7 Homemade Dog Food Meal Prep Hacks That Actually Save Time

You want to home cook for your dog, but figuring out how much to feed, which ingredients to use, and how to balance it all can feel overwhelming.

This is the guide that makes it simple.

Get everything you need to confidently start home cooking, plus FREE access to our Meal Prep Calculator with your Guide purchase to easily calculate ingredient amounts for your dog and batch size.

Turn your freezer into your meal prep assistant.If your recipe uses ingredients like blended vegetables, organ meats, or other recipe-specific nutrient-rich ingredients, portion them into silicone molds and freeze them into ready-to-use cubes.

Once frozen, transfer the cubes into labeled freezer bags with the ingredient, portion size, and date. The next time you meal prep, you can grab exactly what your recipe calls for without measuring everything from scratch.

Just keep in mind that not every nutrient should be treated the same way. Minerals such as calcium, zinc, copper, and iron are generally stable during freezing, while some vitamins can be more sensitive depending on their form and storage time. Fish oils and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids are also vulnerable to oxidation and should be stored according to their specific directions.

Another freezer hack we love? Our Freaky Bombs turn organ meats and other nutrient-rich ingredients into easy, pre-portioned bites you can prep ahead. Try the recipe here.

Need help figuring out how much of each ingredient you'll need when you're making a larger batch? Use our Meal Prep Calculator.

This one requires freezer space, but if you have it: go BIG.

Shopping, setting everything up, chopping ingredients, washing dishes, and cleaning the kitchen can sometimes take almost as much effort as the actual cooking.

Instead of repeating that process every week, consider making several weeks of food at once.

One monster meal prep day could mean you don't have to do another full prep for weeks.

Before scaling up a recipe, make sure you're multiplying every ingredient correctly rather than estimating. This is especially important for ingredients that are included in specific amounts to balance the recipe. Here is a recipe to help you get started.

Our Meal Prep Calculator can help you calculate larger batches without doing all of the math yourself.

Two slow cookers. Two recipes. One prep day.

If you have access to a second slow cooker, put them both to work at the same time.

You can make two different recipes simultaneously, portion everything once it's finished, and stock your freezer with more variety without sacrificing another weekend to meal prep.

No second slow cooker? Borrow one from a friend or family member for your big prep days. 

You probably don't need two taking up cupboard space all month anyway.

Another way to make big meal prep days easier? ChefPaw lets you prep and cook homemade dog food all in one appliance. Learn more about ChefPaw here.

Meal prep day doesn't have to include every step.

If the directions for your recipe and supplements allow it, measure what you'll need for your full batch the day before.

Use our Meal Prep Calculator to determine the total amount needed for the batch, measure everything in bulk, and have it ready to go when you start cooking.

It's one less thing to measure when your kitchen is already covered in cutting boards, vegetables, meat, and approximately 400 dishes.

Bonus Hack: Ask Your Butcher for the Weird Stuff

Okay, technically this makes eight—but this one deserves a spot.

Hearts, gizzards, and other cuts your homemade dog food recipe calls for aren't always sitting neatly in the grocery store display case.

Ask your local butcher what they have available in the back, what they can special order, or what you can purchase in larger quantities.

You may find ingredients you wouldn't otherwise see—and buying larger amounts can make your big meal prep days much easier.

This lick mat is covered in delicious foods that your dog will love! Made with all the classic ingredients like fresh lettuce and protein-packed eggs and fish, a Caesar Salad lick mat is a unique way to add something new to your dog's diet. The Caesar Salad Lick Mat for Dogs is not only a tasty snack but also promotes mental enrichment by encouraging your pup to spend time licking and exploring the mat's surface.