If you are like me and you cook for your dog, you probably wonder about nutrient loss from cooking.
Some nutrients are more easily destroyed by heat, including some of the vitamins in vegetables. On the other hand, it often makes sense to cook your dog’s vegetables (rather than serving them raw) so your dog can digest them.
Some produce items are more dog-friendly in raw form, like fresh fruit. But if you are cooking your dog’s veggies, there are a couple things you can do to help preserve nutrient content. These include:
- Saving the cooking water – this will preserve some of the nutrients that have leached into the water
- Steaming rather than boiling – to steam, put an inch or two of water into a pan, and bring to a boil. Add your veggies, and allow to heat back up for a couple minutes, then cover and turn off. The steam will cook the vegetables. Steam until they are brightly colored.
- Consider adding a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement to your dog’s diet. This is my own personal preference, but I do think our food supply is depleted enough, and our diets are not consistently balanced enough, to warrant a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. Look for a whol foods-based one or one without fillers or chemicals.
If you have questions, contact me.