Vegan Dog Food Recipe

Doesn't this look too good to be for the dogs?

As you know from an earlier post, my dogs are vegan and I feed them V-dog kibble. I usually order 30-lb bags, 2 at a time, direct from the V-dog website because none of my local pet stores carry V-dog kibble. Well, we had a dilemma when I tried to place my last order toward the end of December. V-dog was completely out of stock and not expecting a shipment until mid- to late-January. I had enough to last only about 2 weeks!

In order to keep my girls vegan and healthy, I created a recipe using ingredients that I know are safe for dogs and also provide a balance of protein, carbohydrate, fat, and antioxidants. You may be surprised to find that this recipe includes coconut oil, which also has benefits for pets. 

For the Dogs: Sweet Potatoes & Brown Rice with Black Beans & Veggies

This plant-based dog food so good that you can eat it too! My dogs LOVE this!!! 

Ingredients:

• 3 large sweet potatoes or yams (or 5 small), washed and pierced several times with a fork
  
• 1 cup brown rice, rinsed
  
• 2 cups water
  
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  
• 2 large carrots, diced
  
• ½ bunch kale, torn into bite-size pieces, including the stems
  
• ½ cup coconut oil (start with 2 tablespoons and increase to ½ cup over a period of about  3-4 weeks)
  

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F
   
2. Place the sweet potatoes or yams on a baking sheet. 
   
3. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the sweet potatoes or yams are tender when pierced with a fork, about 30-45 minutes (for a softer consistency that will mash easily, leave in for about 60 minutes).
   
4. While the potatoes are baking, combine the brown rice and water in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil.
   
5. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for until the rice is tender and the water is all absorbed, about 40-45 minutes.
   
6. After 20-30 minutes, quickly add the carrots and kale to the rice and cover for the remaining cooking time. 
   
7. When the potatoes are done baking, remove from the oven and dice the flesh and skin (or mash the flesh).
   
8. Combine the rice and veggie mixture, along with the black beans, potatoes, and coconut oil in a large bowl and stir to mix well.
   
9. Serve while warm and fresh or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
   

Makes ~8 1-cup servings. Use your dry food serving size as a guide for how much to feed your pooch. I give my 60-65 lb girls a 1-cup serving twice daily.