| Country of origin | Australia |
| Available from | Pet Circle |
Feed for Thought dog food rides a new wave of insect protein rather than traditional protein sources. It’s “Grubs for Dogs” in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here style, but when I put this food in front of my dog she had no problems with yuck factor and gobbled it up in seconds.
Research shows insect meal scores well in terms of amino acids for both dogs and cats, and we can assume highly digestible compared to corn protein used in other expensive brands (cough cough, Royal Canin). Insect protein is also hypoallergenic, so should work well if your dog’s suffering itchy skin or rashes on whatever you’re currently feeding.
Feed for Thought is also environmentally friendly, so if you want to save the planet this may give you that warm and fuzzy feeling, and it’s a much better option than gluing your hands to a busy freeway.
But at $25/kilo, is this worth the money? At the time of writing that’s the same cost as Australian grass fed diced beef in Woolies.
Feed for Thought review
What the marketing says
Let’s get the gruesome part out of the way – Feed for Thought is made using Black soldier fly larvae. Please don’t let that put you off, as it won’t put off your dog. I actually think it’s clever, and I think we’ll see insect protein become more the rule rather than the exception in years to come.
According to the marketing, the benefits of using such a protein source means less waste, less gas, and a need for far less land than other animal farming. We’re also told Black soldier fly larvae has “everything your dog needs to stay strong, healthy and happy”.
It’s a very smart way of producing a dog food. When you consider how harsh factory farming is for other animals, when it comes to insects it’s much easier for them to be grown in a more natural environment, being fed with a more natural food source.
In the case of Black soldier flies, that found source is food waste, which means they’re essentially helping the environment by recycling what would otherwise end up being disposed. From further research this seems to be mostly barley spent grains (from brewing) and carrots, processed at Future Green Solutions in WA.
It’s hard for me to write about fly larvae in a glamorous way, but there’s some interesting reading on the Feed for Thought website.
What the ingredients really say
Being a dry food the protein source is only part of the formula. Black fly larvae is listed first on the ingredients, but it’s still possible the next ingredients are just as significant. We find these to be sorghum, oats, and peas.
Assuming the first four ingredients make up most of the formula, the reality is the black fly larvae probably isn’t as significant as you may think.
Protein is a very respectable 30%, but fat sits a little low for my liking at 10%. Low fat may sound good to us in terms of a human diet, but dogs metabolise quality animal fats for nutrients and energy.
I estimate carbs to be around 42%, which further suggests the amount of sorghum and oats as carbohydrate ingredients. That said, these aren’t bad choices, and I consider oats one of the better grains to feed a dog.
There are only four more remaining ingredients, so it’s a relatively simple formula. We find Yeast (which I expect to be Brewers Yeast) which will be added for B vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, and magnesium. Omega fatty acids are included for heart, joint health, and wellbeing.
The last two ingredients aren’t anything to rave about.
I’ve always had a gripe with ambiguous ingredients such as natural flavours, and I’m sure you would agree all dog food labels should be completely transparent with ingredients? In other pet foods this would likely be animal digest or tallow, but for Feed for Thought they do specify this ingredient is “non-meat”. Well that narrows it down….
The last ingredient is essential vitamins and minerals. Some premium dog foods list vitamins and minerals individually, sometimes with chelated minerals as a more beneficial form. That’s not the case here, and when I see such a generic term I assume what’s known as a vitamin pack or premix, likely sourced from overseas.
Is Feed for Thought worth feeding to your dog?
Feed for Thought is certainly food for thought, and it may be worth adding to a rotational diet to offer your dog a bit of variety. I always consider variety a good thing, and insect protein definitely ticks that box.
I have to say I find the ingredients “better than average” rather than exceptional, which is why this doesn’t make the best rated list.
That said, it’s high protein (which is good) and hypoallergenic (which is good), so perhaps worth a try?
Have you tried Feed for Thought? Let me know in the comments!
Where to buy Feed for Thought dog food
Ingredients
Ingredients of Feed for Thought dry dog food:
Black soldier fly larvae, wholegrain sorghum, rolled oats, field peas, yeast, omega 3 and 6 poly-unsaturated fatty acids, natural flavours (non-meat), essential vitamins and minerals.
Guaranteed analysis
Guaranteed analysis of Feed for Thought dry dog food:
| Protein | (min) 30% |
| Fat | (min) 10% |
| Crude Fibre | (max) 5% |
| Carbohydrates * | (estimated) 42% |
