Low cost raw dog food that’s easy to prepare is a bit of an oxymoron…that’s because at first glance, it seems to be contradictory!
I mean, raw dog food is easiest to prepare when it’s pre-made, which is a convenience that comes at a certain price.
Likewise, low cost raw dog food is available, but the trade off is that you’ll be preparing it yourself.
You’ll also have to shop around for different cuts of meat which takes time.
That’s why in this blog post, I’ll show you how to prepare 7 different low cost raw meals that are sourced from the best of both worlds:
a) The grocery store
b) An online raw dog food retailer
How To Prepare Low Cost Raw Dog Food
Disclaimer: This blog post was originally published in 2022 and has been updated in 2024. It contains affiliate links I may earn compensation through at no additional cost to you.
As I already said, you can prepare raw meals for your dog(s) from low cost cuts of meat you find at the grocery store.
However, these meals won’t be balanced.
That means that your dog(s) will have nutrient deficiencies if you only feed these types of meals.
Why is that?
Because you need to rotate your dog’s protein sources and cuts of meat in order to provide your pup with the full spectrum of nutrients they’d get from a prey animal in the wild.
That includes:
- A variety of organ cuts (heart, lung, liver, kidneys, pancreas, eyeballs, brains etc)
- Hair or feathers
- Green tripe
- Bones
…you get the idea.
Sure, you can find certain cuts of chicken, turkey and beef at most grocery stores.
But secreting organs like kidneys, pancreas, hairy ears and green tripe are a different story.
The same goes for (odd cuts of meat from) ducks, rabbits, lambs etc.
Also, the tripe you find at grocery stores is NOT green tripe!
Grocery store tripe has been bleached which strips it of all of its nutrients.
That said, you can feed your pup meals that are sourced purely from the grocery store once or twice per week.
Grocery Store Foods That Are OK To Feed Your Dog As A Raw Dog Food Base:
- Ground beef, bison, turkey or chicken (breasts) paired with
- Chicken gizzards and hearts
- Calf liver
- Turkey necks, chicken leg quarters (without the skin) or chicken wings
- Canned sardines and oysters
- Eggs and
- Some produce.
Here’s two examples of grocery-store sourced meals you can feed your adult pups twice a week.
But please understand that you shouldn’t make it a daily habit.
I’m adding 5 balanced options for the remaining days of the week after these meals, so read on!
Low Cost Grocery Store-Sourced Raw Dog Food For 2 Days Out Of The Week
You can either cut the individual ingredients up into smaller pieces or grind them using a meat grinder.
Tip 1: Buy as many ingredients as you can when they’re on sale! You can keep meat in the freezer for up to one year.
Tip 2: Use poultry shears to cut up chicken wings, chicken leg quarters or turkey necks.
Day 1
- 1 egg
- Calf liver, 1.6 oz
- Chicken wings, 4 oz
- Chicken breast, 8 oz
- Canned sardines (in water), 1.6 oz
- Chicken gizzards and hearts, 6 oz
- Steamed and puréed broccoli, 1.6 oz
Day 2
- Calf liver, 1.6 oz
- Ground beef, 14 oz
- Turkey neck, 4.5 oz
- Puréed spinach, 1.6 oz
- Canned oysters (in water), 1.6 oz
You can switch out the chicken breast and ground beef for similar cuts of meat.
For example, ground turkey, bison or ground lamb.
Tip: I personally only buy ground lamb at the grocery store when it’s on sale.
Otherwise I feel that it’s too expensive to use for dog food.
You can also make larger batches of each meal option, portion them out into individual food storage containers, then label and freeze them.
You can also alternate between chicken wings, chicken leg quarters, chicken feet and turkey necks for the raw meaty bones.
Low Cost Pre-Made Raw Grinds For 5 Days Out Of The Week
I strongly suggest you buy these grinds when they’re on sale and/or use my referral discount link to get an additional 10% off!
To check if they’re on sale, browse RFM’s Monthly Specials section.
That’s how you keep the cost of these pre-made grinds down.
Tip: Mix the grinds with oily fish (smelts, herring, sardines, mackerel) or a veggie mix to turn them into a balanced meal.
For example, Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm, a low carb veggie and bone broth mix, or Green JuJu, a low carb mix of mostly veggies, bison bone broth and lemon.
Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm ingredients:
Broccoli, Green Beans, Bone Broth, Red and Green Bell Pepper, Cabbage, Pumpkin, Crushed Eggshell, Celery, Kelp, Alfalfa, Turmeric, Spirulina, Ginger, Red Clover, Milk Thistle, Slippery Elm, Dandelion, Cinnamon, Tricalcium Phosphate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid
Green Juju ingredients:
Organic Celery, Organic Zucchini, Organic Kale, Organic Dandelion Greens, Organic Parsley, Bison Bone Broth, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Lemon, Organic Turmeric, Organic Ginger.
Day 3
Grind ingredients: Ground up whole free-range geese
Day 4
Grind ingredients: Ground up whole ducks with meat and organs (no intestines)
Day 5
Grind ingredients: Ground up whole turkeys with organs still intact
Day 6
Grind ingredients: Ground up whole quails with all their organs and feathers
Day 7
Grind ingredients: Ground up whole rabbits with organs (no intestines or heads)
How Much Raw Dog Food To Feed Your Dog
How much to feed on average per day: 3 oz per 10 lbs of body weight.
For example, a 40 lb dog would need 12 oz per day or 6 oz per meal if you feed breakfast and dinner on a daily basis.
Please note that the 3 oz per 10 lbs of body weight is a general guideline.
Since every dog’s daily caloric needs are different, you will probably have to slightly adjust the amount per meal you feed.
Meaning you’ll either add a little more or distract a little depending on your dog’s individual needs.
If you need help figuring out the math for your particular pup(py), check out my ebook I link to below:
How To Prepare Low Cost Raw Dog Food: Bottom Line
Feeding balanced raw meals doesn’t have to break the bank if you shop smart!
I recommend you buy discounted meats from the grocery store whenever you see that they’re on sale.
If you invest in a freezer for your pup’s raw dog food, you can really take advantage of those meat sales! Remember that you can freeze meat for up to 1 year.
Additionally, browse Raw Feeding Miami’s Monthly Specials section and use my referral discount link to score an additional 10% off!
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