First there was the horse meat scandal, now it is the ingredient scandal. With headlines continually highlighting the need to remove ultra processed foods from our diets, it is shocking to see how even high end ready meals are still packed full of them.
However, these ultra-processed meals are not just an issue for humans, as we should be looking more closely at our dog’s diet too.
Nutritionists unanimously agree that ultra processed foods in the human diet are the leading cause of diet related diseases, including autoimmune disease, cardiovascular health, allergies, and chronic digestive issues. That’s no different for our dogs. Ted’s Bowl is leading the charge and championing dog owners to remove UPFs from our pets’ diets too and help keep our four legged friends healthy.
Ted’s Bowl, the UK’s only ready meal for dogs using human grade meat and no nasties, has also compared the ingredients in a range of ready meals, from high-end products such as Cook right through to the cheaper supermarket own brand options, showcasing how are dogs are actually getting a better meal than we are.
Ted’s Bowl has looked at high end ready meals vs its ingredients to truly demonstrate the better deal our dogs are getting.
| Brand | % of meat | Ingredients |
| Ted’s Bowl’s Beef with Sweet Potato | 70% | Just beef, vegetables and added vitamins and minerals |
| Cook’s Shepherd’s Pie | 25% | Thickening agent, binding agent, emulsifier |
| Waitrose Cottage Pie | 19% | Potato maltodextrin |
| Wiltshire Farm Foods Shepherd’s Pie | 13% | Stabilisers |
| Iceland’s Cottage Pie | 11% | Emulsifiers, stabilisers, modified maize starch, lemon juice from concentrate, maltodextrin |
While we know price does play contributing fact to the number of UPFs found in a ready meal, it seems even the high end products are guilty of adding ingredients not found in the average store cupboard.
Ted’s Bowl is on a mission to get dog owners choosing dishes that they themselves would be happy to eat. “If we aren’t willing to eat it, then why should they,” says Co-Founder Sara Pearson.
Unlike consumer ready meals, the Ted’s Bowl range for dogs does not contain preservatives, fillers, or any processed ingredients. They are truly convenient and totally free of the constituents that so frequently make up human ready meals. Just rich in nourishment and packed with wholesome ingredients such as meat, vegetables and added vitamins and minerals – it would be more nutritious for us to eat our dog’s ready meal than our own!
