With an overwhelming amount of options on the shelves — and on social media, and on tv, and on and on — it’s hard to know what food is best for your beloved fur baby. Check out these ways to cut through the noise to find safe, high-quality food from a brand you can trust.
Be honest, pet parents: Do you ever have pet food purchase paralysis? Choosing the best food for your best furry friend can be overwhelming. There’s so much choice — and so many gimmicks, trends, and marketing tactics that distract from the bottom line: your pet’s well-being.
Employ the “First 5 Philosophy”
The first step for many savvy pet food shoppers is taking a look at the nutrition label. Like the food you put on your own dinner table, you’ve likely learned to check the first item listed, which represents the most abundant ingredient in the recipe. Keep reading.
Some kibble brands lead with a meat protein — but follow immediately with sub-par sources of protein, fillers like grains or by-products, and preservatives.
In response to this trend, Redbarn, a pet food and treat company founded three decades ago by a pair of animal-adoring best friends, pioneered a “First 5” philosophy: The first five ingredients in their kibble formulas are all high-quality meat proteins.
Lindsay Tracy
VP of Product Development, Redbarn
Lindsay Tracy, Redbarn’s VP of product development, explained, “We maximize the amount of protein-rich ingredients upfront because it’s what dogs instinctively crave — and what supports their best health. By focusing our recipes on real meat, we’re prioritizing muscle maintenance, energy, and overall well-being in every bite.”
Look for three letters that spell food safety
Pet food in the United States is not consistently monitored for quality like human food, which may increase your unease about what’s going into your pet’s bowl. One way pet parents can vet products is to check that the brand is Safe Quality Food certified, a global gold-standard indicating the company’s manufacturing processes meet rigorous requirements for food safety and quality management.
“Safety is at the core of everything we do at Redbarn,” Tracy shared. “Every batch of food and treats undergoes extensive testing for pathogens, nutritional accuracy, and consistency before it ever leaves our facilities. We perform in-house and third-party lab testing across multiple critical checkpoints. This ensures that when a pet parent chooses Redbarn, they’re choosing a product backed by science, safety, and trust.”
Don’t forget flavor, freshness, and fun
Choosing safely produced, high-quality, protein-packed food doesn’t mean compromising on other great aspects of mealtime (and snack time). Tracy encouraged dog parents “to explore the power of variety and freshness in a dog’s diet. Air-dried foods, for example, blend the convenience of dry food with the nutrition of raw, offering a clean, protein-rich solution.”
Consider bringing further balance and variety to your dog’s mealtime with toppers and mix-ins. “Those extra nutrients and flavors can support better digestion, skin and coat health, and overall vitality,” Tracy said. “The more we can personalize and elevate their meals, the more we can help our pets live longer, healthier lives.”
Save room for sustainability
In 1996, Rebarn put its rolled pet food on the market, and has been committed to balancing quality and innovation ever since, most notably with its revolutionary line of air-dried foods. In recent years, that includes an increased focus on sustainability — helping to ensure no part of an animal go to waste with its line of upcycled treats, including bullysticks, collagen, and beef bones.
Redbarn’s founders Jeff Baikie and Howard Bloxam reflected on the root of their innovations and successes: “At the end of the day, we are a hard-working team that loves dogs and cats,” they said. And as pet parents, they know that the sooner you can move away from pet food-decision fatigue, the sooner you’ll have a happy, healthy, and well-fed friend — and the sooner you can both get back to play time.
To learn more and shop the full line of Redbarn’s food, treats, and chews, visit redbarn.com
