Homemade food for overweight dogs: hake with green beans
Light homemade food for overweight dogs: hake, green beans, zucchini and potato. About 70 kcal per 100 g, plenty of volume and the protein he needs.
- Time
- 40 min + 10 min resting
- Makes
- About 1.3 kg / 2.9 lb (a little over 2 days for a dog with an ideal weight of 10 kg / 22 lb)
- Type
- Main meal
- Difficulty
- Easy
- 43 % hake, boneless
- 26 % green beans
- 17 % peeled potato
- 13 % zucchini
Follows THE RULE. All 6 ingredients are on our safe list: nothing that could harm your dog.
This homemade dog food for overweight dogs has about 70 kcal per 100 g, almost half as much as a regular homemade recipe, thanks to hake, a white fish with barely 1 % fat, and a good amount of green beans and zucchini. Your dog gets a full bowl that is high in protein, which is what helps him lose fat without losing muscle, and you do not have to leave his bowl half empty.
Everything cooks in the same pot in just under half an hour: first the potato, then the green beans and zucchini, and the hake last, steamed over the vegetables. You end up with a moist dish of white flakes and green that fills him up. It is a good alternative to the turkey and sweet potato recipe for dieting dogs that prefer fish or get tired of always eating the same thing.
Why it works
Hake provides a lot of protein with very few calories, which helps preserve muscle mass while your dog loses fat. Green beans and zucchini add volume, water and fiber, which fill the stomach and make the feeling of fullness last longer. Cooked potato provides just enough energy so the diet is not too aggressive. Eggshell balances the calcium, and a small dose of salmon oil provides omega-3 without sending the calories up.
Talk to your vet first. Before you start, ask your vet to confirm your dog's ideal weight and rule out causes such as hypothyroidism, especially if he has gained weight without eating more.
Step by step
Boil the potato
Put the potato in a large pot with 1 liter (about 4 cups) of unsalted water and boil for 8 minutes from when it comes to a boil.
Add the vegetables
Cut the green beans into 2 cm (¾ inch) pieces and add them to the pot along with the zucchini. Cook until the beans are tender but not falling apart.
Steam the hake
Place the hake in a steamer basket or metal colander over the pot, cover and steam it over the vegetables until it is opaque in the center.
Flake it and check for bones
Flake the hake with your fingers and check every flake in case any bones are left.
Mix in the calcium
Drain the vegetables (keep a little of the water in case you need it) and mix them with the hake. Sprinkle in the eggshell while you stir and let it cool to lukewarm.
Weigh each portion
Weigh the daily portion on a kitchen scale, based on your dog's ideal weight and not his current weight, and divide it into two or three meals. Add the salmon oil when serving.
How much should I feed?
Approximate daily portion for a "spayed or neutered adult" profile. Split it into two meals (three or four for puppies).
— g a day
| Weight | 3 kg | 5 kg | 10 kg | 15 kg | 20 kg | 30 kg | 40 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grams/day | 370 | 545 | 915 | 1,240 | 1,540 | 2,085 | 2,590 |
Puppy, senior, very active or on a diet? Calculate the exact portion.
- Energy
- 69 kcal/100 g
- Protein
- 43 % dry matter
- Fat
- 5 % dry matter
- Calcium:phosphorus
- 1.4 : 1
Values estimated from the ingredients (BEDCA/USDA data). An everyday meal. To feed it daily as the only food, add a vitamin and mineral supplement for homemade diets.
Storage
Fridge: up to 2 days, because it is fish. Freezer: up to 2 months, in pre-weighed one-day portions, which is the easiest way to manage a diet. Thaw in the fridge and serve lukewarm.
If you don't have…
- You cannot find hake
- Fresh cod (never salt cod), in the same amount
- Your dog does not tolerate fish
- Turkey breast in the same amount, diced and boiled
- You want fewer carbs
- Swap the potato for pumpkin in the same amount; the recipe ends up even lighter
Cooking tips
- Work out the portion from your dog's ideal weight, not his current weight: the chart on this page and the portion calculator give you a starting figure, and your vet fine-tunes it.
- Weigh him every two weeks at the same time of day. A reasonable pace is losing 1 to 2 % of his body weight per week.
- Treats count too: no more than 10 % of the day's calories. A few cucumber slices or cooked green beans make almost calorie-free treats.
- To use it as his daily diet he needs a vitamin and mineral supplement for homemade diets; on a weight-loss diet it is even more important, because he eats less food overall.
Safety
- Do not cut his food drastically all at once: losing weight too fast costs muscle and, in very obese dogs, can cause other problems.
- If he has gained weight without eating more, or is very tired and seeks out warmth, have your vet rule out hypothyroidism before you start.
- Check the hake for bones flake by flake.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my dog is overweight?
Run your hands over his ribs: in a dog at his ideal weight you can feel them easily under a thin layer of fat, without seeing them stick out. Seen from above he should have a waist behind the ribs, and from the side, a tucked-up belly. If it is hard to feel his ribs or there is no waist, he is probably overweight. Your vet can confirm it with the body condition score.
Is hake good for dogs that need to lose weight?
Yes, hake is one of the best proteins for a dog on a diet: it has about 76 kcal per 100 g and barely 1 % fat, so it provides plenty of protein with very few calories. Always give it cooked, with no salt and no bones. Combined with vegetables such as green beans, it lets you serve full bowls with few calories.
Can I give treats to a dog on a diet?
Yes, but count them: treats should not exceed 10 % of the day's calories, and on a weight-loss diet it is best to subtract them from his portion. Use very low-calorie treats, such as cucumber slices, cooked green beans or small pieces of his own food, and save the higher-calorie ones for training.
How long does it take for a dog to lose weight?
Losing 1 to 2 % of his body weight per week, which is the recommended pace, a dog that needs to lose 15 % takes about three or four months. If he plateaus for two weeks in a row, review treats and portions with your vet before cutting back further. Losing weight faster is not worth it: he loses muscle.
What's in it, in detail
If they liked it, try
Special needs
Homemade dog food for weight loss: turkey with sweet potato and green beans
40 minMain meal
The fridge list
The foods your dog can eat, can have in moderation and must never eat, on a single printable page.