‘Yuppie’ health trend sees owners serving their pets quinoa and coconut
Pet food trends are following their owners’ tastes away from meat and toward wholesome vegetables and ancient grains
Bringing new meaning to the words “I wouldn’t serve that to my dog”, pet food trends are following their owners’ tastes away from meat and toward wholesome vegetables and ancient grains.
The trend originated in the US where wealthy dog-owners have made the switch to “premium, human-grade food that is organic, minimally processed, slow-cooked and loaded with previously niche ingredients like coconut, turmeric and cardamom,” says The Los Angeles Times.
Blue Buffalo, a relatively new brand that bills its products as “farm-to-table inspired canine cuisine”, is now the second most popular dog food brand in the US.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“People want to feed their dogs upscale, yuppie diets rather than buying dog chow,” said Will Draper, veterinary contributor to WebMD. “Otherwise, they feel like they’re cheating their dogs.”
The rise is not just beneficial to their owner’s peace of mind, “dogs aren’t wolves, after all,” says Bloomberg. They’re omnivores, Anna-Kate Shoveller, an assistant professor of animal biosciences at the University of Guelph, told the broadcaster. “They do quite well on a vegetable-based or a lower-protein diet,” she said.
People are also opting for a “grain-free diet for their pets, mirroring their own habits, and many meals contain quinoa instead,” says The Times.
But vets in the UK “have advised against introducing dieting fads that could deprive dogs of vital nutrients or cause digestion problems,” adds the paper.
Emma Milne, who appeared on the BBC programme Vets in Practice, said there was no evidence to suggest that dogs should not eat grains.
“Dogs have evolved alongside us to eat carbohydrates. There is a big movement towards grain-free in dog foods and it is pretty unfounded.
“The most dangerous diet fad is the feeding of raw foods and diets high in meat. These are a big public health risk for the spread of salmonella and campylobacter and also many of them are very unbalanced and can be disastrous.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Voters know Biden and Trump all too well'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Is the Gaza war tearing US university campuses apart?
Today's Big Question Protests at Columbia University, other institutions, pit free speech against student safety
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
DOJ settles with Nassar victims for $138M
Speed Read The settlement includes 139 sexual abuse victims of the former USA Gymnastics doctor
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Experts discover why dogs wag their tails
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Investigation into 'oldest ever dog' award
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'Dirty work' to retrieve cash eaten by a dog
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Penile fracture risk higher over Christmas
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Cats have 249 more facial expressions than dogs
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Row over pole-dancing skeleton
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Kent locals thought it was 'the end of the world'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published