Beef & sweet potato: a balanced homemade dog food recipe
Ground beef (90% lean), baked sweet potato, green beans and beef liver.
Cooked · Meat 50%, Starch 30%, Veg 15%, Liver 5% · checked against AAFCO adult maintenance, per 1,000 kcal
For 1,000 kcal a day
About the daily calories of a 42 lb neutered adult. Scale it to your own dog below. Grams are for the food as listed (raw weight for raw entries).
| Beef, ground, 90% lean, raw | 412 g |
| Sweet potato, baked, flesh | 240 g |
| Green beans, boiled | 126 g |
| Beef liver, raw | 43 g |
| Calcium carbonate powderPure calcium carbonate: 400 mg calcium per gram | 2.9 g |
| Vitamin E softgel, 100 IU (d-alpha-tocopherol)100 IU vitamin E per softgel | 1 softgel |
| Vitamin D3 drops, 400 IU per drop400 IU vitamin D3 per drop | 1 drop |
| Kelp (iodine) tablet, 150 µg iodine150 µg iodine per tablet | 1 3/4 tablets |
| Safflower oil, high linoleicAbout 75% linoleic acid | 2 g |
Balanced: 0 short, 0 over
What the recipe misses without supplements
On its own, this recipe is 6 short and 0 over: linoleic acid (omega-6) (short), calcium (short), calcium to phosphorus ratio (short), iodine (short), vitamin d (short), vitamin e (short).
- Beef brings zinc and iron; beef liver brings copper and vitamin A.
- Beef fat is low in linoleic acid, so this recipe needs an oil rich in it, plus calcium, iodine, vitamin D and vitamin E.
Scale it to your dog
About 1,020 kcal a day. One batch for 7 days:
| Beef, ground, 90% lean, raw | 2,946 g |
| Sweet potato, baked, flesh | 1,715 g |
| Green beans, boiled | 897 g |
| Beef liver, raw | 311 g |
| Calcium carbonate powderPure calcium carbonate: 400 mg calcium per gram | 20.6 g |
| Vitamin E softgel, 100 IU (d-alpha-tocopherol)100 IU vitamin E per softgel | 1 softgel |
| Vitamin D3 drops, 400 IU per drop400 IU vitamin D3 per drop | 2 drops |
| Kelp (iodine) tablet, 150 µg iodine150 µg iodine per tablet | 13 tablets |
| Safflower oil, high linoleicAbout 75% linoleic acid | 14 g |
Checked after rounding: 0 short, 0 over
Full AAFCO check of the balanced recipe
Per 1,000 kcal against the AAFCO adult maintenance profile, after rounding the supplements.
| Nutrient | Per 1,000 kcal | AAFCO min | Max | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protein and amino acids | ||||
| Protein | 98.3 g | 45 g | – | OK |
| Arginine | 6.16 g | 1.28 g | – | OK |
| Histidine | 3.09 g | 0.48 g | – | OK |
| Isoleucine | 4.32 g | 0.95 g | – | OK |
| Leucine | 7.68 g | 1.7 g | – | OK |
| Lysine | 7.84 g | 1.58 g | – | OK |
| Methionine | 2.47 g | 0.83 g | – | OK |
| Methionine + cystine | 3.57 g | 1.63 g | – | OK |
| Phenylalanine | 4.04 g | 1.13 g | – | OK |
| Phenylalanine + tyrosine | 7.09 g | 1.85 g | – | OK |
| Threonine | 3.93 g | 1.2 g | – | OK |
| Tryptophan | 0.65 g | 0.4 g | – | OK |
| Valine | 4.97 g | 1.23 g | – | OK |
| Fat and fatty acids | ||||
| Fat | 45.5 g | 13.8 g | – | OK |
| Linoleic acid (omega-6) | 2.99 g | 2.8 g | – | OK |
| Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio | 12 : 1 | – | 30:1 | OK |
| Minerals | ||||
| Calcium | 1.36 g | 1.25 g | 6.25 g | OK |
| Phosphorus | 1.09 g | 1 g | 4 g | OK |
| Calcium to phosphorus ratio | 1.2 : 1 | 1:1 | 2:1 | OK |
| Potassium | 2.78 g | 1.5 g | – | OK |
| Sodium | 0.39 g | 0.2 g | – | OK |
| Chloride(estimated) | 0.39 g | 0.3 g | – | OK |
| Magnesium | 0.18 g | 0.15 g | – | OK |
| Iron | 13.8 mg | 10 mg | – | OK |
| Copper | 4.95 mg | 1.83 mg | – | OK |
| Manganese | 1.73 mg | 1.25 mg | – | OK |
| Zinc | 22.5 mg | 20 mg | – | OK |
| Iodine(estimated) | 0.27 mg | 0.25 mg | 2.75 mg | OK |
| Selenium | 0.086 mg | 0.08 mg | 0.5 mg | OK |
| Vitamins and choline | ||||
| Vitamin A | 7,139 IU | 1,250 IU | 62,500 IU | OK |
| Vitamin D | 437 IU | 125 IU | 750 IU | OK |
| Vitamin E | 106 IU | 12.5 IU | – | OK |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.6 mg | 0.56 mg | – | OK |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 2.18 mg | 1.3 mg | – | OK |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 7.77 mg | 3 mg | – | OK |
| Niacin (B3) | 30.9 mg | 3.4 mg | – | OK |
| Pyridoxine (B6) | 2.74 mg | 0.38 mg | – | OK |
| Folic acid (folate) | 0.21 mg | 0.054 mg | – | OK |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.035 mg | 0.007 mg | – | OK |
| Choline | 468 mg | 340 mg | – | OK |
Balance your own recipe instead
Keep your own ingredients and grams. The check is free; exact grams, doses and a PDF for your vet are $19 per dog for 12 months.
Check my recipeNot veterinary advice. For healthy adult dogs only. Review any diet with your vet, change food over about a week, and weigh your dog every 2–4 weeks.