Freestyle Beef Recipe with Apples Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food, 18-oz bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Nulo Freestyle Beef Recipe with Apples is a freeze-dried raw dog food, featuring beef, beef heart, and beef liver as its main protein sources.
This food has a strong protein profile, with beef, beef heart, and beef liver providing high biological value. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber, and good fat sources like named fat with marine oil for EPA and DHA.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for dogs of any life stage, especially those who thrive on a high-protein, raw-inspired diet. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for adult Labrador Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating weight management. Working in its favor: crude fiber (6%) helps satiety. At 195 kcal/cup this formula runs on the lean side, with crude fiber at 6% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. The 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines define overweight as a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 6-7 on a 9-point scale. A score of 8 or 9 indicates obesity, representing 20-30% and >30% above ideal body weight, respectively (Brooks et al., 2014) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 5 claims
- APOP, 2023prevalence
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Strong grade. 75/100 (A) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+20 points): Strong protein profile with beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The supporting beat: carbohydrate quality (+15 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Strong protein profile with beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Bottom 2% for caloric density in Nulo's lineup (195 kcal/cup)
- Top 3% for overall Sniff Score in grain-free freeze-dried foods (75/100)
- Top 10% for carb quality in grain-free freeze-dried foods (15/16)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Grain-Free Great Plains Red Recipe Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 20-lb bag
$4.25/lb vs your seed's $43.55/lb (90% less) at a comparable score.
Primal Kibble in the Raw Recipe Non-GMO Freeze-Dried Puppy Food, 24-oz bag
Chicken instead of beef, 4 points lower, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalbeef
Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalbeef heart
Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 3protein animalbeef liver
Organ meat. Among the most nutrient-dense ingredients available, rich in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A.
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4beef kidneys
Position 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5ground beef bone
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7vegetablebroccoli
Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.
Position 7: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 8vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 8: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 9carrot
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, antioxidants. Same as carrots, sometimes singular on labels.
- 10vegetablekale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 11vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 12supplementparsley
Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.
- 13fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
Position 13: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 14apple cider vinegar
- 15fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
Position 15: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 16fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
- 17mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 18fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
- 19supplementdried kelp
Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.
- 20fiberinulin
Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.
- 21probioticdried bacillus coagulans fermentation product
Probiotic strain. More heat-stable than lactobacillus, which means more of it likely survives kibble processing.
- 22mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 23mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 24mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 25preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
Showing first 25 of 29. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.