Do you have a special meal on Sunday?
Often during the week, due to busy schedules meals are planned around ‘quick and easy’ – although I do my best to make them nutritious and tasty too. On the weekends however, when I have more time, I enjoy spoiling my family with a lovely Sunday roast, and particularly in the cooler months, some hearty stews, curries, and tasty soups. And, more recently to my delight, my husband has also taken an interest in cooking and baking, so some freshly baked bread or a delicious cake will be on the menu too! This may take a little more planning, but it’s certainly worth it when we all get to sit down together as a family and enjoy communing over the tasty meal.
My dogs get a Sunday lunch too!
Because my dogs are special members of our family – they get the same spoiling on the weekends. I use fresh meat, mixed up with a variety of vegetables and fruit – whatever I have available in the fridge. I also add in some garlic and herbs, and a couple of fresh farm eggs to bind it all together. Then it gets baked in the oven at 170°C for about 30 minutes – just enough to get the juices from the meat and vegetables flowing, without overcooking it and destroying all the healthy vitamins and minerals.
In the summer months when the weather is warmer, I often feed this mixture raw to my dogs, but in the cooler months, I feed it cooked for that extra bit of warming comfort, and my pups do seem to prefer it this way.
It’s usually enough for 2 to 3 days, and then the rest of the week, depending on my time available, I might make something fresh for the day, using fresh or frozen meat and organ meat, some meaty bones and whatever vegetables & carbohydrates we are having that day for our family meal. On other days when time is short, I will feed some pre-prepared frozen/ commercial dog food or even a good quality canned dog food.
It doesn’t have to be complicated
The thing I have learnt over the years of feeding my dogs, is that it doesn’t have to be complicated, and we really can provide our dogs with healthy, balanced meals without going overboard.
Even if you don’t have the time or budget to prepare fresh, raw, or home cooked meals on a daily basis for your dogs – you could do them a huge favour by just giving them a delicious and nutritious home-prepared meal just once a week or when your time allows.
I am convinced that your pups will absolutely love you for it!
If you would like to try cooking a tasty Sunday lunch for your dogs – take a look at Dr. Judy Morgan’s Puploaf. This is basically what I cook up for my dogs on the weekends.
I alternate with whatever fresh meats and vegetables I have available at home, or whatever is in season at the local farmer’s markets or supermarket.
Getting the balance right
If you are concerned about ‘balancing’ your dog’s meals and making sure that your pups are still getting a good intake of calcium, vitamins and minerals when feeding home prepared meals, I recommend adding a supplement such as Vitamin Optimix, RX Canine Minerals or similar.
Here’s the ‘Sunday Pup Loaf’ which I prepared for my dogs today (see image).
There were the ingredients I used:
Turkey meat
Carrots
Curly leaf cabbage
Apple
Cranberries
Celery
Fennel
Garlic and Parsley (fresh)
Shitake mushrooms (frozen)
Muscles (cooked & frozen)
Whole eggs
Enjoy your Weekend!
Take time, to make time, to slow down and enjoy the ‘good things’ in life!