Nature s Nourishment Organic Dog Food Essentials

Natures Recipe Pure Essentials Limited Ingredient Recipe (Dry)

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Natures Recipe Pure Essentials Limited Ingredient Recipe (Dry)

By Mike Sagman

Updated: March 21, 2024

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Confirmed by the Company

Natures Recipe Pure Essentials Limited Ingredient Recipe Dog Food receives the Advisors mid-tier rating of 3.5 stars.

The Natures Recipe Pure Essentials product line includes three dry dog foods.

Each recipe below includes its related AAFCO nutrient profile when available on the products official webpage: Growth, Maintenance, All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

• Pure Essentials Adult Duck and Brown Rice [A]
• Pure Essentials Adult Lamb and Brown Rice [A]
• Pure Essentials Adult Salmon and Brown Rice [A]

Pure Essentials Adult Lamb and Brown Rice was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

Nature's Recipe Pure Essentials Adult Lamb and Brown Rice

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Lamb, lamb meal, brown rice, oats, pea protein, peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), apples, rice, natural flavor, dried cranberries (cranberries, sugar), salt, flaxseed, tomato pomace, carrots, potassium chloride, taurine, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), inositol, niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, beta-carotene, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), choline chloride, lactic acid, citric acid (used as a preservative), l-carnitine, Yucca schidigera extract, rosemary extract

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4%

Red denotes any controversial items

The first ingredient in this dog food is lamb. Although it is a quality item, raw lamb contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient is lamb meal. Lamb meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh lamb.

The third ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The fourth ingredient includes oats. Oats are rich in B-vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

The fifth ingredient is pea protein, what remains of a pea after removing the starchy part of the vegetable.

Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The sixth ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, theyre rich in natural fiber.

However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The seventh ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesnt sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The eighth ingredient includes apple, a nutrient-rich fruit thats also high in fiber.

The ninth ingredient is rice. Is this whole grain rice, brown rice or white rice? Since the word rice doesnt tell us much, its impossible to judge the quality of this item.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With five notable exceptions

First, flaxseed is one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided theyve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

Next, tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.

Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.

Just the same, theres probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.

In addition, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.

Next, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

And lastly, this recipe includes menadione, a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.

Since vitamin K isnt required by AAFCO in either of its dog food nutrient profiles, we question the use of this substance in any canine formulation.

Natures Recipe Pure Essentials Limited Ingredient Recipe Dog Food The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Natures Recipe Pure Essentials looks like an above-average dry product.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the products meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 28%, a fat level of 13% and estimated carbohydrates of about 51%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 13%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 51% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 48%.

Near-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the pea protein, peas and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Natures Recipe Pure Essentials Limited Ingredient is a plant-based kibble using a moderate amount of lamb, salmon or chicken meals as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3.5 stars.

Recommended.

However, those concerned about the presence of menadione may wish to ignore our rating and look elsewhere for another product.

Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content and (when appropriate) their fat-to-protein ratios.

Natures Recipe Dog Food Recall History

The following list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 directly related to this product line. If there are no recalls listed in this section, we have not yet reported any events.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls sorted by date. Or view the same list sorted alphabetically by brand.

To learn why our ratings have nothing to do with a products recall history, please visit our Dog Food Recalls FAQ page.

Get free dog food recall alerts sent to you by email. Subscribe to The Advisors recall notification list.

Dog Food Coupons and Discounts

Readers are invited to check for coupons and discounts shared by others in our Dog Food Coupons Forum.

Or click the buying tip below. Please be advised we receive a fee for referrals made to the following online store.

Notes and Updates

Compare This Dog Food

How does this brand compare with The Dog Food Advisor's most recommended brands?

A Final Word

The Dog Food Advisor does not accept money, gifts, samples or other incentives in exchange for special consideration in preparing our reviews.

However, we do receive a referral fee from online retailers (like Chewy or Amazon) and from sellers of perishable pet food when readers click over to their websites from ours. This helps cover the cost of operation of our free blog. Thanks for your support.

For more information, please visit our Disclaimer and Disclosure page.

