Why My Whole Family (Pets Included) Eats According To This Philosophy
By Alexandra Dawson, a Washington, DC based nutritionist, wellness warrior, mama bird, and the writer and photographer behind inmybowl.com
A few months before my husband Andrew and I welcomed our son Poe, our little family brought home Rooster Lou, a Great Pyrenees hailing from the hills of Asheville, North Carolina. The not-so-teensy fluff ball quickly sprouted into a 95-pound gentle giant; every inch of her wholly made of love and fur (lots of it!). She is an integral member of our tribe and Poe’s “big sissy,” always keeping her watchful eye and gentle cuddles directed his way.
Rooster comes along on every family adventure, from our long weekend hikes outside Washington, D.C. to our slower morning coffee shop jaunts. Her warmth and energy are not only abundant and unconditional, they’re infectious. Seeing as she was our first baby, keeping Rooster nourished and vibrant is one of our top priorities. We don’t want her to just keep up—we want her to really shine!
Photo by Rachel Lyn Photography
Our family’s food philosophy is all about quality and simplicity.
Andrew and I don’t follow regimented diets, but find the greatest sense of wellness by keeping our meals as minimally processed, seasonally influenced, and plant-rich as possible—supplementing with high-protein options like locally sourced and organic eggs, wild-caught salmon, and animal proteins for Andrew. We’ve found this practice supports mindful eating, making us conscious of how we’re sourcing our ingredients, who we’re supporting at the register, and the ethics behind the ingredients and how they’re produced. This approach has also helped us foster physically and emotionally positive relationships with our plates and bodies, something we hope to instill in Poe.
Photo by Rachel Lyn Photography
Rooster’s nutrition is as important as our own.
Both working and parenting full-time, Andrew and I tend to keep make-ahead friendly meal options handy—like pre-roasted seasonal vegetables, pre-simmered grains like quinoa, farro, and brown rice, and raw fruits, nuts, and seed. Prepared during our Sunday afternoon meal-prep sessions, these pantry staples are perfect additions to leafy salads, macro bowls, almond-flour-tortilla tacos, creamy smoothies, and sweet or savory porridge pots. And just like our own meals, Andrew and I are respectful of Rooster’s favorites. A big girl with a bigger, albeit moderately picky, appetite, Rooster has significant nutritive needs to keep her body nourished, her coat shiny, her skin healthy, her teeth clean—and to maintain her sweet and energetic disposition.
Photo by Rachel Lyn Photography
Finding an option that we all love and approve of.
In our search for a food with the nutrition she needs and the taste she craves we’ve found the most success in feeding Rooster CORE RawRev’s Wild Game + 100 % Raw Lamb dog food. Made with high-protein kibble and 100 percent pure freeze-dried raw meat, this high-protein food has an ingredient list Andrew and I would feel comfortable digging into ourselves: Duck, lamb (an excellent source of protein with lower incidence of allergic response), chickpeas, flaxseeds (rich in coat-shining omega-3s), parsley, kale, apples, and blueberries (rich in vitamins A and C). Each ingredient has a nutritive and palatable purpose.
This grain-, gluten-, and potato-free line supports Rooster’s whole body health and longevity, while keeping in line with our mealtime philosophies. Snagging their largest 18-pound bags to have handy, we’re able to satisfy Rooster’s instinctive love and craving for raw meat with the ease and convenience we provide for ourselves with our own meal prep.
Rooster is so much more than our dog; she’s our sunshine, our gentle giant, and our fearless companion. Keeping her well and thriving is always of the utmost importance—we’re so happy to have found an option that makes all of us happy.
Originally published on Mind Body Green.
Alexandra Dawson is a Washington, DC based nutritionist, wellness warrior, mama bird, and the writer and photographer behind celebrated plant-based lifestyle and recipe website inmybowl.com and Instagram @tallulahalexandra. Extremely passionate about whole body wellness, a balance between a nourished mind, body and spirit, through In My Bowl and Tallulah, Alexandra actively strives to make that philosophy and lifestyle accessible to every demographic.