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In Partnership with The Pets Table.
It wasn’t too long after I started my own health journey that I had a jump-scare realization that my half-corgi, half-flat coated retriever, full-human spirit dog Henry should probably be on a similar diet as me.
With no clear guidelines other than deep, dark Reddit threads and an idiotic western vet, I was scrambling to figure out what he needed to be “well” (which included adding excessive amounts of beef gelatin, sardines, probiotics, and fish oil to his food). After multiple failed experiments and digestive disasters that can’t be re-lived or repeated, I found a holistic vet, who launched me into the natural, whole foods movement for Mr. Henry (his name according to everyone who meets him).
Although I’ve seen huge improvements in his life quality, vitality, and health overall over the past four years, preparing his food at home is basically a full-time job—one that you pay a lot for, but somehow never pays you back. Enter: The Pets Table.
From the minds of three long-time HelloFreshers—Laurent Guillemain, Anisha Chandra, and Dovas Zakas—The Pets Table sought to expand upon HelloFresh’s mission of “changing the way just people eat” to ensure their furry companions were also included.
For two weeks, I switched up Henry’s routine with The Pets Table’s Mixed Meal Plan. Here’s what I can’t stop barking about (Henry too, but he can’t type).
We like
- The Pets Table has a Board-Certified Vet Nutritionist® with whom they work to formulate their products
- All meals are made with wholesome, high-quality, well-sourced ingredients
- All recipes have been formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO (the Association of American Feed Control Officials)
- Ordering through The Pets Table cuts down any food prep time by 90%
- Recipes + formulations set pets up for optimal nutrition and longevity vs. mainstream kibble
We don't like
- Fussy/ more sensitive pups might not have particular needs or preferences addressed with Pets Table’s menu options.
A Bowl-In-One
As someone with a “I can just do it myself!” attitude, I was overwhelmed when The Pets Table box arrived at my front doorstep. “How will I measure everything?! What’s ⅝ of a cup divided in half?! Can I add Henry’s other supplements to the meal?!” were thoughts that raced through my mind (out loud, obviously).
After breathing and regrounding, I realized that The Pets Table had provided me with absolutely everything I was going to need for the next two weeks, including a wet food container, a cute bandana, a custom meal plan, and instructions that were so easy to follow, a dog could do it!
Given that Henry is allergic to chicken, I opted for the Beef Stew With Carrots and Turkey Casserole With Broccoli alongside the Beef & Berries air-dried recipe. As per The Pets Table’s instructions, I weaned Henry off of his usual food routine and onto his new Mixed Plan for the next week. Side note: Because Henry has already been eating whole-food nutrition for several years now, I think he was able to successfully transition over a shorter period of time.
Henry looooooovvvvvveeeed it. Every morning and every evening, he’d sit in the kitchen as I’d prepare his food and would scream-bark at me until his breakfast or dinner was made.
I also looooooovvvvvveeeed how easy (scream-barking aside) it was to prepare his food because his usual routine takes me five-to-10 minutes in the AM and PM. Now before you stare at me and say, “You’re insane. Why?” Let me break it down: Yes, it’s wonderful for dogs to eat food made of whole-food ingredients that are minimally processed, if not completely unprocessed. However, a diet of “complete nutritional value” can’t be achieved with just food alone. Oftentimes, dogs require vitamins and minerals to be added to ensure they’re getting everything they need.
I was relieved to see that The Pets Table —on top of using a list of ingredients that look like they could be served on my own dinner plate—adds a selection of vitamins and minerals, as well as a postbiotic to support gut health. This ensures that each recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.
After two weeks, I noticed Henry had even more pep in his step (which matters because he’s almost 13 years old) and looked trim as ever. His coat? *Chef’s kiss*. There was not a moment that I could get near the fridge or pantry that he wasn’t following me around, insisting that I feed him more immediately.
The whole process was incredibly seamless. Even the defrosting of the fresh food packs only took half a day vs. my usual Tupperware® defrosting, which can take up to two days, leaving me sh*t out of luck if I don’t plan far enough in advance. And the measuring? Literally not even a thing.
Dog Food Dilemmas
By now, you’re likely familiar with the idea of “Big Food” in our society, which consists of large, behemoth corporations who mass produce our food—usually cheaping out on quality ingredients, sourcing synthetic, carcinogenic ones instead. It’s no wonder the US has such terrible health outcomes!
The same is true for “Big Pet Food.” Among most western-trained vets and in US society, kibble isn’t offered as the “best” option for your dog, it’s offered as the “only” option. Having been around since the 1950s, kibble has become a mainstay for canine diets, advertised as “healthy, complete, and balanced.” However, the goal of kibble when it was created was just to be shelf-stable, manufactured at scale, and on the cheap. Co-Founder and CEO Laurent Guillemain said, “Kibble is produced by extruding at very high temperatures, which means that the nutrients are often destroyed… and don’t even get me started on the ingredients.”
The Pets Table Co-Founder and CMO, Dovas Kakas, explained to me that “The Dog Food industry as we know it was built with cost efficiency in mind, meaning our dogs’ health and longevity are not the top priority. Corners are cut, and the result is a highly-processed, carb-concentrated product that’s sold at mass scale.” Moreover, large corporations rely on fillers, highly-processed meats (can you tell me what “chicken meal” is?), and are covered with a layer of palatants that trick dogs into believing it’s real food.
Many pet owners rely heavily on kibble as the easiest, “healthiest” option, insisting that their dogs do “just fine” on the dry food, but long-term, the unpronounceable long list of ingredients of most kibble brands can potentially lead to chronic inflammatory illness or disease in our pets. Not my Henry!!
Will Wag for The Pets Table
With so many fresh-food delivery services out there for one’s dog, you might be wondering what makes The Pets Table so discerningly unique.
Most notably, The Pets Table has a Board-Certified Vet Nutritionist® on staff to ensure all products are held to the highest industry standards (which is a BFD, given that there are only about 100 DACVIMs in the US). The Pets Table’s Vet Nutritionist®, Dr. Sarah Wilson, DVM, DACVIM, shared, “Providing high-quality complete and balanced nutrition in a wholesome, minimally processed diet is something that The Pets Table does for your dog in a paw-licking delicious way by ensuring that our food meets nutritional requirements established for dogs with expert formulation, excellent processing standards, and quality assurance!”
The Pets Table also acknowledges that feeding your dog the best-quality nutrition shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. Co-Founder and Head of Product + Operations Anisha Chandra explained that their Air-Dried recipes are 40% more affordable than most Fresh options out there, and it doesn’t sacrifice nutritional value. “With Air-Dried, the main difference is that instead of cooking, we reduce moisture in an air-drying oven. The result is a healthy, shelf-stable option that rivals kibble and can be easily mixed with our Fresh plan.”
A Round of Appaws
As the world of nutrition moves into a more holistic direction, it is no surprise that people (myself included) are giving more consideration towards a “food-as-medicine” approach—whether that’s for themselves or their furry BFFs.
The Pets Table has the gusto and infrastructure of HelloFresh, but maintains and overall ethos of intimacy and #SmallBusinessVibes throughout the process. When it comes to my Henry, feeling like his needs are truly accounted for is of the utmost importance to me.
