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It can be quite tempting to share your snacks and meals with your canine companion.
Those big puppy dog eyes can be quite convincing, but some human foods can be very dangerous to dogs.
The best human foods for dogs include a variety of fruits and vegetables that provide nutritional benefits that your pup needs.
When thinking about feeding your dog a human food snack, you should be focused on selecting organic whole food ingredients.
Processed foods, fatty foods, and sugary foods are not good for dogs. In fact, they're not very good for humans either.
The best human foods for dogs, when fed in moderation, can provide a lot of health benefits and improve your dog’s overall well-being.
You can serve these foods to your dog as snacks in place of highly processed commercial dog treats. You can also mix them with Fido's regular food to improve taste, smell, and nutrient content.
If you have the time, you could even make your own homemade dog food recipes using these ingredients.
This can be particularly helpful for dogs with food allergies, sensitive stomachs, and other diet-related issues.
Just be sure to discuss this dietary change with your veterinarian or a canine nutritionist before making the switch.
8 Best Human Foods for Dogs
1. Pumpkin
Pumpkin is well known as a superfood ingredient for both pets and people. It is often recommended for dogs with digestive issues because it is packed with fiber.
Pumpkin can also benefit a dog's urinary health and is a good source of protein and carbohydrates.
As a nutrient-dense food, pumpkin is loaded with minerals and vitamins but is very low in calories.
Pumpkin is considered a superfood because it provides multiple vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can help with weight loss, cancer prevention, and cholesterol control.
Pumpkin is high in vitamins A, C, and E. It also contains high levels of iron and potassium, which are both essential nutrients for your pet's health.
Due to its high soluble fiber content, pumpkin is great for digestion as well.
2. Cauliflower
Cauliflower for dogs is safe in moderation, but it is known to increase flatulence. Your dog can eat raw or cooked unseasoned cauliflower.
Raw cauliflower offers more nutrients, but cooked is easier for your dog to digest.
3. Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are a great treat and an alternative to regular potatoes in dog foods.
Steamed or boiled, and served in small portions, sweet potatoes are low in fat, high in fiber, and vitamin-rich.
It's one of the best human foods for dogs to support a healthy digestive system.
Potential benefits of sweet potatoes for dogs include protection of eye health, healthier skin, and coat, healthy growth patterns, improved digestive health, improved heart health, reduced risk of degenerative disease, improved immune health, healthy thyroid function, healthy nerve conduction, protection against signs of aging, and protection against cancer.
They are low in fat and contain essential vitamins including B6, C, and A. Check out this easy homemade dog treat recipe with sweet potatoes or this homemade dog food recipe with beef and multiple nutritional vegetables.
My dogs will even chew on chunks of raw sweet potato as a small snack.
4. Broccoli
This superfood for dogs is high in fiber, which aids in healthy digestion and firmer stools. It's also rich in Vitamins C and K, as well as magnesium.
Broccoli contains sodium to help strengthen the nervous and immune systems. It also has folic acid to aid in healthy cell development.
5. Apples
Apples often make a great treat for dogs, and they're a common food to add to homemade dog food meals. When given in moderation, they're a great addition to any dog's diet.
Compared to many other fruits, apples are lower in calories and natural sugar content. They are high in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.
On top of that, apples taste delicious to dogs and most dogs love apples whether raw, cooked, or used in homemade dog food.
Apples are chock-full of nutrition, vitamins, and minerals. They are most well-known for their Vitamin C and Potassium content.
They also contain epicatechin, which may improve muscle and brain function. They are rich in quercetin, which fights cancer, inflammation, depression, and viruses.
Apples contain chlorogenic acid, which lowers blood sugar and helps with weight loss. As you can see, this superfruit is so powerful that it has become one of the most well-studied fruits.
6. Bananas
The flesh of the banana can be given to your dog in moderation, but the banana peel should always be removed.
Due to the high sugar content of bananas and their ability to cause constipation, they should only be given to your pup sparingly in smaller quantities.
Bananas are great for your dog’s digestive health and are rich in fiber and potassium.
They're also beneficial to his heart health, good for reducing high blood pressure, good for boosting iron content in the blood, regulating the heartbeat, improving cognitive health, reducing inflammation, and protecting against and improving symptoms of degenerative diseases.
7. Coconut
Coconut and its oil have been a hot topic in the holistic medicine and holistic veterinary fields recently. It has many proven benefits for humans and dogs.
The husk, shell, and water from the coconut should be disposed of, but the meat and oil of the coconut are safe for dogs to eat.
Coconut is one of the best human foods for dogs to eat because it's been shown to improve immune system health, decrease inflammation throughout the body, improve skin health, improve energy and stamina, improve digestive health, improve symptoms of diabetes, protect against cancer, improve heart health, support healthy thyroid function, protect against urinary tract infections, support kidney health, improve weight loss, and support healthy skin and coat.
8. Blueberries
Blueberries are a superfood for dogs as well as humans. They’re packed with fiber, antioxidants, and a wealth of vitamins.
Many studies have demonstrated the benefits of blueberries, and it's regarded as one of the best fruits/berries to eat, ever.
While blueberries for dogs are safe, you should give them in moderation to avoid stomach upset.
Blueberries are particularly good for boosting the immune system, preventing urinary tract infections, promoting cognitive and neural health, reducing the risk of eye diseases, and curing constipation.
These healthy human foods for dogs should all be served in moderation.
You should also rotate the human foods that you feed your pup to ensure that you're not overloading his diet with the same nutrients and that you're providing variety in his diet.
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