The Honest Kitchen began in 2002 when Lucy Postins started making dog food out of her kitchen. Based in San Diego, the brand distinguishes itself by offering human grade food. She did this by sourcing an entire supply chain of 100% human edible ingredients. She also overcame regulatory hurdles for the right to use “human grade” on her products. It is one of few pet food companies to do so in practice, rather than just through marketing.
The company has increased its offerings. They include dehydrated and cooked foods, treats, broths, toppers and supplements. These are for dogs and cats.
For our Honest Kitchen dog food review, we’ll look at the food ingredient quality and safety of each line of food. We base our dog food reviews on these criteria.
Is The Honest Kitchen A Good Dog Food?
The Honest Kitchen has 5 lines of dehydrated dog foods with 25 recipes. There are 2 lines of cooked foods with 10 recipes. These foods are moderately processed, which is a healthier way of making dog food.
Concerns arise about ingredient safety and quality. Dehydrated foods are considered moderate risk due to high carbohydrates. They are moderately processed, which usually preserves nutrients. However, they still have added vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Cooked foods are less processed and are low risk. They have higher protein and lower carbohydrates. But they also have added vitamins and minerals. This often suggests lower quality ingredients. Nutrients should ideally come from whole food ingredients.
When it comes to ingredient safety, these foods do not have GMO ingredients. Unfortunately, they use high pesticide ingredients that are on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list. They make a frequent appearance in the top 5 ingredients. Organic ingredients could eliminate pesticide and GMO risks. Some of the foods also contain natural flavor. This is a low quality ingredient with limited safety studies.
The Honest Kitchen is one of few pet food companies to produce human-grade dog food. The company follows rigid criteria. Food must be made, packed, and held to meet federal regulations for human food. They must also meet Current Good Manufacturing Practice.
For the majority of dog foods “human grade” is a marketing term that isn’t substantiated. However, AAFCO states every ingredient in a product needs to be human edible to be human grade. In the future, AAFCO will introduce human-grade guidelines. All companies using this label must comply.
It’s worth noting that The Honest Kitchen does not provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in their foods. While this is true of most foods, AAFCO allows a very inflammatory limit of 30:1. Diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation and disease.
For our Honest Kitchen dog food review, we’ll look at the food ingredient quality and safety of each line of food. Our dog food reviews are based on these criteria.
Whole Food Clusters
Score: 5.3/10
Ingredient List For Grain Free Turkey Clusters Recipe: Turkey, potatoes, peas, lentils, carrots, eggs, ground flaxseed, turkey liver, broccoli, pumpkin, apples, coconut oil, natural turkey flavor, salmon oil, kale, chia seed, minerals [calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, sodium chloride, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, sodium selenite], fenugreek seed, dried kelp, taurine, vitamins [vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, niacin supplement], mixed tocopherols (a natural preservative), turmeric, dried bacillus coagulans fermentation product, rosemary extract
The Honest Kitchen’s Whole Food Clusters line is a moderate risk food by our criteria. There are 9 recipes. This is The Honest Kitchen’s lowest scoring line for ingredient quality and safety. It’s cold pressed so it’s minimally processed. It averages about 26% protein and 35% carbohydrate, as calculated. The ingredient safety score of these foods is fairly low. The recipes feature multiple known high pesticide ingredients in the top five ingredients. This increases the risk of pesticide/Roundup exposure. Scores are also lower due added vitamins and minerals, as well as added amino acids. It’s preferable that nutrients come from whole food sources. Vitamin and mineral premixes can cause excesses in vitamin D or copper. They also have natural flavor, which is a low quality ingredient.
