Chicken Yum-Yum

My feelings toward commercial dog food were made pretty clear in Why Commercial Pet Food Isn't Best for Your Dogs, but in case it wasn't....I don't like it.  As of this posting, my chihuahua no longer eats commercial pet food at all, and my rottweiler's diet consists of only about 25% commercial pet food that contains no by-products. One of my favorite dishes to make has been affectionately named Chicken Yum-Yum.  I don't know why.......I just always tell Maddie and Lea, "Do you want some chicken yum-yum?"  They ALWAYS do.  I don't blame them...it's pretty good!  And it's incredibly easy to make. A lot of recipes that you will find for dogs uses rice or brown rice as a filler.  Although I use these, I prefer to use Quinoa, as it is packed with protein and nutrients.  One cup of quinoa contains roughly 8 grams of protein.  That's a lot!  It also contains 9 essential amino acids, is rich in minerals, fiber-rich, has high levels of unsaturated fats, and is gluten-free.  No wonder it's a Superfood!  It's a filler that I feel really good about! Chicken Yum-Yum:

• 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (boiled)
• 4 cups cooked quinoa (2 cups uncooked)
• 1 lb. cooked carrots
• 1 small bunch cooked broccoli, 1 can peas, or 1 can green beans
• small amount of garlic salt or seasoning of your choice
• enough defatted broth to make very moist (I use broth from the cooked chicken)

After the above ingredients have cooked and cooled, use a food processor to shred chicken until no longer stringy.  Process carrots and broccoli very small.  (If using peas or green beans, these do not need to be processed.)  Okay, now the hard part:  Throw it all in a big bowl together and stir until well blended!  My dogs like it very moist ~ not wet.  And that's it!  The hardest part about making it is washing the dishes afterwards!  And you will feel very good about yourself when you see how happy they are to get it, knowing that you have served them a delicious, healthy meal, that contains only quality ingredients and no by-products!  Cooking for your dog isn't hard, but it can be tricky getting the correct nutritional balance.  You can't just throw together some meat and rice and assume it will meet your dog's needs. This recipe, when made with broccoli, contains a total of approximately 2,500 calories and 330 grams of protein. so it receives greater than 50% of it's calories from protein.  Plus, it's jam-packed with nutrients, thanks to the quality ingredients.

These are basic guidelines to follow to help you know how much to feed your dog each day:
Less than 10 lbs 1/4 to 1/2 cup
10 to 20 lbs 1/2 to 1 cup
20 to 30 lbs 3/4 to 1.5 cups
30 to 40 lbs 1.5 to 2 cups
40 to 60 lbs 1.5 to 2.5 cups
60 to 70 lbs 2.5 to 3 cups
80 to 90 lbs 3 to 4 cups
100 to 150 lbs 4 to 5 cups
More than 150 lbs 4.5 to 6 cups