The 14 Best Grain-Free Dog Foods for 2023

The single best thing that you can do as a pet owner to keep your dog healthy and happy is to give it optimal nutrition. For those with pets that have food sensitivity issues, this often means finding the best grain-free dog foods.

Grain-free dog food, as the name suggests, will not have grains like wheat and corn or their byproducts in them. Whole grains may provide healthy carbs, dogs are naturally carnivorous and do not always need them, and some are even allergic to them.

But, like with all other dog food types, you will still need to find good grain-free dog food. In this post, we review some top-rated options and show you how to pick something that suits your pet.

When Are Grain-Free Diets a Good Idea for Your Dogs?

• If the Dog Has Allergies: One of the main reasons for giving a dog grain-free food is to deal with food allergies. Grains like corn, soy, and wheat are common allergy triggers, and so by going grain-free, you can prevent allergic reactions.
• Dog Has Sensitivities or Intolerance: Besides allergies, dogs can also have intolerance and sensitivities to specific compounds in the grains. While the intolerance might not pose a significant health risk, avoiding grains will help keep the dog more comfortable.

7 Best Grain-Free Dog Foods – Review

1. Best Overall: Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein, Natural Adult

• Lifestage: Adult | Breed Size: Small breeds, medium breeds, large breeds
• Flavor: Salmon | Form: Dry
• Ingredients: Deboned salmon, chicken meal, fish meal, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, blueberries, cranberries…
• Protein: 34.0% (min) | Fat: 15.0% (min) | Fiber: 6.0% (max) | Moisture: 10.0% (max)
• Not Contain: Poultry byproduct meals, soy, corn, wheat, artificial flavors or preservatives

With the high-quality protein, grain-free formulation, and Lifesource bits in this Blue Buffalo Wilderness dog food, it will provide adequate nutrients and is perfectly balanced for your dog, which makes it our best overall dog food. Lifesource bits will help keep the immune system healthy, meet the life stage requirement of the dog, and also ensure a healthy oxidative balance.

Because this dog food is full of essential proteins and carbohydrates, it will meet all the energy requirements of the dog to ensure a healthy lifestyle. With enough quantities of calcium and phosphorous, this dog food will give your pet healthy teeth and bones.

There is also glucosamine in this dog food to support joint health and overall mobility, while the omega 3 & 6 will ensure your dog maintains healthy skin and coat.

The kibbles in this dog food are not the softest, but most dogs should still be able to chew them comfortably. And if you can also soften them by moistening them when serving the food.

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2. Best Affordable: Diamond Naturals Skin & Coat Real Salmon and Potato Recipe

• Lifestage: All life stages | Breed Size: All breed sizes
• Flavor: Salmon and potato | Form: Dry
• Ingredients: Salmon, fish meal, potatoes, lentils, peas, fava beans, canola oil, flaxseed…
• Protein: 25.0% (min) | Fat: 14.0% (min) | Fiber: 4.5% (max) | Moisture: 10.0% (max)
• Not Contain: Corn, wheat, filler, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives

This Diamond Naturals dry dog food comes at a relatively smaller price tag per ounce to cater to dog owners shopping for high-quality grain-free dog food with a tight budget.

Because real salmon is the number one ingredient, this grain-free food not only provides a high-quality protein but also omega-3 fatty acids for skin and coat care. Better yet, with the brightly colored fruits and vegetables, it is a source of poly nutrients and a wide array of vitamins.

The dog food includes preparatory probiotics for the digestive system and immune support, and it uses essential hypoallergenic ingredients that are safe for dogs prone to allergies.

This dog food does not have the best smell, but most dogs will not have an issue with this once they get used to the food.

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3. Best for Puppies: Taste of the Wild High Protein Real Meat Recipe

• Lifestage: Puppy  | Breed Size: All breed sizes
• Flavor: High prairie | Form: Dry
• Ingredients: Buffalo, roasted bison, roasted venison, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, egg product, pea protein…
• Protein: 28.0% (min) | Fat: 17.0% (min) | Fiber: 5.0% (max) | Moisture: 10.0% (max)
• Not Contain: Grain, corn, wheat, filler, artificial flavors, colors, preservatives

Puppies need high-quality protein from real meat and more fats for healthy development. With the 28% high-quality protein from roasted bison and venison and 17% fat, you get with this Taste of the Wild dog food you will have the perfect food for your puppy.

