Natural Choice Puppy Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe is a dry food for large breed puppies, featuring chicken as its main protein.
This recipe offers good protein quality, with chicken providing a solid amino acid profile. It also includes quality fat sources, like named chicken fat and marine oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. The carbohydrate sources are also considered quality, providing fermentable fiber.
Nothing concerning in the deck. The formula does not contain any ingredients our methodology flags as problematic.
Good fit for large breed puppies. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
The genetic mutation (DNM1) for Exercise-Induced Collapse is present in Labrador Retrievers with a carrier frequency of 32.1% and an affected frequency of 4.4% in a study of 4,000 dogs. Good fit for puppy Labrador Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds. Chicken leads the deck at position 1, 29% DMB protein, 396 kcal/cup.
Looking at this for puppy Labrador Retrievers ? 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- McGreevy et al., 2018lifespan · mortality · ear health· cited in 3 claims
- AAFCO, 2024puppy nutrition
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 68/100, this formula lands in solid B territory. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 18.5 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. Secondary contribution comes from fat quality (+12 points). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). The 7-point gap to the A-tier line is concentrated in protein quality (18.5 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Lowest crude fiber in Nutro's lineup (3.3% DMB)
- Top quartile for caloric density in Nutro's lineup (396 kcal/cup)
- Bottom quartile for DMB fat in Nutro's lineup (15.6%)
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.
Nutro Natural Choice Adult Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
Scores 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Nutro Max Puppy Large Breed Farm-Raised Chicken Recipe Natural Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
$2.20/lb vs your seed's $2.50/lb (12% less) at a comparable score.
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 animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6brewers rice
Broken rice kernels left over from milling, usually destined for human beer-making. Cheaper than whole or even white rice. Same carbs, less nutrition than the brown version. See why →
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7protein plantpea protein
Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.
Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9dried plain beet pulp
Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →
Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 10othernatural flavors
Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.
- 11legumepeas
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 11. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 13: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 14fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 14. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 15mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 16supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 17mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 18chia seed
Plant source of omega-3 and fiber. Like flaxseed, useful in trace amounts.
- 19dried coconut
- 20dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
- 21dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
- 22vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
- 23dried kale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
- 24dried spinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 25supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
Showing first 25 of 47. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.