My wife and I have been trying to feed our dogs more whole foods and home-cooked meals. The simple reason for this is that most dog foods are full of junk ingredients.
For example, the first three ingredients in Purina Dog Chow – one of the most popular commercial dog foods – are: whole grain corn, meat and bone meal, and corn gluten meal.
In other words, it’s basically just a bunch of corn and miscellaneous ground up animal parts. Surely, we can do better than this.
Knowing that beans are safe for dogs to eat, and that they’re packed with nutrients, I figured canned beans my be a good addition to their diet. Canned beans are cheap and convenient. They don’t even require any preparation since they’ve already been cooked.
However, after doing some research, I found out that canned beans are not a good alternative to dried beans…
Even though beans are good for dogs, canned beans contain too much sodium and preservatives to be healthy for them. If you want to feed your dogs beans, they must be prepared correctly from scratch. Keep reading to learn how I prepare beans for my dogs so they can get all of the wonderful health benefits.
What Kind of Beans Can Dogs Eat?
Dogs can eat all of the common beans you’ll find at the grocery store. This includes: black beans, pinto beans, red beans, kidney beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans, lima beans, and soy beans. Just remember, beans must always be cooked before they are safe for dogs to eat.
What About Green Beans?
Green beans are also good for dogs, but they don’t need to be prepared the same way as legumes. Green beans can be served to dogs raw, steamed, boiled, broiled, baked, or grilled.
Green beans are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals; however they are not a significant source of protein, like legumes are.
Health Benefits of Beans for Dogs
Beans are an excellent source of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The only nutrient they are not a significant source of is fat.
As a source of protein, 2 cups of cooked beans contains about 20 to 25 grams of protein. For a 50 lb dog, this would equate to roughly half their RDA for protein.
How to Prepare Beans for Dogs
Step 1
Soak 1 cup of dried beans in 3 cups of room temperature water with a pinch of salt for 12 to 24 hours.
Step 2
Drain and rinse beans.
Step 3
Add beans to a stock pot or dutch over with 3 to 5 cups of water. Season lightly with oregano, basil, or rosemary; and boil covered for 2 hours. Check frequently and add more water if necessary.
How I Serve Beans to My Dogs
After the beans have cooled down, I usually pour a few spoonfuls over their ordinary dry food, or I mix the beans with plain white rice and vegetables. As for the veggies, my dogs like carrots, sweet potatoes, and peas; which are all safe and healthy for them.
References:
Emily Cardiff. Are Beans a Good Plant-Based Protein Option for Dogs? Retrieved from https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/are-beans-a-good-plant-based-protein-option-for-dogs/
