It’s not uncommon to browse social media and see people preparing meals at home for their beloved pets. For me, the appeal of these posts is that I almost always see comments that allude not to the diet in question, but to the time and effort it takes to prepare such a diet for a pet each day.
Since I’ve been creating my own meal plans lately (created by a qualified doctor and nutritionist, of course), I find myself doing quite a bit of meal prep on the weekends. This makes the task of thinking about what to eat every day much easier. As a result, you’re more likely to stick to your meal plan.
As I was preparing my weekly meals over the weekend, my client happened to ask me to provide her with a very low-carb recipe that would work for her cats Monday through Friday without having to prepare meals every night. I had a request. This was no surprise since we all know how noisy pet cats can be if they aren’t fed on time. Her cat, Ivy, likes chicken. So I came up with a recipe for Ivy that would last a week.
Recipe of the Week – Low Carb Chicken
important!
This is a complete, balanced recipe created for cats for whom I have a complete medical and nutritional history. It is considered complete and balanced only for that cat.
Although this recipe is safe for all healthy adult cats, it may not be perfect for your cat. Therefore, it is very important to check all recipes with your veterinary nutritionist before feeding them to your cat.
Homemade Low Carb Chicken Cat Food Recipe
Preparing food for your cat doesn’t have to be a daily chore in the kitchen. Make this delicious low-carb chicken recipe over the weekend to ensure your cat enjoys nutritious meals throughout the week.
- 328.5g – 11.06 oz chicken heart
- 132g – 4.7oz Chicken eggs (whole eggs) (about 3-4 medium eggs)
- 65.7g – 2.3 oz Chicken breast (skinless, boneless)
- 6.57g – 0.23 oz Adult multivitamin/multimineral (Brand: Centrum)
- 6.57g – 0.23 oz spirulina powder
- 1.65g – 0.06oz plantain husk powder
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Preparation:
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First, add water to a pot large enough to boil the eggs and bring to a boil.
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Once the water boils, add the eggs to the water. Boil the eggs until hard boiled (about 4-5 minutes on high heat).
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Remove the boiled eggs from the water and let them cool. Important: Weigh your shelled eggs to ensure they meet your recipe requirements.
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Heat water in a separate saucepan or saucepan over low heat to approximately 165 °F (73.9 °C). Make sure this pot or saucepan has a lid.
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Cut the chicken breast into pieces about the same size as the chicken hearts.
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Add the chicken hearts and cut chicken breasts to this second pot and cover.
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Cook the chicken breasts and hearts for the minimum amount of time needed to cook through, usually about 3 to 4 minutes.
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When cooking is complete, turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat source. Gently scoop the hearts and brisket from the water and transfer to another bowl. Let cool. Important: Weigh your meat to ensure it meets your recipe requirements.
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Once all three ingredients (eggs, heart, and breast) are cooked, slice, chop, mince, or dice all ingredients into equal-sized pieces (depending on your cat’s preferences).
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Grind your multivitamin/multimineral supplement into a fine powder (tip: a food processor is great for this step!).
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Add the spirulina powder, psyllium husk, and powdered multivitamin/multimineral supplement to the bowl with the other cooked ingredients. Make sure to sprinkle these evenly over your food. (Tip: If your cat prefers chopped food, you can finely chop all the cooked ingredients along with powders and supplements in a food processor.)
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Divide the final mixture into your cat’s meal-sized portions.
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enjoy!
Key nutritional information
| macronutrients | As per the formulation | dry food | %kcal |
| protein | 16.08% | 57.50% | 44.42% |
| fat | 8.64% | 30.90% | 53.71% |
| moisture | 72.04% | – | – |
| carbohydrates | 0.68% | 2.42% | 1.87% |
| fiber | 0.35% | 1.26% | – |
- Total recipe weight (grams): 500
- Total recipe weight (oz): 17.6
- Number of days: 5
- Total calories in recipe: 783.36
- Calories per gram: 1.45
- Calories per ounce: 41.05
- My client’s cat’s daily nutritional requirements are: 156.58
- Feeding amount per day (grams): 108.14g
- Amount fed per day (oz): 3.81 oz
Split and store
Cooked or raw recipes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours (3 days). Food to be used after that time should be portioned and frozen. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw slowly the night before feeding to your pet. Do not refreeze thawed food.
Upgrade (optional)
My client had requested a low-carb option, but I told her that she could add another source of carbohydrates as fiber to this meal if she desired. Although dietary fiber is not essential for cats, it may offer health benefits (when given in moderate amounts). In this case, I felt that a small amount of gently cooked carrots (approximately 65.7 grams) would be good. However, Ivy thought otherwise and decided to omit the carrot, as she did not appreciate it at all.
Additionally, my client was keen to use omega-3 fish oil in her recipes. Although small amounts are acceptable (about 3 grams for this entire recipe), it’s important to note that omega-3 oils and fish oils should only be added to recipes if you’re feeding them to your pet. So I warned her not to add it to the basic recipe.
Leftover ideas – “mini” hydration snacks
Another option for this recipe is to use leftover water (from when you cooked the chicken hearts and breasts). Freeze the water by pouring it into an ice cube tray. The resulting ice cubes are a “protein”-infused treat that can be melted and added to your cat’s diet for hydration.
Featured Ingredient – It’s all in the mind!
For most cat diets, nutritionists aim for a diet that includes approximately 60 to 80 percent meat, fish, and eggs. Organs should usually only make up about 10-30% of the diet. However, the heart is an exception to this rule.
Although the heart is an organ, it is a specialized muscle and does not need to provide a limited amount of energy. In fact, it’s one of the best sources of taurine (an essential amino acid for cats), which is why we use so much of this ingredient in this recipe.
As far as organs (liver, gizzard, etc.) go, the heart remains one of the most favorite things for cats (and dogs). I especially like using chicken hearts because they are very easy to handle and easy to portion out when dieting. It also often costs less than other parts of the chicken carcass, making it a more economical option.
conclusion
Preparing your cat’s meals doesn’t have to be a daily chore in the kitchen. In fact, you can make multiple meals for your pet in one cooking session, giving you enough food for several days.
I hope this recipe helps emphasize the point that although homemade diets take some time and effort, there are still many ways to make the process easier on yourself.