Whole Food Clusters Benefits
- Moderate processing
- Non GMO
Whole Food Clusters Concerns
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- Moderately high carbohydrate content
- Excessive added vitamins
- Excessive added minerals
- Added amino acids
- Contains natural flavor
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Dehydrated Whole Grain
Score: 6.5/10
Ingredient List For Whole Grain Turkey Recipe: Dehydrated turkey, organic oats, dehydrated potatoes, organic flaxseed, dehydrated carrots, dehydrated cabbage, dried apples, dehydrated honey, dried organic kelp, dried garlic, minerals [tricalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, choline chloride, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, potassium iodide, copper amino acid chelate, sodium selenite], taurine, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D3 supplement]
The Honest Kitchen’s Dehydrated Whole Grain line is a moderate risk food by our criteria. It averages about 25% protein and 43% carbohydrate as calculated, which is quite high. There are 4 recipes in this line. This line features a mix of organic and non organic ingredients. But there are high pesticide crop ingredients in the top 5 ingredients of most of these recipes. The exception is the Fish & Oat recipe, which uses organic barley and oats. These recipes lose some additional points for other high pesticide ingredients. They include peas and apples. This line is also moderately processed as there is minimal heat used in dehydration.
Whole Grain Benefits
- Moderate processing
- Some organic ingredients
- Non GMO
Whole Grain Concerns
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- High carbohydrate content
- Excessive added vitamins
- Excessive added minerals
- Contains natural flavor
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Dehydrated Grain Free
Score: 6.1/10
Ingredient List For Grain Free Turkey Recipe: Dehydrated turkey, organic flaxseed, dehydrated potatoes, dehydrated spinach, dehydrated carrots, dried organic coconut, dried apples, dehydrated eggs, dried bananas, dehydrated celery, dried cranberries, dried organic kelp, minerals [tricalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, choline chloride, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, potassium iodide, copper amino acid chelate, sodium selenite], taurine, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D3 supplement], fish oil (a natural source of DHA and EPA)
The Honest Kitchen’s Dehydrated Grain Free line is a moderate risk food by our criteria. There are 4 recipes in this line. The line averages 29% protein and 35% carbohydrate. It’s a bit higher in protein than the other 5 dehydrated lines. This line is higher in legumes that are rich in protein. Overall, these are low protein levels. It’s unfortunate as we expect to see higher proteins in dehydrated dog foods. The food safety scores are somewhat low. That’s due to high pesticide ingredients in the top 5 ingredients. This includes potatoes and spinach. This line is also moderately processed as there is minimal heat used in dehydration.
Grain Free Benefits
- Moderate processing
- Some organic ingredients
- High protein
- Non GMO
Grain Free Concerns
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- Moderately high carbohydrate content
- Excessive added vitamins
- Excessive added minerals
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Dehydrated Limited Ingredient
Score: 6.5/10
Ingredient List For Limited Ingredient Fish Recipe: Dehydrated white fish, dried organic coconut, dried chickpeas, dehydrated pumpkin, dehydrated celery, dehydrated spinach, minerals [tricalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, choline chloride, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, potassium iodide, copper amino acid chelate, sodium selenite], taurine, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1),calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D3 supplement], fish oil (a natural source of DHA and EPA)
The Honest Kitchen’s Dehydrated Limited Ingredient line is a moderate risk food by our criteria. It averages 27% protein and 38% carbohydrate. There are 5 recipes in this line. The ingredient safety score is a bit better than other lines. Not all recipes contain high pesticide foods in the top 5 ingredients. There is a small amount of organic ingredients on the label. Like most Honest Kitchen foods, the ingredient quality score is low. This is due to a large number of added vitamins and minerals. There are also high carbohydrates for a dehydrated food of this type. This line is also moderately processed as there is minimal heat used in dehydration.
Grain Free Benefits
- Moderate processing
- Some organic ingredients
- Non GMO
Grain Free Concerns
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- Moderately high carbohydrate content
- Excessive added vitamins
- Excessive added minerals
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Dehydrated Gourmet Grains
Score: 6.7/10
Ingredient List For Beef & Salmon Recipe: Dehydrated beef, organic barley, organic oats, organic flaxseed, dehydrated eggs, dehydrated carrots, dehydrated wild-caught salmon, dried organic coconut, dehydrated pumpkin, organic quinoa, dehydrated beef bone broth, dried parsley, dehydrated broccoli, dehydrated kale, dried apples, turmeric, minerals [tricalcium phosphate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, choline chloride, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, potassium iodide, copper amino acid chelate, sodium selenite], taurine, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D3 supplement]
The Honest Kitchen’s Gourmet Grains line is a moderate risk food by our criteria. There are 3 recipes in this line. It averages 29% protein and 34% carbohydrate. These are similar levels to the other lines. The carbs are high for a dehydrated food. The proteins are lower than what we’d expect in dehydrated foods. This line uses mainly organic grains in its top 5 ingredients. This makes it Honest Kitchen’s highest scoring dehydrated food. Like other lines, it contains a large number of added vitamins and minerals. There’s also an unspecified source of fish oil. This lowers the ingredient quality score. This line is also moderately processed as there is minimal heat used in dehydration.