The food is rich in antioxidants to support the dog's overall wellbeing and DHA that will help with vision and brain development. Your puppies will have an easy time chewing the smaller kibbles, and with the proprietary probiotics, it will have a healthy digestive system. What's more, this puppy food has essential minerals and vitamin enrichment.

While most puppies will typically not have any issues with the texture of the kibbles and many will enjoy it, some might find it a little challenging to chew. But, a little moistening should fix this.

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4. Best High-Protein: Merrick Dry Dog Food

• Lifestage: Adult | Breed Size: All breed sizes
• Flavor: Chicken | Form: Dry
• Ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, peas, sweet potatoes, chicken fat…
• Protein: 38.0% (min) | Fat: 17.0% (min) | Fiber: 3.5% (max) | Moisture: 11.0% (max)
• Not Contain: Wheat, soy, corn, gluten, artificial preservatives

Merrick Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is our best high protein grain-free dog food as its 38% protein content is higher than what you get with all other options on our list. This high-quality chicken protein will help build and maintain lean muscles.

But besides having more protein, it is a complete meal with everything the dog needs, and it is also adequately balanced as it has the right amounts of everything from fats to fiber. Better yet, the ingredients are real and whole foods.

There are glucosamine and chondroitin in this dog food, which means that joint and hop health will be taken care of, while the omega fatty acids take care of skin and coat health.

For some large breed dogs, then kibbles can be a little small, but most dogs will only need to get used to the kibbles to enjoy them.

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5. Best Dry: Nature's Recipe Easy to Digest

• Lifestage: All life stages | Breed Size: All breed sizes
• Flavor: Salmon, sweet potato & pumpkin | Form: Dry
• Ingredients: Salmon, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, garbanzo beans, peas, menhaden fish meal, pea starch…
• Protein: 27.0% (min) | Fat: 12.0% (min) | Fiber: 4.0% (max) | Moisture: 10.0% (max)
• Not Contain: Corn, soy, wheat, poultry byproduct meal, artificial colors or flavors

This Nature's Recipe grain-free dog food is a fantastic dry food option that, besides being super easy to digest, will have active nutrients and antioxidants in every bite the dog takes to support the overall wellbeing of the canine.

It includes omega 3 & 6 to support skin and coat health, and it will also ensure healthy digestion as it has high-quality natural fiber. You can be sure that the dog's bones and teeth will remain strong and healthy as there is enough calcium and phosphorous in the food.

The price for this dog food seems to fluctuate a lot, but the good news is that the quality remains the same, which is what concerns most pet owners.

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6. Best for Athletic Dogs: Purina Pro Plan Sport, Energy & Vitality Support, High Protein

• Lifestage: All life stages | Breed Size: All breed sizes
• Flavor: Chicken | Form: Dry
• Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, cassava root flour, dried egg product, canola meal, pea starch…
• Protein: 30.0% (min) | Fat: 20.0% (min) | Fiber: 5.0% (min) | Moisture: 12.0% (max)
• Not Contain: Corn, wheat, soy, poultry byproduct meal, artificial colors, preservatives or flavors

Purina Pro Plan Sport is the best grain-free dog food to turn to if you are looking for something that will help your athletic canine. It has concentrated nutrition that will help optimize oxygen metabolism to keep your dog going for longer.

With amino acids to nourish the dog's muscles, you can be sure that the dog will have an easy time recovering after exercise. There is also EPA and glucosamine to support joint health and mobility.

This dog food will be suitable for all breeds and life stages, which means it will work for your pet regardless of its age and breed. Keeping your dog on this grain-free food will benefit the immune system and helps defend against free radicals as it is antioxidant-rich.

This grain-free dog food might be a little pricier per ounce when you compare it to others on our list, but the price is still fair for its overall quality and what it does.

