If your dog recently stepped on the scale and the number was a bit high, you know it’s time to make some changes.
It’s not uncommon to see a chubby animal hobbling around a park or sidewalk these days. In fact, 56% of dogs in the US are overweight. As much as we think it’s cute, the reality is that it’s shortening your dog’s lifespan.
Your dog is probably a part of that percentage, otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. So, let’s talk about some low-calorie dog food options you can try to help your pooch shed some pounds!
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food
No artificial preservatives
Personalized meal plans
Great for picky eaters
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Best Value
Health Extension Lite
Non-GMO
For dogs with sensitive digestion problems
No artificial colors or preservatives
Check Price
Premium Choice
Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight
Good for all dog sizes
Multiple weight loss recipes
Check Price
Best for Puppies
Purina Pro Plan Sport Development
High protein and fat for active puppies
Puppies love the flavor
Check Price
Vet’s Choice
Nutro Natural Choice Healthy Weight
High fiber
Non-GMO ingredients
No artificial preservatives
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The 10 Best Low-Calorie Dog Foods
1. The Farmer’s Dog Fresh Dog Food Subscription – Best Overall
Click Here to Save 50% + Get Free Shipping with The Farmer’s Dog
Main ingredients: Chicken, Brussel sprouts, chicken liver, bok choy, broccoli
Protein content: 11.5%
Fat content: 8.5%
Calories: 590 k/cal per pound
If you’re looking for low-calorie, safe, homemade food, then The Farmer’s Dog is the best overall. This company creates personalized meal plans using fresh ingredients only. Start by completing the questionnaire and reviewing your dog’s suggested meal plan. Meal plans are based on your dog’s weight, age, activity level, and breed. The first purchase lasts up to 2 weeks.
Consumers report their dogs to have shinier coats, reduced inflammation, and better weight management. Picky eaters are no longer picky and look forward to dinner time! The downside to this meal service is the price. It’s a healthier food option, but you will pay for it. Plus, the food is fresh, so it’s not shelf-stable like dry dog food or canned wet food.
Ultimately, you will notice a change in your dog’s health by switching to fresher food. The Farmer’s Dog makes it easier by pre-portioning, saving you time and energy.
Pros
No artificial preservatives
Personalized meal plans
Great for picky eaters
Pre-portioned meals
Eco-friendly packaging
Cons
Pricey
Not as shelf stable as dry dog food
Health Extension Lite wins our choice of the low-calorie dog food that’s best for the money. This recipe uses organic deboned chicken as its main protein source and uses non-GMO ingredients without artificial colors or preservatives. This recipe is 50% less fat than Health Extension’s original recipe and it has the lowest number of calories per cup on this list.
No artificial preservatives
Personalized meal plans
Great for picky eaters
Pre-portioned meals
Eco-friendly packaging
- No artificial preservatives
- Personalized meal plans
- Great for picky eaters
- Pre-portioned meals
- Eco-friendly packaging
Pricey
Not as shelf stable as dry dog food
- Pricey
- Not as shelf stable as dry dog food
Check Price on Chewy
For the quality ingredients and the fat content and calorie ratio, this food is the best option for dogs that need to lose weight on a budget. You get about 4 cups of kibble per 1 pound of food.
The biggest con with this food is the size of the kibble. The kibble is a little bigger than a pea and could be too small for larger breeds. So, keep that in mind if your dog is naturally bigger.
Pros
Non-GMO
For dogs with sensitive digestion problems
No artificial colors or preservatives
Low fat
Cons
Kibble could be too small for large breeds
Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight Chicken Recipe is our favorite premium choice. This food is low calorie and low fat and uses chicken and pea fiber as the primary protein source.
Non-GMO
For dogs with sensitive digestion problems
No artificial colors or preservatives
Low fat
- Non-GMO
- For dogs with sensitive digestion problems
- No artificial colors or preservatives
- Low fat
Kibble could be too small for large breeds
- Kibble could be too small for large breeds
Hills is scientifically proven to work in weight loss and weight management. This high-protein, high-fiber formula is enriched with L-carnitine and coconut oil to help support your dog’s metabolism. More than 70% of dogs fed this diet lose weight within just 10 weeks! You also have four different weight loss recipes to choose from if your dog is a picky eater.
The downside is the price, so it’s our premium option for dry food. You get about 4 cups per pound of kibble, which is standard for most dog foods. But given the results, Hills is an excellent option for dogs that need to lose a lot of weight fast.
Pros
Good for all dog sizes
Multiple weight loss recipes
Cons
Not for dogs with sensitive stomachs
Increase in bowel movements
Potent smell
On average, a puppy needs about 990 calories per day. Active puppies need a few more calories to help them grow and stay active.
