This morning I made a veggie (and apple) smoothie to mix into Lassie’s and Petal’s food.
I think they enjoyed it.
They had the following:
- Apples are a good source of vitamins A and C and dietary fiber, and more.
- Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, and more.
- Broccoli is a powerful antioxidant, supports bone health, prevents cancer, and more.
- Cauliflower is a good source of vitamins C and A, fiber, calcium, potassium, and more.
- Green Beans are a rich source of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. A small amount can make a great addition to an overweight dog’s diet as they’ll make your dog feel fuller. (No, neither Lassie nor Petal are overweight, but they still enjoy the benefits of green beans occasionally).
- Squash provides potassium (which may be beneficial in supporting kidney health and may reduce the risk of heart failure), vitamin A, calcium and more.
- Zucchini offers vitamins C and B complex, magnesium, and more.
I use to just toss a few or just one of these veggies into their bowl. Then I watched with a frown as they (okay, Lassie; Petal actually enjoys fruits and veggies) picked around it.
Then one day I was surfing the internet and read, many times, that it was recommended that you puree or steam the vegetables before serving them to your dog, because they absorb and digest them better that way.
I had noticed that certain vegetables (carrots especially) came out the same way they went in, so steaming or pureeing them might be worth a try, and since Lassie was picking around his veggies, I went with pureeing them.
Good luck picking around that mush, bud!
So now I run them through the Magic Bullet and pulverize them into mush.
Lassie likes them much better this way.
He’s always been a fan of baby food.
Load ’em up in the bullet (with plenty of water).
And mash them up!
I split this amount up to make three days worth (for each of them), I could’ve split it up for four days had I realized sooner just how much it had made, but oh well.
They gobbled it all up and nothing was picked around or spat out onto the floor.
This veggie and apple smoothie would also make a great Kong stuffer or frozen treats.
But remember 3 things,
1 there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
2 while many fruits and vegetables are safe to give to your dog, some may not be (onions and grapes, for example) and some should only be given in moderate amounts occasionally.
3 keep in mind that if your dog has never had any of these vegetables before, it may cause them an upset stomach if you try feeding them all these new things at once. My dogs have enjoyed all of the veggies (and apples) pictured above over the years, so they were fine eating them all at once. Normally I only give them 1-4 different vegetables and fruits at a time, but every now and then I like to mix it up and give them a little of (almost) everything we have on hand.
Enjoy! Or rather, let your dogs enjoy!
Though, I guess you could eat it too, if you wanted.
Not me, though, I prefer to chew on my veggies. Haha.
Have a great weekend everyone!
