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Wholemade Whole Grain Chicken
The Honest Kitchen

Wholemade Whole Grain Chicken

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $14.99 Data verified from brand site

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

The Honest Kitchen Wholemade Whole Grain Chicken is a dry food that features chicken as its main protein source.

This formula includes quality fat sources, like marine oil, which provides beneficial EPA and DHA. It also uses quality carbohydrate sources and clearly declares its fiber content, which is good for digestion.

The main thing to watch out for is the protein quality. The chicken in this formula delivers limited bioavailable amino acids, which means it might not be as easily absorbed by your dog.

Good fit for dogs needing quality fats and carbs. Less ideal if you are looking for a food with highly bioavailable protein.

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

Who this is for

For Labrador Retrievers with suspected cutaneous adverse food reactions, a strict elimination diet trial must last a minimum of 8 weeks to reliably diagnose or rule out a food-based trigger. Strong fit for adult Labrador Retrievers navigating skin allergies. The protein deck is built around a single species (chicken). Zinc is essential for skin immunity and healing; the NRC (2006) established a recommended allowance of 20 mg of zinc per 1000 kcal ME for adult dogs at maintenance  (NRC, 2006) .

Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with skin allergies ? 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.

Why this score

At 60/100, this formula lands in solid B territory. The lift comes from fat quality, worth 12 points to the final number: Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). Where it lost ground: protein quality, costing 16.5 points. Low protein quality. chicken delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.

What lifted the score

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.

CQI

AAFCO formulation inferred from declared not stated. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.

ACF
What pulled it down

Low protein quality. chicken delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.

PQI
What sets this apart
  • Bottom 1% for crude fiber in The Honest Kitchen's lineup (4.3% DMB)
  • Bottom quartile for DMB protein in The Honest Kitchen's lineup (26.6%)
  • Bottom quartile for protein quality in The Honest Kitchen's lineup (8.5/27)

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
Whole Grain Chicken Whole Food Clusters
The Honest Kitchen

Whole Grain Chicken Whole Food Clusters

69

Scores 9 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
The Honest Kitchen Human Grade Essential Clusters Whole Grain Chicken Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag
The Honest Kitchen

The Honest Kitchen Human Grade Essential Clusters Whole Grain Chicken Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag

58

$3.92/lb vs your seed's $15.99/lb (75% 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: 27% ⓘ
Protein
24.5%
min (as fed)
Fat
14%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4%
max (as fed)
Moisture
8%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

28 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken

    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.

  2. 2
    barley

    Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.

    Position 2: major carbohydrate source.

  3. 3
    potato

    Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.

    Position 3: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  4. 4
    flaxseed

    Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.

    Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.

  5. 5
    oats

    Whole grain. Steady energy, soluble fiber, and well-tolerated by most dogs.

    Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.

  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
    carrots

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

    Position 7: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  8. 8
    tricalcium phosphate

    Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.

  9. 9
    parsley

    Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.

  10. 10
    bananas
  11. 11
    celery

    Real vegetable. Mostly water and a little fiber. Decorative more than nutritional in the amounts used.

    Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  12. 12
    minerals
  13. 13
    taurine

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

  14. 14
    vitamins
  15. 15
    dried kelp

    Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.

  16. 16
    salt

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

  17. 17
    fish oil

    Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.

  18. 18
    choline chloride. vitamin e supplement
  19. 19
    vitamin b12 supplement

    Essential for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Plant ingredients lack B12, so it has to be added.

  20. 20
    calcium pantothenate

    Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.

  21. 21
    vitamin d3 supplement

    The active form of vitamin D dogs need. Required for calcium absorption and bone health.

  22. 22
    thiamine mononitrate

    B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.

  23. 23
    riboflavin . potassium chloride
  24. 24
    iron amino acid chelate

    Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.

  25. 25
    zinc amino acid chelate

    Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.

Showing first 25 of 28. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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