Good for all dog sizes
Multiple weight loss recipes
- Good for all dog sizes
- Multiple weight loss recipes
Not for dogs with sensitive stomachs
Increase in bowel movements
Potent smell
- Not for dogs with sensitive stomachs
- Increase in bowel movements
- Potent smell
Purina Pro Plan Sport Development is a great option for puppies that burn a lot of calories. This food is high in protein to help muscle development, using chicken as the primary protein source. Compared to other Purina Pro Plan puppy recipes, this recipe has more fat content to help with strength and endurance. It also has DHA, EPA, taurine, choline, and vitamin C for healthy brain development.
Technically, this food isn’t a low-calorie option. It has 472 calories per cup, so you want to be careful about overfeeding your puppy. However, puppies are so active and hyper. As long as your puppy is getting regular exercise, this diet is great until it’s time to switch to an adult food.
Pros
High protein and fat for active puppies
Puppies love the flavor
Cons
Easy to overfeed
Nutro’s Natural Choice Health Weight Recipe is our vet’s choice on this list. This recipe is high in fiber for healthy digestion and to help your dog feel fuller for longer, which is important since it’s very low calorie.
High protein and fat for active puppies
Puppies love the flavor
- High protein and fat for active puppies
- Puppies love the flavor
Easy to overfeed
- Easy to overfeed
This food has about 4 cups of kibble per pound and has a nice variety of vegetables for extra nutrients. The biggest cons with Nutro’s Healthy Weight recipe are that it’s only available in one size and the carb count is pretty high—around 49%. The recommended carb content for diabetic dogs is around 25%–30%, so you’re better off trying something else if your dog is diabetic.
Pros
High fiber
Non-GMO ingredients
No artificial preservatives
Cons
Available in one size only
Not good for diabetic dogs
VICTOR Purpose Senior Healthy Weight is number six on our list. We wanted to list a dog food that’s intended for older dogs because age plays a part in weight gain. This recipe is high in protein to help muscle and higher in fat content to help with aging.
High fiber
Non-GMO ingredients
No artificial preservatives
- High fiber
- Non-GMO ingredients
- No artificial preservatives
Available in one size only
Not good for diabetic dogs
- Available in one size only
- Not good for diabetic dogs
On top of that, this recipe has added glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support, which is important for overweight senior dogs.
You’ll get about 4 cups per pound of kibble in this bag. Adult dogs of all ages can benefit from this food, so you don’t have to buy different brands of food for each dog. The downside to this recipe is that some dogs get bad gas and diarrhea. If this happens, you may want to try a different food.
Pros
Good for sensitive stomachs
Promotes healthy, soft coat
Cons
May cause gas
May cause diarrhea
Blue Buffalo’s Fit and Healthy Natural Weight Control Recipe is next on our list. This recipe is an affordable food with added fiber to help your dog feel fuller for longer. It also has the highest amount of protein on this list.
Good for sensitive stomachs
Promotes healthy, soft coat
- Good for sensitive stomachs
- Promotes healthy, soft coat
May cause gas
May cause diarrhea
- May cause gas
- May cause diarrhea
Many owners have reported their dog’s successful weight loss journey, particularly with small dogs—like the Pug on the front of the bag!
Blue Buffalo has caused gastrointestinal (GI_ upset with their other recipes in multiple dogs, but it seems many pet owners didn’t face that issue with this recipe. The ingredient list is also long for a healthy food, but most of the ingredients are vitamins anyway.
If you can get past the fishy smell, this could be a good option for your dog to lose weight!
Pros
Affordable
Added fiber
Cons
Possible GI upset
Fishy smell
Eagle Pack Reduced Fat recipe is number eight on our list. This recipe is one of the higher-calorie foods on this list, but it has the least fat, making it a great option for dogs who need less fat but no caloric change.
Affordable
Added fiber
- Affordable
- Added fiber
Possible GI upset
Fishy smell
- Possible GI upset
- Fishy smell
Pork is the main protein ingredient instead of fish or chicken, but it does have chicken meal, turkey meal, and chicken fat. It also has glucosamine and hydrochloride for hip and joint health.
The biggest con with this food is the size of the kibble. It might be too small for large breeds. Some owners report their bags had a lot of kibble dust in it, too.
Pros
Low fat
Lots of protein options
Helps with hip and joint health
Cons
Kibble may be too small for large breeds
Dusty consistency
Nutro’s Ultra Adult Weight Management recipe is number nine on our list. This recipe combines chicken, lamb, and salmon into one recipe for lean muscle and a shiny coat. This food has about 4 cups of kibble per pound and has a nice variety of vegetables for extra nutrients.
