baird says: “animal protein is the first ingredient and the food remains moist from preparation to serving,” which improves digestion and nutritional availability. 

Let’s look at the ingredients in each brand’s turkey recipe:

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While animal protein is the first ingredient for all three, I noticed that two of Nom Nom’s recipes feature egg, the only brand to do so. Nom Nom also includes lots of veggies, while Ollie uses fruit in several recipes. 

Are these differences important? According to Baird, yes – “Eggs provide biologically appropriate nutrients for amino acid and protein requirements,” while vegetables are important “for immune system support and digestive health.”

Ollie’s recipes are also heavy in fruit, which, according to Baird, should only be fed in moderation due to high sugar content. With recipes that feature animal protein, egg, veggies, and no sugary fruit, Nom Nom is the clear choice to support Oliver’s health and happiness.

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4. Price and Value: The Farmer’s Dog Wins

Nom Nom was the clear winner based on ingredient quality, health, and taste. But how do these brands compare on price? Here’s the price per meal of the chicken recipe compared for Oliver, a 67-pound golden retriever:

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To me, the higher-quality ingredients and complete and balanced nutrition – not to mention Oliver’s excitement – make Nom Nom worth the extra ~$1 per meal compared to the other two brands. 

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It’s Time to Make The Switch

With balanced  nutrition, high-quality ingredients, and great taste, Nom Nom is the clear choice for both Oliver and our Certified Pet Nutritionist. After our initial three-week test, we switched to Nom Nom for all of Oliver’s meals – and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

It’s a treat to see Oliver so happy eating at every meal. His energy levels and mood improved after just a few days, and we’re excited to stick to our Nom Nom diet for years to come.

To see if Nom Nom is right for your dog, use our exclusive discount to try Nom Nom for 50% off: