How I Build Cyrus’s Fall Dog Food Bowl With Simple Whole Foods

Fall makes homemade dog food especially fun in our house. 🎃🐾 The markets are full of pumpkin, squash, apples and colorful vegetables, and Cyrus is always nearby supervising the kitchen as though he personally hired the chef.

I’ve been preparing homemade food for Cyrus for years. Rather than feeding exactly the same ingredients every day, I like using a variety of simple whole foods and changing some of them with the seasons.

This fall-inspired bowl is a good example of the way I think about his meals.

1. Start With a Protein

Protein is an important part of Cyrus’s meals. Depending on what I’m preparing, I may use cooked turkey, chicken, beef, lamb or another protein.

I cook meat plainly for him without onion, garlic or heavy seasoning.

2. Add Pumpkin or Winter Squash 🎃

Pumpkin is one of my favorite fall ingredients.

I use plain cooked pumpkin or squash, not pumpkin pie filling. It adds beautiful color and is an easy whole-food ingredient to mix into Cyrus’s meals.

Acorn squash, butternut squash and pumpkin can all bring a little autumn into the dog bowl.

3. Add Dog-Friendly Vegetables

Green beans are one of the vegetables I like using in Cyrus’s food.

Depending on the meal, I may also rotate in other dog-friendly vegetables. I prefer cooking or chopping them into manageable pieces rather than making his bowl one giant pile of raw vegetables.

Cyrus would probably file a formal complaint with management. 😂

4. Eggs 🥚

Eggs are another food I sometimes include.

They’re simple, easy to prepare and combine nicely with meat and vegetables. I serve Cyrus cooked egg rather than turning breakfast into a complicated science project.

5. A Little Apple 🍎

Fall and apples belong together.

Cyrus can have small pieces of apple with the core and seeds removed. I use apple as one component of a meal or occasional treat rather than making fruit the main event.

According to Cyrus, of course, anything edible should be the main event.

6. Organ Meats

I also use small amounts of organ meats in Cyrus’s homemade-food rotation.

Organ meats are nutrient-dense, so I think of them differently from ordinary muscle meat rather than simply adding a huge portion to his bowl.

7. Variety Matters

One reason I enjoy preparing Cyrus’s food myself is variety.

His meals can change over time with different proteins, vegetables and other ingredients instead of every bowl looking identical for years.

But there is an important distinction between using wholesome ingredients and creating a nutritionally complete long-term diet.

Dogs need appropriate amounts and proportions of essential nutrients, including minerals, vitamins and fatty acids. A pretty bowl of meat and vegetables does not automatically guarantee those requirements are met.

If homemade food is going to provide most or all of your dog’s diet long-term, work with your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to formulate an appropriate diet for your individual dog.

From My Kitchen to Cyrus’s Bowl ❤️🐾

For me, homemade dog food is about knowing what I’m preparing, using fresh ingredients and paying attention to Cyrus as an individual.

And while I may be thinking about proteins, vegetables and meal preparation, Cyrus has a much simpler philosophy:

Less photography, Mom. More eating.

Fair enough. 😂

This blog shares how I prepare food for Cyrus and is for general educational purposes. Every dog is different. Talk with your veterinarian or a veterinary nutrition professional before making major or long-term changes to your dog’s diet.