Good dog food is recognised first and foremost by the quality of the ingredients it is composed of, and by how well it suits your particular dog's life stage, size and needs. A good meal has a high proportion of named meat and fish, transparent raw ingredients, and a nutritional profile that matches your dog's everyday life - and avoids unnecessary fillers that only fill up the bowl without providing real nutrition. Here you get the concrete guidelines you can use when assessing whether a food lives up to its name.

At ESSENTIAL FOODS we don't regard food as a commodity, but as meals. All our dog meals are prepared from human-grade ingredients and fresh raw materials, and they are composed to cover the dog's needs throughout its entire life. That doesn't change the fact that you should be able to read a product declaration yourself and understand what makes a meal good - and that's what you get the tools for here.

What should good dog food contain?

The most important characteristic of a good meal is a high proportion of named, animal protein. The dog is by nature built to get the majority of its nutrition from meat and fish, and therefore you should be able to see exactly which raw materials are involved. If it says "chicken", "lamb" or "salmon" at the top of the ingredient list, you know what you are dealing with. If, on the other hand, it simply says "meat and animal by-products" or "vegetable by-products", the raw material is more anonymous - and then it's harder to know what the dog actually gets.

In addition to protein, a good meal should contain healthy fats, which provide energy and contribute to coat and skin, as well as a well-considered balance of carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Omega-3 fatty acids are worth looking for, because they support skin, coat and general wellbeing. Fibre from vegetables and herbs helps digestion along. The point is not that one single nutrient makes the meal good, but that the whole is well thought out and built on raw materials you can see through.

In our dog meals, each meal is prepared from carefully selected local and regional delicacies and exquisite raw materials, so you can find a nutritional profile that suits your dog. If you want to form an overview of the entire range yourself, you can browse all meals and compare raw materials and composition across the board.

How much protein is there in dog food - and what do the figures mean?

When you look at a product declaration, you'll usually encounter figures for protein, fat, fibre and ash. The protein content tells you how large a proportion of the meal consists of protein, but the figure alone doesn't say everything. Two meals can have the same protein percentage but be of vastly different quality, depending on whether the protein comes from named meat and fish or from cheaper, vegetable sources. Therefore the source is at least as important as the percentage.

Crude ash is another figure many people wonder about. Ash sounds suspicious, but simply covers the mineral content - including calcium and phosphorus - that remains if the raw materials were burnt off in a laboratory analysis. A certain ash content is entirely natural and necessary, because the minerals support things such as bones and teeth. So it is not a filler, but a normal part of a product declaration.

How much protein your particular dog needs depends on life stage, size and activity level. A growing puppy and a dog with a high activity level have different needs than a dog with a more moderate everyday life. If you are in doubt about what suits your dog, ESSENTIAL FOODS' nutrition advisers are ready by phone, chat or email to help you read the declaration and find the right meal.

Why grain-free dog food - and when does it make sense?

Grain-free food is relevant if your dog shows signs of food allergy, a sensitive digestion or other special dietary needs, where grain may be part of the challenge. For a dog that reacts to grain, a grain-free meal can make a noticeable difference in everyday life. It is important to point out, however, that grain-free does not in itself mean better or more meat - it's about what suits your dog's digestion and any sensitivity.

If you experience repeated signs of discomfort such as itching, an upset stomach or frequent digestive problems, you should always contact your vet to clarify what lies behind it. After that, a well-thought-out meal can support everyday life. If you want to see the meals composed entirely without grain, you'll find them gathered under grain-free, while our allergy-friendly range is designed for dogs in need of a gentler composition.

If, on the other hand, your dog has a sensitive stomach without being grain-sensitive, a meal aimed at exactly that may be the way forward. In the collection for sensitive stomach you'll find relevant products gathered with the sensitive digestion in mind. Please note that BALANCE is not a grain-free meal - it is designed for dogs with a sensitive stomach and therefore does not belong in the grain-free range.

Which dog food should I choose for my dog's life stage?

Good food is not one food that suits all dogs. A puppy, an adult dog and a senior dog have vastly different needs, and therefore the best choice is the one that matches the dog's age and development. A growing puppy needs a different nutritional profile than a fully grown dog, and a dog in its senior years often thrives best on a meal tailored to the golden years and an everyday life at a calmer pace.

If you need to find a meal for a puppy, it's a good idea to start with our puppy meals. The BEGINNING series is created for the finest beginning with luxurious, grain-free puppy meals of fresh raw materials, human-grade ingredients and carefully selected local and regional delicacies - entirely without grain and unnecessary fillers. For the adult dog you'll find a wide selection among our adult meals, and for the dog in its senior years the senior meals are composed with a focus on wellbeing and thriving in the golden years.

The dog's size also plays a part. For the small dog, it's about small kibble in an appropriate size, an appetising taste and a nutritional profile that matches the daily energy needs - you'll find that under meals for small dogs. If you have a larger breed, the needs are different, and here the meals for large dogs are composed with that in mind.

What characterises a truly good meal?

In addition to raw materials and life stage, the preparation itself helps determine the quality. A good meal is composed of fresh raw materials and prepared with care, so that the nutrition is preserved and the dog benefits from what it eats. At ESSENTIAL FOODS, our meals are prepared, among other places, in Our finest British Heritage Kitchens, where exquisite raw materials become well-thought-out dog meals - from our PÂTÉ, served straight from the can, to the prepared meals you know from the Living series.

This is also where the idea behind BOF, Behaviour Optimizing Food, comes in. The idea is that a meal should not only satisfy hunger, but support the dog's wellbeing and behaviour through a well-thought-out nutritional composition. When the raw materials are exquisite and the profile is tailored to the dog's needs, you'll notice it in a dog that thrives - in coat, energy and mood. If your dog prefers a softer consistency, you can browse our PÂTÉ, prepared as hearty meals for dogs at all life stages.

The best way to find out what suits your dog is often to let it taste. With a trial meal you can see how your dog responds to taste and consistency before you make a final choice. If you are still in doubt about what the right choice is, our nutrition advisers are ready to guide you on feeding and nutrition, so you can make a choice you feel confident about - and your dog can look forward to meals that are both good for it and something to look forward to.