Gourmet Grains Benefits
- Moderate processing
- Some organic ingredients
- Non GMO
Gourmet Grains Concerns
- Moderately high carbohydrate content
- Excessive added vitamins
- Excessive added minerals
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Butcher Block Pate
Score: 7.4/10
Ingredient List For Turkey, Duck & Root Veggies: Turkey, turkey bone broth, turkey liver, duck, sweet potatoes, carrots, cranberries, agar-agar, minerals [copper proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, zinc proteinate, sodium chloride, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium proteinate], tricalcium phosphate, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, choline chloride], salmon oil, dried kelp
The Honest Kitchen’s Butcher Block Pate is low risk food by our criteria. There are 5 recipes in this line. It is The Honest Kitchen’s highest scoring line. This is a cooked, wet line that is moderately processed. This line uses minimal heat. The foods average 54% protein and 8% carbohydrate (as calculated, on a dry matter basis). The levels vary from food to food. They don’t have high pesticide ingredients in the top 5 ingredients, except for 1 recipe.
Butcher Block Pate Benefits
- Moderate processing
- Some organic ingredients
- Non GMO
- Low carbohydrate
Butcher Block Pate Concerns
- Excessive added vitamins & minerals
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
One Pot Stews
Score: 7.1/10
Ingredient List For Turkey Stew With Quinoa, Carrots & Broccoli: Turkey, turkey bone broth, quinoa, carrots, broccoli, tapioca, minerals [copper proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, zinc proteinate, sodium chloride, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride], dicalcium phosphate, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, choline chloride], salmon oil, dried kelp, sage
The Honest Kitchen’s One Pot Stew line is low risk by our criteria. There are 5 recipes in this line. It averages 47% protein and 17% carbohydrate (as calculated, on a dry matter basis). This wet food is Honest Kitchen’s second highest scoring line. But, some include high-pesticide foods in the top 5 ingredients. The individual food scores do vary a fair bit in this line. This is due to the inconsistency in carbohydrate content.
One Pot Stew Benefits
- Moderate processing
- Non GMO
- Lower in carbohydrate
One Pot Stew Concerns
- Some high pesticide foods in top 5 ingredients
- Excessive added vitamins
- Excessive added minerals
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
THE HONEST KITCHEN DOG FOOD RECALLS
The Honest Kitchen voluntarily recalled several lots of food in 2013 due to Salmonella contamination.
Evaluation Criteria
We evaluate and score dog foods based on two criteria:
Are the Ingredients High Quality?
Here are some common low-quality ingredients or markers we look for:
- Is there excessive carbohydrate content, which can cause gut imbalances?
- Does the food contain unnamed proteins, which are low quality?
- Does the food use cellulose (wood pulp) as a source of fiber instead of real food?
- Are there excessive vitamins and minerals added in place of real food nutrition?
- Are there excessive added amino acids or plant proteins instead of expensive meat protein?
- Does the food contain inflammatory processed seed oils?
How Safe Are the Ingredients?
Many ingredients come from unhealthy, inflammatory sources or are full of pesticides so we look for:
- How processed is the food?
- Does the food contain known genetically modified foods?
- Does the food contain ingredients known to be high in pesticides?
- Does the food contain natural flavor, which are often MSG or animal digest?
- Does the food contain rice, which is high in arsenic?
Each food is objectively evaluated by these criteria and a score is assigned using the average of ingredient quality and safety. This is NOT a paid list and there are no affiliate links. Dogs Naturally has partnered with DogFoodReviews.com to make sure dog owners have unbiased, objective criteria to help them choose the best dog food on the market. You can view the full Evaluation Criteria at DogFoodReviews.com.