Natures Recipe Pure Essentials Limited Ingredient (Tubs)

Home Reviews Natures Recipe Pure Essentials Limited Ingredient (Tubs)

Natures Recipe Pure Essentials Limited Ingredient (Tubs)

By Mike Sagman

Updated: March 21, 2024

DogFoodAdvisor is reader supported See how

All reviews are 100% impartial but if you buy using links on this page, we may earn a referral fee.

Confirmed by the Company

Natures Recipe Pure Essentials Limited Ingredient Recipe tubbed dog food receives the Advisors top rating of 5 stars.

The Natures Recipe Pure Essentials product line includes five dog food tubs.

Each recipe below includes its related AAFCO nutrient profile when available on the products official webpage: Growth, Maintenance, All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

• Pure Essentials Duck Recipe [A]
• Pure Essentials Venison Recipe [A]
• Pure Essentials Grain Free Lamb Recipe [A]
• Pure Essentials Grain Free Salmon Recipe [A]
• Pure Essentials Grain Free Chicken Recipe [A]

Pure Essentials Venison Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

Nature's Recipe Pure Essentials Venison Recipe

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Venison, chicken broth, water, chicken, sweet potato, brown rice, sunflower oil, tricalcium phosphate, salt, natural flavor, guar gum, calcium sulfate, potassium chloride, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, biotin supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, beta-carotene, folic acid), minerals (zinc glycine complex, iron glycine complex, copper glycine complex, manganese glycine complex, sodium selenite, potassium iodide), choline chloride, carrageenan, magnesium oxide

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1.5%

Red denotes any controversial items

The first ingredient in this dog food is venison. Venison is considered the clean flesh derived from slaughtered venison and associated with skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.²

Venison is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient is chicken broth. Broths are nutritionally empty. But because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.

The third ingredient is water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.

The fourth ingredient is chicken, another quality raw item. Chicken is considered the clean combination of flesh and skin derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken.³

Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The fifth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.

The sixth ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The seventh ingredient includes sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is nutritionally similar to safflower oil. Since these oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and contain no omega-3s, theyre considered less nutritious than canola or flaxseed oils.

Sunflower oil is notable for its resistance to heat damage during cooking.

There are several different types of sunflower oil, some better than others. Without knowing more, its impossible to judge the quality of this ingredient.

The eighth ingredient is tricalcium phosphate, a beneficial source of calcium and phosphorous. In addition, this additive is used in canned foods as an emulsifier an agent designed to disperse a foods fats more evenly in water.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With two notable exceptions

First, carrageenan is a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Although carrageenan has been used as a food additive for hundreds of years, there appears to be some recent controversy regarding its long term biological safety.

And lastly, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Natures Recipe Pure EssentialsLimited Ingredient Recipe Dog Food TubsThe Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Natures Recipe Pure Essentials looks like an above-average wet product.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the products meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 56%, a fat level of 14% and estimated carbohydrates of about 23%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 57% and a mean fat level of 14%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 21% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 23%.

Above-average protein. Below-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical wet dog food.

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet dog food containing a significant amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Natures Recipe Pure Essentials is a meat-based tubbed dog food using a significant amount of various species as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content and (when appropriate) their fat-to-protein ratios.

Natures Recipe Dog Food Recall History

The following list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 directly related to this product line. If there are no recalls listed in this section, we have not yet reported any events.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls sorted by date. Or view the same list sorted alphabetically by brand.

To learn why our ratings have nothing to do with a products recall history, please visit our Dog Food Recalls FAQ page.

Get free dog food recall alerts sent to you by email. Subscribe to The Advisors recall notification list.

Dog Food Coupons And Discounts

Readers are invited to check for coupons and discounts shared by others in our Dog Food Coupons Forum.

Or click the buying tip below. Please be advised we receive a fee for referrals made to the following online store.

Notes and Updates

Compare This Dog Food

How does this brand compare with The Dog Food Advisor's most recommended brands?

A Final Word

The Dog Food Advisor does not accept money, gifts, samples or other incentives in exchange for special consideration in preparing our reviews.

However, we do receive a referral fee from online retailers (like Chewy or Amazon) and from sellers of perishable pet food when readers click over to their websites from ours. This helps cover the cost of operation of our free blog. Thanks for your support.

For more information, please visit our Disclaimer and Disclosure page.