Low fat
Lots of protein options
Helps with hip and joint health
- Low fat
- Lots of protein options
- Helps with hip and joint health
Kibble may be too small for large breeds
Dusty consistency
- Kibble may be too small for large breeds
- Dusty consistency
Nutro’s weight management recipe is best for dogs that weigh between 15–65 pounds. It’s also better for weight control, not weight loss. We’ve listed it as number nine for this reason. So, if your goal for your dog is weight loss, you might want to try a different food. However, daily exercise is key so your dog could still lose weight.
Pros
Lots of protein options
Non-GMO ingredients
No artificial preservatives, coloring, or flavors
Variety of vegetables
Cons
Better for weight control
Best for dogs between 15–65 pounds
- Freshpet Dog Food Nature’s Fresh Chicken Loaf Check Latest Price
Main ingredients: Chicken, carrots, pea protein, eggs, natural flavors
Protein content: 17%
Fat content: 10%
Calories: 261 k/cal per cup
Last on our list is Freshpet’s Chicken Loaf. This food is a refrigerated meal loaf full of vitamins, minerals, and fresh protein. It’s a little different from canned food because it doesn’t have gravy and needs to be refrigerated at all times.
Lots of protein options
Non-GMO ingredients
No artificial preservatives, coloring, or flavors
Variety of vegetables
- Lots of protein options
- Non-GMO ingredients
- No artificial preservatives, coloring, or flavors
- Variety of vegetables
Better for weight control
Best for dogs between 15–65 pounds
- Better for weight control
- Best for dogs between 15–65 pounds
We love this option because dogs love sinking their teeth into the fresh meat. Plus, it’s low calorie, non-GMO, and a nice alternative to dry food.
This food is grain free, and most dogs should have some grain in their diet unless otherwise stated by your veterinarian. Some dogs with allergies could benefit from this food if you need to avoid grains.
The downside is that because it’s so low in calories, you’ll go through this food much faster than dry food. A quick fix to this is mixing in some of the Freshpet meal loaf with a dry food of your choice. Your dog will love it!
Pros
Low fat
No gravy
Low calorie
Non-GMO
Cons
Needs refrigerated
Runs out fast
Low fat
No gravy
Low calorie
Non-GMO
- Low fat
- No gravy
- Low calorie
- Non-GMO
Needs refrigerated
Runs out fast
- Needs refrigerated
- Runs out fast
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Low-Calorie Dog Foods
The Best Dog Food for Weight Loss
The best dog food for weight loss focuses on more protein and fiber and less fat and calories.
Protein stimulates metabolism and energy consumption and makes you feel full. Fiber also helps you feel full, but it contains less energy. So, your dog will ideally burn more calories and eat less food.
L-Carnitine
It’s possible the amino acid L-carnitine can help humans and animals with weight loss, although the research is slim. The main role of L-carnitine is to help the body produce energy.
L-carnitine is usually found in animal products like meat or fish.
The best protein sources for L-carnitine are:
Beef: 81 mg per 3 ounces
Pork: 24 mg per 3 ounces
Fish: 5 mg per 3 ounces
Chicken: 3 mg per 3 ounces
It’s also possible that L-carnitine aids in exercise performance. You’ll find L-carnitine listed in many pet foods aiding in weight management.
Beef: 81 mg per 3 ounces
Pork: 24 mg per 3 ounces
Fish: 5 mg per 3 ounces
Chicken: 3 mg per 3 ounces
- Beef: 81 mg per 3 ounces
- Pork: 24 mg per 3 ounces
- Fish: 5 mg per 3 ounces
- Chicken: 3 mg per 3 ounces
How Many Calories Should a Dog Eat to Lose Weight?
Dog breeds vary in weight, so there isn’t a set weight for all dogs. It doesn’t make sense to give a Yorkshire Terrier and Great Dane the same weight goal. Instead, veterinarians use a body condition score (BCS).
A BCS is a score between one and nine that measures your dog’s body fat and how it’s distributed throughout your dog’s body.
Your veterinarian uses this score to compare your dog’s current weight to its ideal weight. A score below five is considered underweight and/or malnourished. A score over six is considered overweight or obese.
An ideal weight is about a five or six and meets the following criteria:
The ribs are easily detectable with a small fat layering
The waist is easily seen from above
The abdomen looks tucked behind the rib cage when seen from the side and above
How many calories your dog should eat depends on how much energy your dog burns and your dog’s current BCS.
