Best Fresh Dog Food 2026: 6 Vet-Recommended Brands We Trust For Our Own Dogs

Number of options: 4 fresh recipes | Price per day: $2 to $12 | Frequency: 1 week to 2 months | Shipping: Free | Personalized plans: Yes | AAFCO-compliant: Yes

What you’ll love: 

• The brand provides refunds or additional recipes if your dog doesn’t like the food
• Comes in packs with your pup’s name on it—convenient for daycare, boarding or pet-sitting
• Biodegradable and recyclable packaging

Keep in mind:

• Only four proteins to choose from, which may be limiting for dogs with allergies
• Bags are not resealable

The Farmer’s Dog is one of the premier names in fresh dog food, and for good reason; most of the veterinarians I spoke with recommend it, and several Forbes Vetted staffers feed it to their pups and give it glowing reviews. The brand works with on-staff, board-certified nutritionists to create pre-portioned meals for your dog based on their breed, age, activity level, ideal weight and food sensitivities. Like most options on this list, The Farmer’s Dog provides recipe recommendations based on a quick survey you’ll fill out about your pet. 

“We slowly transitioned our mixed-breed puppy to The Farmer’s Dog and now she finishes the bowl every day, where her food used to just sit untouched,” says deputy editor Rose Gordon Sala, whose dog had suddenly lost interest in her food. Julie Finken, associate product manager at Forbes Vetted, also shares that she finds the brand’s customer service to be top-notch—noting how easy it is to update her order just by replying to texts, for instance, without needing to log into her account.

The brand’s four recipes—beef, chicken, turkey and pork—feature a mix of proteins, vegetables and ingredients like chickpeas, lentils and salmon oil. They’re prepared in a human-food facility, meaning the recipes are subject to the same standards as human food, and gently cooked at a temperature high enough to kill potential pathogens but low enough to preserve nutritional integrity. Meals ship frozen and should be stored in the freezer until you’re ready to thaw them. While each pack is labeled with your pup’s name, making it convenient for situations like boarding or doggie daycare, note that the packaging must be cut open and the bags are not resealable.

Similar to the other delivery services on our list, meal plan pricing depends on your dog’s size and caloric needs. Generally, though, The Farmer’s Dog is competitively priced and on the lower end compared with other leading fresh-food brands. You can also choose to add chicken, pork or turkey treats to your delivery.

Number of options: 5 fresh, 2 baked | Price per day: $4 to $10 | Frequency: 1, 2 or 4 weeks | Shipping: Free | Personalized plans: Yes | AAFCO-compliant: Yes

What you’ll love: 

• Resealable packaging
• Can include up to four different recipes in each delivery
• Recipes formulated for specific health concerns

Keep in mind:

• Baked food is only available in chicken and beef
• If you want deliveries more than four weeks apart, you’ll need to log in and manually skip

Ollie offers five fresh food recipes, each formulated with ingredients intended to address a particular health concern. Chicken with carrots, for instance, is designed for dogs with a sensitive stomach; beef with sweet potato aims to promote eye health and blood sugar regulation; turkey with blueberries is formulated for a healthier coat and skin; pork with apples may be a good allergy-friendly choice for dogs with food sensitivities; and lamb with cranberries targets immune support and digestion. Ollie’s selection of recipes is particularly enjoyable for pups with picky palates, as many customer reviews highlight how their otherwise fussy eater finishes every last morsel of their meals.

Cory Baldwin, Forbes Vetted executive director, says she finds Ollie’s serving-size instructions easy to follow and the resealable packaging convenient. “I was also shocked to find that some of the recipes actually smelled appetizing, and of course my dog went crazy for the stuff—especially the lamb flavor,” she adds.

Like most fresh dog food delivery services, signing up for an Ollie subscription starts with a quick survey about your pup (spoiler: this includes a question about their poop). Based on your responses, the brand recommends which recipes might be most suitable for your dog, and you can mix up to four different options in each delivery. If you’re looking to supplement your pet’s fresh food with a shelf-stable offering, Ollie also offers baked food in chicken and beef recipes, made with human-grade ingredients.

