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Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag
Nulo

Freestyle Grain-Free Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $3.46/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food is a dry formula with turkey and salmon as its main protein sources.

This formula features a strong protein profile, with turkey as the first ingredient, offering high biological value. It also uses quality named fat sources like chicken fat, and pairs fresh turkey with turkey meal for a solid protein architecture.

The formula does contain high legume stacking, with multiple pulse-family ingredients like chickpeas and peas appearing in the top 15. This is somewhat mitigated by the presence of taurine supplementation or organ meat.

Good fit for adult dogs who thrive on a high-protein, grain-free diet. Less ideal if you prefer formulas without significant legume content.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

Good fit for adult French Bulldogs and similar lower-energy companion breeds navigating a sensitive stomach. Working in its favor: prebiotic fiber (chicory or FOS) for gut health. Turkey leads at position 1, but 4 stacked proteins make isolating triggers harder. What we'd flag: multiple protein sources stacked (harder to isolate triggers). Frenchies have notoriously sensitive GI tracts plus a tendency toward obesity given their low activity needs. Limited-ingredient formulas with moderate calorie density tend to fit them well.

Looking at this for adult French Bulldogs or French Bulldogs with a sensitive stomach ? 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

Methodology

The Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.

Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

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 (+24.5 points): Strong protein profile with turkey as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. What we'd flag for vet discussion: controversial-ingredient penalty (-2 points). Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10.

What lifted the score

Strong protein profile with turkey as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.

FQI

Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.

STACK
What pulled it down

Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..

CIP
What sets this apart
  • Top 5% for overall Sniff Score in grain-free dry kibbles (75/100)
  • Bottom 10% for crude fiber in Nulo's lineup (4.4% DMB)
  • Top 4% for protein quality in dry kibbles (24.5/27)

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.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
Nulo Challenger Puppy & Adult Gamebird Quarry Duck, Turkey & Guinea Fowl Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Nulo

Nulo Challenger Puppy & Adult Gamebird Quarry Duck, Turkey & Guinea Fowl Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag

82

Scores 7 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Chicken, Oats, & Turkey Recipe High-Protein Adult Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Nulo

Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Chicken, Oats, & Turkey Recipe High-Protein Adult Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag

77

$2.80/lb vs your seed's $3.46/lb (19% less) at a comparable score.

Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 37% ⓘ
Protein
33%
min (as fed)
Fat
18%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

46 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    turkey

    Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.

    Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.

  2. 2
    turkey meal

    Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →

    Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.

  3. 3
    salmon meal

    Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →

    Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.

  4. 4
    chickpeas

    Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

    Position 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.

  5. 5
    sweet potato

    Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.

    Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  6. 6
    peas

    Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

    Position 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.

  7. 7
    chicken fat

    Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →

    Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.

  8. 8
    trout

    Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  9. 9
    pea fiber

    Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.

    Position 9. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.

  10. 10
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  11. 11
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  12. 12
    dried tomatoes

    Real fruit. Lycopene and trace antioxidants. Different from tomato pomace, which is the fiber byproduct.

  13. 13
    yeast culture

    Fermented yeast. Source of B vitamins and beta-glucans that some research suggests support immune function.

  14. 14
    dl-methionine

    Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.

  15. 15
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  16. 16
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  17. 17
    dried chicory root

    Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.

  18. 18
    taurine

    Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.

  19. 19
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  20. 20
    dried apples

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

  21. 21
    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

  22. 22
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

  23. 23
    zinc proteinate

    Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.

  24. 24
    zinc sulfate

    Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.

  25. 25
    l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate

    A stable form of vitamin C used in pet food. Provides antioxidant support and survives processing better than plain ascorbic acid.

Showing first 25 of 46. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.