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Years ago, Sydney was overweight and no matter what I tried, she wasn’t losing weight. We tested her thyroid twice and finally settled on adjusting her diet. Her veterinarian, at the time, suggested replacing a couple of ounces of food with a vegetable blend and gave me a list of vegetables to puree that included:
- collard greens
- kale
- dandelion greens
- green beans
- zucchini
- yellow squash
- celery
Fruits I Occasionally Feed to Our Dogs’ Meals
- Apples: Apples are packed with vitamin “C” and pectin. Pectin is a powerful detoxifier, reducing the risk of heart disease. Because it slows the absorption of sugars, it benefits animals with diabetes. Except for avocados (don’t give to birds), apples are the only fruit that may be mixed with vegetables. Apples are best when in season. Leave the skin intact.
- Berries: Berries are rich in vitamins “A” and “C,” potassium, and fiber. Check your pet’s stool to make sure they can assimilate berries. When choosing strawberries, try to buy organic ones. Like bananas, strawberries are often contaminated with insecticide sprays.
DIY Vegetable Mix for Dogs (ingredients optional):
Why are ingredients optional? I choose seasonally available vegetables that are low glycemic, and safe for my dogs. Every veggie mix I make is a little different; if I’m low on time, I use fewer ingredients.
- one bunch of organic collard greens
- one bunch of organic kale
- one bunch of organic parsley
- one bunch of organic celery
- 5 organic zucchini
- 1-2″ of ginger (purchase a root and cut an inch or two off)
- 3 cups of green-lipped mussel powder (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of ground kelp (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of spirulina/chlorella (optional)
- 2-3 cups of bone broth; made with turmeric or golden paste (optional)
I store my ferments in glass jars and freeze them until needed.
You don’t have to follow the above recipe. You can make any blend of vegetables that you like as long as they’re safe for your dog.
What You’ll Need to Create this Veggie Mix
I used the following tools to mix up 10 pounds:
- knife (CLICK HERE to learn more about the knives I use)
- cutting board
- 8-qt mixing bowl
- Nutri-Bullet (or food processor)
- mixing spoon
- Ball wide-mouthed jars
It takes 30-45 minutes to chop, blend, and mix everything. I then transfer the mixture into glass jars and freeze. Tip: don’t seal the containers until the veggie mix is frozen. Super easy.
Creating Bone Broth
I store several containers of bone broth in the freezer. I order my bones through our local raw food co-op and store them in a dedicated freezer.
Cost and Storage of My Veggie Mix for Dogs
COST: It costs less than $25 to pick up all of the ingredients for my natural vegetable supplement, and I make enough to fill four to six glass jars.
STORAGE: I store the jars in the freezer until needed.
DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a DIY Green JuJu recipe. Although we can attempt to replicate a Green JuJu blend by mixing all of the ingredients, which are published on their website, I don’t know the amounts of each ingredient used.
Have More Questions About My Veggie Mix?
You’re not alone! I received several questions, which inspired a blog post to clarify my veggie mix to readers.
Why do you add vegetables to your dogs’ diet? – I feed vegetables primarily for fiber, antioxidants, and food for the gut microbiome.
Do you use this veggie mix instead of a base mix? – No. This is not a base mix and will not balance a raw diet.
Do you cook or blanch the vegetables before pureeing? – No. I put them straight in the food processor.
Do you have to use organic vegetables? – No. I prefer to use organic vegetables for my vegetable mix because they have less exposure to toxins and may be more nutrient-rich. I buy them from local farms and grow my own in the summer.
Do I have to use the vegetables listed here? – No. You can use any vegetable as long as it’s safe for your dog.
How much of the veggie mix do I add per meal? – I don’t have a dosage. I feed this as a whole food supplement and vary how much I add to my dogs’ meals.
Can this be fed to dogs on a kibble diet? – Absolutely! This is an excellent way to add fresh food and healthy fiber to their diet.
What’s the difference between this mix and Green JuJu? – This isn’t a DIY Green JuJu recipe. It’s only a blend of vegetables. I also alternate Bailey’s Blend and Just Greens, two Green JuJu products, into my dog’s diet.