7 Best Premium Dog Foods in 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

For decades, there was very little to choose from in the type of dog food pet parents fed their canine pals. However, the market has exploded with different brands in the last decade. So whether it’s fresh food, wet food, or dry kibble, pet parents everywhere want only the best premium dog food out there for their furry friends.

The problem is that there are so many choices and it can become a bit overwhelming. So, we’ve collected our favorite premium dog food choices for 2022 complete with reviews into this handy guide. We’ll also give you some tips on how to choose the right premium food for your pet.

A Quick Glance at Our 2022 Favorites

The 7 Best Premium Dog Foods

1. Nom-Nom Now – Best Overall

Our best overall pick for premium dog food in 2022 is Nom-Nom Now. The best thing about this food is that it is fresh and human-grade. This is a high-quality fresh food choice with four different options of protein for your dog. Choose from proteins such as Beef Mash, Pork Potluck, Chicken Cuisine, and Turkey Fare for flavors your dog will love.

Nom-Nom ships right to your door, so there is no need to go shopping, and it’s developed by a vet nutritionist, so you know your dog’s dietary and health needs are being taken care of.

Nom-Nom can be an expensive food to purchase, especially for large or giant dogs, and it does require you to have freezer space to store four weeks’ worth of dog food at a time. All in all, we feel that this is the best, healthiest choice of premium dog food available.

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2. Purina One SmartBlend Dry Dog Food – Best Value

Purina One SmartBlend Dry Dog Food is one of the best premium dog foods for the money. It’s a budget-friendly option, while some other options on our list are quite expensive. That said, Purina doesn’t sacrifice quality and nutrition for a lower price. Dogs love the taste of the chicken, which is listed as the first ingredient in the ingredient list. While providing plenty of protein for your dog’s growing body, this product contains chicken by-products, which some pet owners prefer not to have in their dog food.

The only drawbacks to this premium dog food are it contains artificial caramel colors and liver flavors, which can cause sensitive dogs to have digestive issues.

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3. Kasiks Free Run Grain-Free Dry Dog Food – Premium Choice

Our choice of premium food goes to Kasiks Free Run Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. This kibble is grain-free and made only with free-range chicken. In addition, it includes kale and coconut for added health benefits. It’s also an excellent choice for sensitive pets, as the kibble is gluten-free for added protection. However, some dogs did refuse to eat this blend. All in all, however, we feel it’s a solid choice for kibble for your dog and has a 25% protein content to support muscle growth and a healthy, happy canine for years to come.

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4. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Dry Dog Food – Best for Puppies

Blue Buffalo has long been considered one of the best dog food companies on the market. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Dry Dog Food was created specifically with your puppy in mind. The kibble tastes like chicken—something all puppies tend to love—and most puppies are wild about the taste of the chicken and brown rice blend. In addition, the kibble contains LifeSource bits to promote optimum development in your growing puppy.

The only downside to this kibble for your dog is it contains more than a few pea ingredients, which cuts down on the protein quality of the blend.

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5. American Journey Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

If you prefer to feed your canine wet dog food, then you can’t go wrong with American Journey Grain-Free Canned Dog Food. Dogs love the taste of this nutritionally balanced food. The wet food is offered in two flavors—chicken and vegetable stew, and beef and vegetable stew. The two trays contain essential omega fatty acids and plenty of broth to make the food extra meaty and juicy.

Some pet parents reported their dogs wouldn’t eat the food, and it’s lacking in probiotic content. We also think it only has average protein content but is still a great choice for pet parents who want canned food.

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6. Diamond Naturals Dry Dog Food

At number six on our list is Diamond Naturals Dry Dog Food. This food is for all life stages and contains chicken as its first ingredient. In addition, it includes healthy fruits and vegetables such as papaya, pumpkin, coconut, kale, and oranges for a high antioxidant count. However, it is a budget kibble, has very little fiber, and is heavy on grains. This being a budget kibble means it’s not as high of a quality as some of the foods on our list. However, it is still healthy overall, dogs like it, and it fits almost any budget.

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7. Iam’s Adult Large Breed Dry Dog Food

Last on our list is Iam’s Adult Large Breed Dry Dog Food. Iams has long been known as a budget brand that tries to provide healthy, nutritional food for pets at a reasonable price. This kibble lists chicken as its first ingredient, which gives it a protein content of 22.5%, and it’s an affordable recipe. It does contain chicken by-products and artificial caramel coloring, though. The biggest drawback is unidentified meat in the ingredient list. In addition, some dogs don’t like the taste of the food.

Though it’s not at the top of our recommendations, it’s still a nutritional choice for those who are on a strict budget.

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Buyer’s Guide

Now that we’ve given you our reviews of the seven best premium dog foods for 2022 as we see them, you might still be wondering how to choose the best food for your canine friend. We’ll give you a few tips in the section below.

Nutritionally Balanced

The first thing you want to determine is how well-balanced the food you’re considering is. In other words, you want to be sure that the food provides a well-balanced diet for your pet. While it’s essential to check the protein levels of the kibble you choose, it’s also important to check other ingredients as well.

Not giving your pet the quality nutrition diet they need can lead to skin problems, problems with their coat, and joint and health problems as well. There are many high-quality, high-nutrition choices on our list. Always read the ingredients and do your research well on any dog food you choose for the best results.

Dietary Needs

Just as no two dog foods are the same, no two dogs are the same either. Therefore, when searching for a quality kibble to feed your pet, you need to keep your dog’s dietary needs in consideration.

For example, if your dog is sensitive to grains, you’ll want a grain-free food. If your dog is allergic to chicken, then you’ll certainly want to avoid any food that has poultry or poultry by-products as an ingredient.

If you’re unsure of the dietary needs of your pet, make an appointment with your vet. He’ll be able to determine the type of diet your pup needs and tell you what your best options for finding a dog food to meet those needs might be.

Ingredients

Just because you find a high-quality, nutrition-packed kibble doesn’t mean that your pup is going to eat it. As pet parents, we all know how picky dogs can be. So the best thing to do is find a high-quality kibble that your dog loves, then stick to it. If it takes a little trial and error to get you there, then it’s a test worth going through to find a food that’s good for your pet and that they love at the same time.

Budget

Finally, you want to consider your budget when choosing a dog food for your pet. While you never want to sacrifice quality, nutrition, or the health of your dog for a lower price, sometimes your budget stops you from buying the very best dog food out there.

Luckily, we have a few dog foods on our list that will fit into anyone’s budget.

Final Thoughts

This concludes our reviews and guide to the best seven premium dog foods in 2022. Our first choice went to Nom-Nom Now for its fresh, human-grade food and delivery service. Next, the best dog food for the money is Purina One SmartBlend Dry Dog Food for its affordability to anyone on a budget. Finally, our premium choice went to Kasiks Free Run Grain-Free Dry Dog Food because of the gluten-free ingredients.

We hope that we’ve helped you find the best premium dog food for your canine pal in 2022 and for many years to come.

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Featured Image Credit: Phuttharak, Shutterstock