For years, feeding my dog Cloud used to be an afterthought - pour a scoop of kibble in the bowl and let him pick at it throughout the evening. However, two months ago, as Cloud started losing weight (and energy), I took a closer look at his diet,  and learned that Cloud probably wasn’t getting all the nutrients he needed. That’s when I tried out the top three fresh dog food brands – Nom Nom, The Farmer’s Dog, and Ollie – and found Nom Nom to be the clear winner.

I was a skeptic when I started Nom Nom’s freshly made food – would I really see a difference in Cloud’s behavior or health just from his diet? I’m glad to have been proven wrong, and wanted to know why switching to Nom Nom has been so beneficial for Cloud. I enlisted the help of Certified Pet Nutritionist Jennifer Baird to break it down. 

Combining Baird’s expertise with hands-on experience, I evaluated the three leading fresh dog food brands – Nom Nom, The Farmer’s Dog, and Ollie – to make an informed choice on why Nom Nom is a great option for my dog’s health. Keep reading to learn exactly what I found out, and to decide if Nom Nom is right for your dog.

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Should I Feed My Dog Fresh Food?

I asked Baird if all dog owners should make the switch to fresh dog food. In short: probably. 

“Once a puppy is weaned [from their mother’s milk], they’re ready to begin eating fresh foods,” Baird says. 

In particular, fresh dog food can benefit dogs who are experiencing low energy or other symptoms of illness. “Sickly dogs are often on a lower quality diet and would benefit by switching to a fresh food diet,” Baird said.  Just one caveat: “If a dog is in end stage illness, seek a veterinarian for advice before switching any foods,” advised Baird. 

Baird recommended a gradual introduction of fresh dog food to your dog’s current diet: “Start with 25% new food, and 75% current food for 3 days.  If no digestive upsets, switch to 50%/50% for 3 days. Increase to 75% new food then 100% new food as long as no digestive upsets.”

Baird cautions against cooking for your dog at home, noting that Nom Nom meals are professionally balanced and portioned to meet your dog’s nutritional needs by veterinary nutritionists. “It is common for pet parents to omit important nutrients or even overfeed nutrients — which can create deficiencies or overdosing.” 

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Choosing the Right Food for Your Dog

What should you look for from fresh dog food? For Baird, it’s pretty simple: “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.” Finally, AAFCO certification is a must.

Fresh Dog Food Do’s and Don’ts

And the benefits? According to Baird, feeding fresh supports gut health, energy, and overall health and wellbeing. 

How do Nom Nom, The Farmer’s Dog, and Ollie compare on ingredients and cooking process, gut health, and overall health? Let’s find out. 

Ingredients and Cooking Process

Nom Nom Wins with Each Ingredient Cooked Separately

All three brands are within the AAFCO recommended ranges for nutritional breakdowns. However, looking at each brand’s turkey recipe, Nom Nom stands out with high protein and low fat:

The real difference, however, is in the cooking process itself. While all three include animal protein as the first ingredient (you can choose between a variety of proteins for each) and no corn, wheat or soy, Nom Nom is the only brand that cooks ingredients separately and then combines them before freezing.

Baird notes, “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,” according to Baird. I also noticed a much more watery consistency from TFD and Ollie, potentially because of this “soupy” approach.

For me, the choice was simple. I want Cloud to get the most nutrients he can to support his overall health and longevity, so Nom Nom is the clear winner with separately-cooked ingredients.

Gut Health

Nom Nom Wins with Digestible Ingredients

One of the quickest benefits we noticed after switching Cloud to Nom Nom was his gut health. I used to dread the sound of Cloud throwing up on our bedroom carpet at night or having to pick up messy loose stools on a walk. After about 3 weeks eating  Nom Nom meals, I haven’t had to worry about either. 

Baird explains why switching to freshly made dog food can help support digestion: “Fresh food provides necessary moisture and nutrients to provide maximum support to organs and the digestive system.”  She adds, “Dogs on overly processed foods frequently have weight gain (or loss), dental problems, and digestive issues.”  Sounded familiar to Cloud and me.

Once Baird explained the difference between fresh dog food and processed kibble or canned food, those benefits seemed pretty obvious. Surviving on only McDonalds and Pop Tarts would probably wreak havoc on my gut – why was I forcing Cloud to eat that way every day?

Would Cloud experience the same digestive benefits if we stuck with Ollie or TFD, I wondered? Maybe not, according to Baird. Remember that soupy texture I mentioned? The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie both overly puree ingredients, according to Baird. This damages the ingredients and causes loss of nutrients. Nom Nom, on the other hand, uses ingredients designed “for feeding in their natural form with less damage to ingredients and their individual nutrients,” according to Baird.

Overall Health

Nom Nom Wins with Diverse Nutrients

Cloud is truly part of our family and it wouldn't be the same without him – which is why I want to make sure he sticks around. 

Even though there’s no chance I’ll ever feed Cloud kibble again, I was still morbidly curious to learn more about the manufacturing process. Baird was happy to oblige: “Animal protein in kibble is actually weighed wet, even though 70% of the water weight is cooked away before being stored in the bag dry.” She continued, “that means that for most kibble manufacturers, animal protein is not actually the most prominent ingredient in the bag.” In these cases,  kibble  is mostly low-quality filler ingredients with little nutritional value.

With freshly made food like Nom Nom, Baird adds, “animal protein is the first ingredient because food remains naturally moist from preparation to serving,” which improves digestion and nutritional availability. 

Some of Nom Nom’s recipes include egg, and all include veggies – are these ingredients actually good for dogs? According to Baird, “Eggs provide a lot of biologically appropriate nutrients for amino acid and protein requirements,” while vegetables are important “for immune system support and digestive health.” Neither Ollie nor The Farmer’s Dog use egg in their recipes. Both Nom Nom’s beef and turkey recipes, on the other hand, feature this important ingredient. 

It’s Time to Make the Switch

After consulting with Baird, I’m even more confident that Nom Nom is the right choice for Cloud. It provides a balanced, nutritionally-dense diet, and a host of benefits — from healthy digestion to high energy levels — that I hope your dog can benefit from too.