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7. Best for Skin Health: Hill's Science, Adult, Sensitive Stomach & Skin Recipes

• Lifestage: Adult | Breed Size: All Breed Sizes
• Flavor: Chicken and potato | Form: Dry
• Ingredients: Chicken, potatoes, yellow peas,chicken meal, potato starch, pea protein, soybean oil…
• Protein: 20.5% (min) | Fat: 13.0% (min) | Fiber: 4.0% (max) | Moisture: 10.0% (max)
• Not Contain: Chicken byproduct meal, synthetic colors, artificial preservatives or flavors

Being a veterinarian-recommended product, you can be confident that Hill's Science Diet Dry Dog Food   is one of the best grain-free dry dog food in the market. But, what many pet owners will love is that this food is excellent for skin health. The dog food is packed with omega 6s and vitamin E to ensure it leaves the dog with lustrous skin and coat.

With the prebiotic fiber, this dog food will keep the digestive system healthy. Because it uses natural ingredients only, you can be sure it is safe enough for your dog. In addition to all this, the kibbles are a perfect size and great tasting to ensure dogs will enjoy eating them.

Although this dog food could be more affordable, you can be sure it is worth every buck you pay for it as it will deliver the desired results.

Other Good Recommendations

8. Dry Dog Food | Adult | All Breed Sizes | Taste of the Wild Real Fish

With real salmon as the first ingredient, the Taste of the Wild Real Fish not only provides high-quality protein for building lean muscles but is also a tasty dog food that any dog will enjoy eating.

It is formulated to meet AAFCO and FDA requirements to ensure it meets the highest safety and quality standards. This food is packed with antioxidants from fruits and vegetables to give dogs a healthy lifestyle, and with probiotics for digestive and immune system health.

Key Features

• Real and sustainably sourced salmon
• Formulated to AAFCO and FDA requirements
• Species-specific probiotics
• Packed with antioxidants for a healthy lifestyle

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9. Dry Dog Food | Adult | Toy Breed, Small Breed, Large Breed | Blue Buffalo Basics

If you have a dog with food sensitivities, the Blue Buffalo Basics will be a fantastic grain-free food choice as it uses limited ingredients that will not affect your dog. Better yet, it has easily digestible carbohydrate sources like peas and pumpkins

There are also Lifesource bits in this food to support immune health and ensure a healthy oxidative balance. All ingredients are natural with no artificial additives or fillers, and there is omega 3 & 6 to keep the skin and coat in great shape.

Key Features

• Limited ingredients for food-sensitive dogs
• Lifesource bits included for the overall wellbeing of dogs
• Easily digested carbohydrates sources like pumpkins
• Uses the finest natural ingredients
• Omega 3 & 6 promote skin and coat health

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10. Dry Dog Food | Adult | All Breed Sizes | Purina Beneful

The Purina Beneful comes as 100% complete and balanced dog food, which means besides containing everything the dog needs, it also has the right portions. This includes vitamins and minerals for the overall health of your canine.

With real-farm raised chicken as the number one ingredient, this dog food provides not only a high-quality protein but also a great taste that most dogs will love. You can be confident that this will be a safe and healthy food for any dog as it does not have any filler, animal byproducts or artificial preservatives and flavors.

Key Features

• 100% complete and balanced
• Made with no fillers or animal byproducts
• Great-tasting chicken flavor
• Added vitamins and minerals for overall health

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11. Dry Dog Food | Adult | All Breed Sizes | Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets is another fantastic grain-free dog food for food sensitivities. It uses limited ingredients with only one protein source. This dog food also has a natural blend of fiber sources that include sweet potatoes and peas to aid in digestion.

The real chicken used as the first ingredient supplies amino acids to help build and maintain strong muscles. The food is packed with minerals and vitamins for the overall health of the dog. Dog owners will love that there are no fillers or artificial ingredients in this food.

Key Features

• Limited ingredient for food-sensitive dogs
• Natural fiber blend helps with digestion
• Essential amino acids maintain strong muscles
• Packed with essential vitamins and minerals
• Does not contain fillers or artificial flavors and colors

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12. Dry Dog Food | Adult | All Breed Sizes | Rachael Ray Nutrish

Rachael Ray Nutrish uses simple and natural ingredients to give dogs high-quality nutrition that will help keep them healthy. They include farm-raised chicken that provides high-quality protein and a chicken meal that is rich in amino acid and omega-6 for skin and coat care.