The ribs are easily detectable with a small fat layering
The waist is easily seen from above
The abdomen looks tucked behind the rib cage when seen from the side and above
- The ribs are easily detectable with a small fat layering
- The waist is easily seen from above
- The abdomen looks tucked behind the rib cage when seen from the side and above
So, if your dog’s BCS is over six, your dog needs to exercise more and eat fewer calories to lose weight.
Your veterinarian can give you a weight goal after assessing your dog’s BCS, so you have a number to shoot for. You can also use this calorie calculator for dogs to give you an idea of how many calories your dog should consume on its weight loss journey.
Side Note: We understand that senior dogs or dogs with disabilities may not be able to exercise as much. In that case, you’ll feed your dog fewer calories to compensate for less movement.
How to Calculate Your Dog’s Caloric Intake
Thankfully, counting your dog’s calories isn’t difficult since dog food bags have done most of the work for you.
All you have to do is:
Check how many k/cal per cup are in your dog’s food. If the bag reads 325 k/cal per cup, then 1 cup will have 325 calories.
Record how many cups of food per day your dog eats (this includes treats).
Multiply the cups of food and calories.
6 cups of kibble x 325 calories = 1,950 calories per day
Check how many k/cal per cup are in your dog’s food. If the bag reads 325 k/cal per cup, then 1 cup will have 325 calories.
Record how many cups of food per day your dog eats (this includes treats).
Multiply the cups of food and calories.
- Check how many k/cal per cup are in your dog’s food. If the bag reads 325 k/cal per cup, then 1 cup will have 325 calories.
- Record how many cups of food per day your dog eats (this includes treats).
- Multiply the cups of food and calories.
Tips to Help Your Dog Stay Healthy
Now you have all the resources you need. You have a list of foods to choose from, and you know how to count your dog’s calories. Is that enough?
Well, it’s certainly a good start. But the goal shouldn’t be a quick fix. You want to aim for a lifestyle change.
Here are a few tips to help your dog stay healthy:
Start Small: Don’t stress your dog out with too many changes unless the weight puts your dog in a medical emergency. Start with short walks instead of long ones.
Get Daily Exercise: Daily exercise is key. If your dog can’t exercise because of medical reasons, then you’ll need to cut back on calories. But, if your dog can, take your dog for a walk or run every day. Encourage play time and get the body moving. It’ll be good for your dog and you!
No Treats: For now, anyway. Until your dog reaches the goal. Once the goal is reached, offer healthy snacks like baby carrots or low-fat treats.
Frequent Weigh-Ins: Weight checks are free at vet clinics. Call ahead of time and let the staff know you’re bringing your dog in for a weight check and they can record the progress.
The following video is purely for motivation for getting your dog fit and healthy. This Golden Retriever was 173 pounds until someone took the time to help him. Watch his progress and get inspired!
Start Small: Don’t stress your dog out with too many changes unless the weight puts your dog in a medical emergency. Start with short walks instead of long ones.
Get Daily Exercise: Daily exercise is key. If your dog can’t exercise because of medical reasons, then you’ll need to cut back on calories. But, if your dog can, take your dog for a walk or run every day. Encourage play time and get the body moving. It’ll be good for your dog and you!
No Treats: For now, anyway. Until your dog reaches the goal. Once the goal is reached, offer healthy snacks like baby carrots or low-fat treats.
Frequent Weigh-Ins: Weight checks are free at vet clinics. Call ahead of time and let the staff know you’re bringing your dog in for a weight check and they can record the progress.
- Start Small: Don’t stress your dog out with too many changes unless the weight puts your dog in a medical emergency. Start with short walks instead of long ones.
- Get Daily Exercise: Daily exercise is key. If your dog can’t exercise because of medical reasons, then you’ll need to cut back on calories. But, if your dog can, take your dog for a walk or run every day. Encourage play time and get the body moving. It’ll be good for your dog and you!
- No Treats: For now, anyway. Until your dog reaches the goal. Once the goal is reached, offer healthy snacks like baby carrots or low-fat treats.
- Frequent Weigh-Ins: Weight checks are free at vet clinics. Call ahead of time and let the staff know you’re bringing your dog in for a weight check and they can record the progress.
Final Thoughts
We hope these reviews give you insight to the best low-calorie dog foods on the market. Our best overall choice is The Farmer’s Dog. You can’t go wrong with fresh food on a weight loss journey. Our favorite food for the money is Health Extention’s LITE recipe. It’s low in fat and high in protein, plus it’s easy on the wallet. The premium option is Hill’s Perfect Weight Recipe because of its high success rate.
Choose Purina Pro Plan’s Sport Development for puppies, and go with our vet’s choice, Nutro’s Natural Choice Healthy Weight for a high protein, low-fat, and low-calorie diet.
Featured Image Credit: Pixel-Shot, Shutterstock