In addition to treats and supplements that you can add to your order, Ollie also provides virtual digestion, dental and weight screenings for customers’ dogs. Using the Ollie app, you can upload photos for the brand’s team of veterinary experts to review. While we recommend consulting your regular veterinarian when health concerns arise, it’s a unique extra that some pet parents may find helpful. 

Number of options: 6 fresh recipes, 2 baked recipes | Price per day: $1.57 to $3.79 | Frequency: 2 weeks | Shipping: Free | Personalized plans: Yes | AAFCO-compliant: Yes

What you’ll love: 

• Resealable, recyclable lidded containers
• Both fresh and baked food made with human-grade ingredients
• Fresh food has “homemade” texture (not a uniform mush)

Keep in mind:

• Containers are a bit bulky
• Does not meet all of the WSAVA global nutrition guidelines

With six recipe options to choose from, each with a different protein as its base, PetPlate’s fresh food meal plans are an especially good choice for pups with food allergies. The service—which came recommended by several experts I spoke with—makes it easy to vary your dog’s diet with chicken, turkey, venison, lamb, beef and pork formulas. When I adopted my dog, an American bully named Gizmo, over two years ago, he had a few missing patches of fur due to a potential food allergy. I got him started on PetPlate’s venison recipe right away, and his skin and coat issues cleared up quickly; he’s had a full, glossy coat ever since, and no digestive issues of concern. 

While some recipes, like venison and lamb, are slightly more expensive than the other options, you can mix and match as many as you’d like in every delivery, at no extra charge. (For instance, venison is $1 more per 28-ounce container, which serves as a full day’s meal for my 75-pound dog; lamb is 50 cents more and beef and pork are 25 cents more.) PetPlate also offers baked food, as well as the option to add its selection of treats and supplements to your order.

I appreciate how easy the lidded containers make it to store leftovers without worrying about getting dog food all over my fridge; they’re also convenient to travel with. Each recipe has a different-colored lid, so you can quickly tell which is which when you’re moving them out of the freezer to thaw. I particularly appreciate the texture of PetPlate’s food. It’s not a puréed, uniform mush; you can clearly see chunks of meat and other ingredients like green beans, carrots or grains of rice in every container.

Note that the brand does not employ an in-house veterinary nutritionist, but it worked with Dr. Renee Streeter, veterinary nutritionist, as a consultant to create its recipes. And because its food is made in a facility owned by comanufacturers, it doesn’t meet all WSAVA global nutrition guidelines, though PetPlate is AAFCO-compliant.

Number of options: 23 recipes (including 8 “Pantry Fresh” and 2 “JustFresh”) | Price per day: $4.50 to $6 | Frequency: 1 to 12 weeks | Shipping: Free after $49 (dry orders) or $99 (fresh orders) | Personalized plans: Yes | AAFCO-compliant: Yes

What you’ll love: 

• Very wide range of recipes to choose from
• Veterinary prescription diet formulas
• Option to fully customize your meals with an in-house nutrition consultant

Keep in mind:

• Different recipes have different caloric values, so you have to either eyeball serving sizes or use a food scale
• Some recipes are among the pricier options on this list

JustFoodForDogs reigns supreme when it comes to the sheer number of recipe options available for your pup, from fish and sweet potato to venison and squash. (The brand even offers a plant-based recipe with tofu and quinoa, for dogs with many allergies or sensitivities who could benefit from a novel protein.) It’s also one of the only fresh dog food brands that offers prescription diets designed to target issues like kidney or liver disease. Every veterinarian I spoke with recommends JustFoodForDogs, particularly because of its prescription meal selection. The brand also provides individualized nutrition consultations, allowing pet parents to create a truly customized recipe tailored to their dog’s needs.

In addition to its selection of frozen fresh meals, which include recipes to target non-prescription issues like sensitive stomachs, weight loss or joint and skin concerns, JustFoodForDogs carries a line of “Pantry Fresh” meals—shelf-stable formulas made with human-grade ingredients—as well as “Just Fresh” meals, which are also shelf-stable and convenient to travel with. The brand has several brick-and-mortar stores around the country and can be found in-store at select Petco locations too.

