Remy & Rhino's Protein Power Lunch

I love to cook and I also love to experiment using a variety of healthy alternatives such as cous cous and quinoa. A great salad and healthy meal that I enjoy making for myself is a varied Greek Quinoa Salad. Sometimes it's hard to think of different recipes and what to eat outside of the typical meat and potato meals. Unfortunately I'm allergic to wheat, gluten, soy and most dairy products. Our older Shepherd has many of the same allergies as me. So I have had to become creative in cooking for Remy. Rhino on the other hand is like a doggy garborator, he can eat anything and not get sick. Just like human's, dog's prefer variety in their meals too. So I started using Quinoa in my dog's recipes. Quinoa has many health benefits, and this also applies to your dogs. Quinoa is a complete protein, which means that it contains all the amino acids necessary for our nutritional needs. Complete proteins are rare in the plant world, making quinoa is an excellent food for vegetarians and vegans, or for anyone looking for healthy protein source.

It's also high in iron and calcium, and is a good source of manganese, magnesium and copper, as well as fiber. For people who have dogs that have sensitive stomach's like our one German Shepherd does, Quinoa is a naturally gluten-free grain. It's also an excellent food for celiac patients or other people following a gluten-free diet. Quinoa flakes are a perfect substitute for oatmeal. Yesterday I experimented with cooking and made my dogs a new recipe that they literally devoured up. I use all organic ingredients when cooking for my family and our dogs, but you don't have to buy organic you can use regular products. Here is what you will need. I have included the exact brand of Organic foods that I use for this particular recipe in the event you would like to know what kind to buy. 2 Table Spoons of Natural Smooth Unsalted Peanut Butter 600 Grams of Beef Liver 1 Cup of Peas from Frozen 1 Large Banana 1 Package of Quinoa 1/4 Cup Of Pumpkin ( Natural Pumpkin, Not Pie Filling Pumpkin) Poach liver in juices slightly undercook. Dethaw in bowl of water peas while making recipe. Puree banana, cook quinoa as per package. Mix Peas, banana peanut butter, pumpkin and quinoa together. Dice into thin pieces liver and add to mixture and serve! Why I like to use Liver in my dog's meals? Liver is a good source for several important nutrients, including iron, calcium and vitamins A, D, E and K, as well as all of the B vitamins. Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world, this applies to dog's too. Nowadays people feed their dog's kibble because it is cheaper and more convienent.

Eating beef liver can reduce your risk for several health issues related to nutrient deficiency. Boosting your dog's intake of vitamin A through consumption of beef liver can help decrease your dogs likelihood of experiencing night blindness and other vision problems. Increasing the amount of iron helps prevent anemia, and getting enough folic acid may help reduce your dog's risk for nerve and memory problems. The thing is most kibble brands do not have real high quality meat in them or the meat that they do have is very low on the order of content list and it is a meat by product. There are some excellent brands of dry kibble dog food like Orijens and Acana as well as GO and NOW which all come in Grain free so there are no fillers.

NOW which is made by PetCurean is full of nutritious ingredients like 100% market-fresh turkey, salmon and duck. 100% fresh Omega 3 and 6 oils from coconuts and canola. Wholesome berries, fruits and veggies such as peas, spinach, cranberries, pumpkin, blackberries, alfalfa sprouts, kelp, lentils and carrots. Yum! Zero grains, zero rendered meals, zero by-product meals, or artificial preservatives. But we have tried all of the premium Grain Free Dry Kibble and carefully read the ingredients in each of them, and we found the higher end brands list Real Meats like Chicken, Salmon, Beef at the top of the content list with zero grains and zero fillers. Our Dogs both really seem to like the Puppy version of "GO" dry kibble dog food the best. GO! FIT + FREE Grain Free Puppy Recipe is pure protein power, prepared with a balanced blend of premium quality chicken, turkey and salmon proteins and essential Omega oils along with DHA & EPA for your puppy's brain & eye development. Your puppy will get so much more, from eating less.

Why I like using peas in my dog's meals. Just one cup of green peas provides over 51% of the required amount of vitamin K, 42% of your daily manganese, 40% of the daily requirement of vitamin C and over ¼ of your body's daily requirement of vitamin B1 (thiamin). It also contains between 12 to 25 % of the daily requirement for folate, vitamin A, tryptophan, phosphorus, B6, protein, niacin, magnesium, riboflavin, copper, iron, zinc and potassium. You don't need a lot of extra fiber because just one cup of peas provides over 1/3 of the necessary daily fiber. Best of all, they taste good. The carotenoid in the green pea is lutein, well known for reducing the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Studies on peas show that they help lower cholesterol, strengthen the immune system, maintain level glucose levels in the blood to keep energy levels consistent, promote bone health and cardiovascular health. The high vitamin C content is a great natural antioxidant that protects the body from cell damage.

The Benefits of Bananas! The fiber in bananas not only keeps digestion regular, but also helps maintain low blood sugar and curbs overeating. This applies to our dogs! Studies show that the high amounts of potassium in bananas (over 13% of the RDA) can lower one's blood pressure, which in turn lessens the possibility of atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke. Along with lowering blood pressure, potassium prevents the weakening of the body's bones. A high sodium intake, which is typical of many American diets, can cause excessive amount of calcium to be lost through the urine, which threatens not only the strength and general health of the bones, but also negatively affects blood clotting, proper muscle contraction, and normal nervous system function. The potassium found in bananas neutralizes the high amounts of sodium in one's diet, thus allowing for healthy amounts of calcium to remain within the body.

The potassium in bananas is not the only means to ensure healthy levels of calcium in the body. Bananas also contain high levels of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) that--along with insulin--promotes calcium absorption. FOS further nourishes healthy bacteria in the colon that manufacture vitamins and digestive enzymes that boost the body's overall ability to absorb nutrients. Bananas can diminish the uncomfortable effects of diarrhea and constipation. The high amounts of potassium in bananas can restock electrolytes that are easily depleted when suffering from diarrhea -- potassium being an important electrolyte itself. Furthermore, bananas can relieve the body from constipation and help restore regular digestion with pectin, a soluble polysaccharide that helps normalize the digestive tract. Bananas protect the healthy constitution of the stomach in two ways. Firstly, they trigger the production of mucus in the stomach, which provides a protective barrier against stomach acids. Secondly, bananas possess protease inhibitors, a substance that breaks down bacteria in the stomach that cause ulcers. So every now and then give your dog a banana!