Nutra-Nuggets Dog Food Review 2025: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Review Summary

Nutra-Nuggets is a brand of dog food created and manufactured by Diamond Pet Food. It has two main lines of food—its US pet food line and global pet food, available in about 60 different countries. Regarding the US pet food line, options are limited compared to other large pet food brands. You can find a few adult dog food recipes and one puppy food recipe.

Due to the limited number of recipes, Nutra-Nuggets isn’t the best fit for dogs with food allergies and special diet requirements. However, the affordable prices make it an excellent option for dog owners looking for a reliable, budget-friendly brand.

Overall, Nutra-Nuggets is a viable option for healthy and young dogs with no particular dietary restrictions. Its recipes don’t contain outstanding, premium ingredients, but they’re still a great deal and sufficiently meet the daily nutritional needs of average dogs.

At a Glance: The Best Nutra-Nuggets Dog Food Recipes

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Most Popular		Nutra-Nuggets Beef Meal & Pea Formula	For all life stages Affordable grain-free recipe Formula has probiotics and antioxidants	Check Price
		Nutra-Nuggets Lamb Meal & Rice	Gentle formula for sensitive stomachs Safe for dogs with beef allergies Formula supports joint health	Check Price
		Nutra-Nuggets Professional	High-protein diet Supports healthy skin and coat Supplements immune system & digestive health	Check Price
		Nutra-Nuggets Performance	Helps to maintain stamina Proper balance of omega fatty acids Supports overall health	Check Price
		Nutra-Nuggets Puppy	Made for puppies Also for nursing dogs Balance ingredients	Check Price

Nutra-Nuggets Dog Food Reviewed

Who Makes Nutra-Nuggets and Where Is It Produced?

Nutra-Nuggets belongs to Diamond Pet Foods. It’s unclear where all the ingredients are sourced, and the recipes are manufactured. However, Diamond Pet Foods has facilities in Arkansas, California, Kansas, Missouri, and South Carolina.

Which Type of Dog Is Nutra-Nuggets Best Suited For?

Nutra-Nuggets’ US line currently produces six dog food recipes. For special diets, it has one grain-free recipe, two high-performance recipes, and one puppy recipe. The grain-free recipe contains beef, which is a common food allergen for dogs. So, it’s not the most hypoallergenic formula.

Most healthy and young dogs can enjoy Nutra-Nuggets. All recipes meet AAFCO pet food regulations, so dogs will get all their daily nutritional needs met if they only eat Nutra-Nuggets as their main meal.

Which Type of Dog Might Do Better with a Different Brand?

Since there’s a lack of variety, dogs with sensitive stomachs and food allergies are most likely unable to eat Nutra-Nuggets recipes. If your dog has a sensitive stomach, you’ll find many more options with Purina Pro Plan or Hill’s Science Diet.

Nutra-Nuggets also doesn’t sell any wet food. So, it’s not a viable option for dogs with difficulty chewing kibble. Dog food brands with many wet food recipes include Merrick and Blue Buffalo.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

Nutra-Nuggets uses a lot of the same ingredients in its dog food. You’ll find a lot of the following ingredients in multiple recipes.

Real Beef

A few of Nutra-Nuggets’ dog food uses real beef as the first ingredient. Beef is a popular meat for dog food because many dogs like the flavor, and it’s an excellent source of protein and some essential minerals, particularly iron. Beef also contains a high volume of taurine, which is an essential amino acid that dogs can’t synthesize on their own.

Meat Meal

Contrary to popular belief, meat meal isn’t a harmful ingredient in dog food. Many dog food companies use meat meal to add more protein to a formula because real meat loses a lot of weight once dehydrated and incorporated into kibble.

Named meat meals, like beef meal, chicken meal, and lamb meal, are entirely safe for dogs to eat. They’re made of dehydrated ground meat. According to the AAFCO, meat meals must exclude added blood, hair, hoofs, horns, hide trimmings, manure, and avoidable stomach and rumen contents.

Poultry By-Product Meal

Unlike meat meal, poultry by-product meal isn’t a high-quality ingredient. AAFCO regulations prohibit adding hair, hoofs, horns, hide trimmings, manure, and stomach and rumen contents in animal by-product meals. However, they’re still an ambiguous ingredient because there’s less clarity about what exactly goes inside it. So, it’s difficult to determine their nutritional value.