I’ve had my senior dog Connie on JustFoodForDogs’ prescription hepatic diet (for liver issues) for the last few months, and she not only eats the frozen fresh version but loves the shelf-stable option too. My dogs have also tried a few of the brand’s recipes in the past and seem to have thoroughly enjoyed each one. Jennifer Bruno, VP of business strategy at Forbes Vetted, feeds JustFoodForDogs to her dog as well. Before transitioning him to the brand’s diet, he often had stomach issues, and she would cook him chicken and rice meals. “Since switching, he’s had no problems and absolutely loves his food,” she says.

Number of options: 4 fresh recipes | Price per day: $2.40 and up | Frequency: 1, 2 or 4 weeks | Shipping: Free ($5 for more than 2 recipes) | Personalized plans: Yes | AAFCO-compliant: Yes

What you’ll love: 

• Sampler pack is available if you’re not ready to subscribe
• Each ingredient is cooked separately for nutritional integrity
• Also available as standalone packages at Chewy and PetSmart 

Keep in mind:

• Questionnaire doesn’t factor in activity level
• Only four proteins available

In the decade since launching, Nom Nom has picked up plenty of loyal customers along the way. As one of the first fresh dog food brands to enter the market, it continues to keep things simple, offering just four recipes: beef, chicken, pork and turkey. Unlike many fresh food services on this list, two of Nom Nom’s recipes include egg, which has high nutritional value but is also a common allergen—so make sure to keep that in mind if your dog has any food sensitivities.

Elliot Vinzon, Forbes senior designer for marketing, creative and design, tried Nom Nom’s subscription service for his pup a couple of years ago at the advice of his vet. “The personalization of the meals felt really premium, and for the price, it made sense.” He primarily stuck with the chicken recipe for his dog, as the beef and pork options gave her stomach issues, and now often picks up frozen packs piecemeal at PetSmart as needed.

One notable thing about how Nom Nom prepares its meals is that every ingredient is cooked separately, rather than all together within the same recipe or alongside other ingredients; this helps maintain each one’s optimal nutritional value. The brand’s recipes are also evaluated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists.

Because all dogs may react differently when presented with a new diet, even after the transition period is over—from persistent digestion issues to simply not being interested  in the food—we appreciate Nom Nom’s trial and refund policies. If you aren’t certain you’re ready to commit to a subscription, it offers the option to purchase a sampler pack to see if it’s the right fit for your pup. And if you aren’t satisfied with its meals for any reason, you can request a full refund of your first order within 30 days. Other offerings from the brand include probiotics and jerky treats that you can add to your order.

Number of options: 32 fresh options (including rolls, meal plan recipes and more) | Price: Varies; 1.5-pound rolls start at $6 each and meal plans start at $2/day | Frequency: 1 to 6 weeks | Shipping: Free (for meal plans) | Personalized plans: Yes | AAFCO-compliant: Yes

What you’ll love: 

• Available in-store across the country
• Affordable price point
• Has recipes targeted to small-breed dogs and different life stages

Keep in mind:

• Not made with human-grade ingredients
• Custom meal plans are limited for dogs with food sensitivities

You may have seen FreshPet rolls stocked in the refrigerator at your local grocery or Petco store—but you can also build a customized meal for your pup directly via FreshPet’s site. The brand offers a wide variety of fresh food, from recipes tailored to seniors and small breeds to formulas featuring proteins like chicken, beef, turkey, fish, bison and egg. FreshPet works with a network of veterinarians, food scientists and researchers to craft its meals and, like all of the fresh food on this list, adheres to AAFCO standards.

FreshPet can be stored in your fridge until its sell-by date, and once opened, should be fed to your pup within seven days. In addition to its food packaged in roll form, the brand also carries a fresh shredded chicken recipe made with carrots, spinach and cranberries. While the rolls and the bagged chicken recipe are more affordable than most of the other options on this list, the pricing of FreshPet’s tailored meal plan, delivered to your door, is on par with—if not a bit less expensive than—most of the services above. Plus, you can try out its meal plan delivery service for a one-week trial before committing. If your dog has a chicken allergy, however, this plan isn’t for you; only three recipes are offered, and all of them include chicken as a primary or secondary ingredient.

One other thing worth noting: While FreshPet’s offerings can be found at Chewy,  Petco and other national retailers online and in-store, some of its recipes have limited availability. For instance, I live in New York City and couldn’t find a few of its recipes (namely its senior diets) in-store in my area, nor were they available online.