BARF raw fruit and vegetables:

The BARF diet, or raw food diet, relies on evolutionary concepts for optimum health and nutrition for your pet. For dogs, approximately 15% of their raw food diet needs to be fresh, whole and raw non-starchy vegetables and fruit. For cats, this means that 5% of their diet consists of vegetables and fruit.

According to Dr. Billinghurst of the BARF Diet, the vegetables and fruit used should be the ones which are most in season. While this raw food diet detox is based on a healthy diet, BARF relies on green leafy vegetables such as silver beet, spinach, celery, one or two members of the cabbage family (cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, etc), herbs (parsley), root vegetables such as carrots and sugar beets or fruit type vegetables (think tomatoes or red and green peppers). All of the vegetables should be raw.

Fruit should also be in season and a wide range should be considered such as well ripened to over riped (not rotten). Examples include whole apples, oranges, pears, bananas, berries, papayas, etc. Again, they should all be raw.

Since each fruit and vegetable contributes different nutrients it’s important to vary the selection. As the responsible pet owner, be sure all of the vegetables and fruits have been thoroughly washed thereby removing chemical sprays. The skin needs to be intact since it contains the most vital source of nutrients as part of the BARF Diet.

These raw vegetables and fruits are important to the health of your dog and cat; vegetables create fiber and they’re full of enzymes, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. While they should be raw, they must be completely crushed before they’re available for digestion. In order to do this, you’ll need a food processor or a juicer (the juicer is preferred).

Sometimes, Dr. Billinghurst notes, supplementary ingredients are important to the four basic BARF diet ingredients: water, raw meaty bones, vegetables and offal (internal organs such as liver, kidneys, or heart tripe). There may be low mineral levels on soils where certain foods emanated, there could be limited availability of ingredients in certain areas, and the variability in nutrition could have many reasons. Therefore, the supplements may include healthy oils, minerals, vitamins, proteins, enzymes, fiber, and energy.

At The Dog Bowl, nothing is more important than your pets’ health and well being. For more information about The BARF Diet click here!