Non-Wheat Grains

Many of Nutra-Nuggets’ recipes contain barley, oatmeal, or rice. While many pet food companies produce grain-free recipes and market them as premium or superior dog food, whole grains are very nutritious and safe for dogs to eat. Along with being a great source of fiber, whole grains also have essential nutrients like magnesium and antioxidants.

It’s also important to note that grain-free diets are under investigation by the FDA for links to canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). So, unless your dog doesn’t need to stick to a grain-free diet for medical reasons, a grain-inclusive diet is a safe and healthy option.

Affordable Dog Food

Nutra-Nuggets uses a blend of high-quality ingredients with average ingredients. For example, many recipes have beef as one of their main ingredients. However, some also contain poultry by-products. Considering how affordable the prices are, you’re getting a good deal and aren’t overpaying.

High-Performance Special Diets

Nutra-Nuggets has two special formulas that are more affordable than most high-protein performance diets other brands produce. These recipes are a good fit for athletic, high-energy dogs and pregnant and nursing dogs. However, as every dog is unique, make sure to check with your veterinarian to ensure that the Nutra-Nugget formulas are sufficient for your dog before making the switch.

Quality Assurance

Nutra-Nuggets pays special attention to quality assurance procedures to ensure that it consistently distributes safe food for dogs. Some additional testing that Nutra-Nuggets does on its batches of food includes on-site product testing, mycotoxin control, microbial testing, and a test-and-hold program.

Difficult To Find

Nutra-Nuggets can be difficult to find depending on where you live. It’s more widely available on the West Coast and not sold elsewhere. You also can’t purchase through Nutra-Nugget’s website, and it’s also not available at any other online stores, including Chewy, Amazon, PetSmart, and Petco.

A Quick Look at Nutra Nuggets Dog Food

Recall History

As of today, Nutra-Nuggets dog food doesn’t have any recalls.

The 3 Best Nutra-Nuggets Dog Food Recipes

1. Nutra-Nuggets Beef Meal & Pea Formula Dog Food

Nutra-Nuggets Beef Meal & Pea Formula Dog Food is a complete and balanced meal for dogs in all life stages, and it’s a more affordable option if you’re looking for a grain-free recipe. However, keep in mind that the recipe contains a lot of legumes, which are also under investigation by the FDA for links to DCM.

Along with being wheat-free and gluten-free, the formula is enriched with probiotics to support digestive health. It also has antioxidants derived from natural sources to support and strengthen the immune system.

2. Nutra-Nuggets Lamb Meal & Rice Dog Food

Nutra-Nuggets Lamb Meal & Rice Dog Food is a good choice for dogs with food allergies and sensitive stomachs. Lamb meal is the primary source of protein. It has egg products and chicken fat, but it doesn’t contain any beef. The recipe is also supplemented with glucosamine and chondroitin, which support joint health and are often used as supplements for arthritis. It also contains omega fatty acids to nourish the skin and coat.

While the recipe contains several easily digestible carbs, like ground white rice, the ingredient list has peas as the second ingredient. So, it may not be the best option for dog breeds predisposed to heart disease.

3. Nutra-Nuggets Professional Dog Food

Nutra-Nuggets Professional Dog Food is one of Nutra-Nuggets’ high-protein diets for athletic dogs. It’s formulated to support and sustain active and working dogs throughout the day. The recipe also contains a blend of omega fatty acids to support the skin and coat and probiotics to supplement the immune system and digestive health.

While it contains a lot of protein, the recipe doesn’t use high-quality ingredients. The first ingredient is chicken by-product meal, and there’s also added natural chicken flavor to make the food more appetizing to dogs.

What Other Users Are Saying

Nutra-Nuggets has many positive reviews from satisfied customers.

Conclusion

Overall, Nutra-Nuggets is a good budget-friendly dog food brand. It may not have the highest quality ingredients, but the food provides complete and well-balanced meals for dogs. The brand also has a clean recall history while also being able to keep prices low. So, if you live in an area that sells Nutra-Nuggets, it doesn’t hurt to try it out and see if your dog enjoys eating it.

Featured Image Credit: Nutra-Nuggets