The inclusion of sweet potatoes and beet pulp provides natural and wholesome fiber to aid with digestion. There are easily digestible carbohydrate sources like tapioca and peas, and the antioxidant-rich fruits like cranberries will help support immune system health.

Key Features

• Simple and natural ingredients
• Easily digestible alternative carbohydrates
• Antioxidant-rich fruits support the immune system
• Natural amino acid and omega-6 for skin and coat health
• Wholesome and natural fiber sources

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13. Dry Dog Food | Adult | All Breed Sizes | Wellness Core Original Turkey & Chicken

By offering a higher concentration of fresh protein (at least 34%), the Wellness Core Original Turkey & Chicken will help your dog get a leaner body mass and muscle tone. With guaranteed levels of taurine, the food will support heart health, while the glucosamine keeps joints and hips in great shape.

In addition to all this, the dog food has omega fatty acids that ensure the pet maintains healthy skin and coat. And the digestive system will also be taken care of by the prebiotics and probiotics in the food.

Key Features

• Higher concentration of fresh meat protein
• Guaranteed taurine levels for heart health
• Prebiotic and probiotics support digestive health
• Omega fatty acids help keep skin and coat healthy
• Glucosamine supports joint and hip health

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14. Dry Dog Food | All Life Stages | Small Breed | Castor & Pollux Organic

Organic food is always the way to go when shopping for the best grain-free dog food and want to keep things as healthy as possible. With the organic farm-raised chicken and other organic ingredients, the Castor & Pollux Organic is a good buy.

Besides being organic, this dog food has a nutrient-packed superfood blend that gives the dog everything that it needs for a healthy lifestyle. With prebiotics and probiotic fiber, it will cater to digestive health, while the small kibble size makes it easy to chew for a small breed.

Key Features

• Organic free-range chicken is the first ingredient
• Nutrient-packed superfood blend
• Contains probiotics and prebiotic fiber for healthy digestion
• Small bite-size kibbles

How to Buy the Best Grain-Free Dog Foods

1. Types of Dog and Age

Most dog foods will have a formula that is ideal for a specific breed type and life stage. Hence, as you shop for the best no grain dog food, you need to look for something that will suit your dog type and age.

Nutrition needs vary from breed to breed and from one life stage to the other, and so you need something that caters to your specific dog's requirements. For example, puppies will require more protein and fats than an adult or senior dogs.

But with that in mind, there are still some dog foods like the Diamond Naturals Real Salmon and Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food , which are ideal for all life stages and all breed sizes.

2. Protein

The best dog foods will always have real meat as the first ingredient to provide a high-quality protein source. Even as you shop for a grain-free food, you should make sure that it still has high-quality protein sources to help your dog build and maintain lean muscles.

While some dogs might be allergic to meats like beef and chicken, there are still many other good options like salmon, lamb, and turkey, and so you should never compromise on the need to have real meat in the food.

The quantity of protein in the grain-free food also matters, but the actual amount you need will depend on the breed type and life stage of the dog. For example, most senior dogs will need between 28% to 32% protein.

Read More: The Best Senior Dog Food

3. Healthy Fat Sources

Your grain-free dog food also needs to have some healthy fat sources to ensure your dog gets the energy it needs to support its active lifestyle. Fats will keep the dog's hair and skin healthy, and hence the need to get enough and good quality.

Some of the essential fats that your dog will need include omega-6, omega-3, and linoleic acid. There are different healthy sources of these foods, and some of the most common ones are flaxseed oil, fish oil, canola oil, and safflower oil.

4. Vitamins and Minerals

Dog foods need to have minerals and vitamins to be complete. Even if you are going grain-free, you need to make sure whatever you buy has a proper amount of both.

Complete and balanced dog foods like the Purina Pro Plan Sport will have all the vitamins and minerals that your dog needs from vitamins A, D, and E to minerals like calcium and phosphorous.

Note: Dogs will often not need to get vitamin C in their food because their bodies will make enough of it.

5. Preservatives

Preservatives are only for increasing the shelf life of the food, and so they will hardly have any benefit for your dog. Hence, as you shop for grain-free dog food, you need to make sure what you buy has as little preservative as possible.

You should make sure that the preservatives used are safe for the dog and will not cause any long term health issues. Natural preservatives like ascorbic acid and plant extracts might have shorter effectiveness, but they are safer than artificial ones such as ethoxyquin.

Q&A

Is it True that Dogs are Allergic to Grains?

A: Most dogs will not have any issues with grains and can digest them well. However, some dogs will be allergic to grains like wheat, barley, rye, and soy. Some common signs of allergic reactions to grains include hair loss, itchy skin, and gastrointestinal issues.

Are Grain-Free Dog Diets Free of Carbohydrates?

A: While grains tend to contribute the highest percentage of carbs in dog food, this does not mean that grain-free dog food will not have any carbs. Dry dog foods will still need a binder to form the kibbles, and so grain-free dog foods will use starches like potatoes and legumes. These starchy foods mean that grain-free foods have as much or even more carbs than foods with grains.

Is Grain-Free Dog Food Also Gluten-Free?

A: While some dog owners will use the two terms interchangeably, grain-free and gluten-free do not mean the same. Grain-free foods will not have any grains at all, while gluten-free foods are those that will not have gluten-containing grains, like wheat, rye, and barley.

Are There Any Problems with Grain-Free Diets?

A: Grain-free diets are safe and do not seem to have any issues. However, grain-free does not necessarily mean healthy as the quality of dog food goes beyond having grains or not. The only problem with grain-free food is that it may deny your dog the benefits that come with wholesome grains like high fiber and antioxidant content.

Does Grain-Free Dog Food Cause Heart Disease?

A: In recent times, there have been concerns about the link between grain-free dog foods and heart disease. But, there is still no conclusive evidence that grain-free food can cause heart disease. What's more, legumes and potatoes in grain-free are what is thought to cause heart disease, but not every grain-free food uses them.

Buy on Etsy

this Blue Buffalo Wilderness dog food - Walmart Link

This Diamond Naturals dry dog food - Walmart Link

this Taste of the Wild dog food - Walmart Link

Merrick Grain-Free Dry Dog Food - Walmart Link

This Nature's Recipe grain-free dog food - Walmart Link

Purina Pro Plan Sport - Walmart Link

Hill's Science Diet Dry Dog Food - Walmart Link

the Taste of the Wild Real Fish - Walmart Link

the Blue Buffalo Basics - Walmart Link

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets - Walmart Link

the Wellness Core Original Turkey & Chicken - Walmart Link

the Castor & Pollux Organic - Walmart Link

the Diamond Naturals Real Salmon and Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food - Walmart Link

the Purina Pro Plan Sport - Walmart Link

the Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein, Natural Adult Dry Dog Food - Walmart Link

the Diamond Naturals Skin & Coat Real Salmon and Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food - Walmart Link

Buy on eBay

this Blue Buffalo Wilderness dog food - eBay Link

This Diamond Naturals dry dog food - eBay Link

this Taste of the Wild dog food - eBay Link

Merrick Grain-Free Dry Dog Food - eBay Link

This Nature's Recipe grain-free dog food - eBay Link

Purina Pro Plan Sport - eBay Link

Hill's Science Diet Dry Dog Food - eBay Link

the Taste of the Wild Real Fish - eBay Link

the Blue Buffalo Basics - eBay Link

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets - eBay Link

the Wellness Core Original Turkey & Chicken - eBay Link

the Castor & Pollux Organic - eBay Link

the Diamond Naturals Real Salmon and Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food - eBay Link

the Purina Pro Plan Sport - eBay Link

the Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein, Natural Adult Dry Dog Food - eBay Link

the Diamond Naturals Skin & Coat Real Salmon and Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food - eBay Link

Conclusion

Grain-free dog food has many advantages from preventing allergic reactions to improving a dog's overall appearance. Now, finding the best grain-free dog food should be easy, as there is something for every dog on our list.

From our list, the Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein, Natural Adult Dry Dog Food is our best overall options. It has the Lifesource bits to ensure the overall wellbeing of the dog and is full of essential proteins and carbs.

For the pet owners looking for the best affordable grain-free dog food, the Diamond Naturals Skin & Coat Real Salmon and Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food  is our recommendation. This dog food offers the lowest price per ounce.