Raw feeding can feel like it has two “camps”:
Camp A: “Every bowl must be complete and balanced.”
Camp B: “Relax. Balance it over time.”
Here’s the truth: both can work. The goal is the same, no matter what model you follow: meet your dog’s needs consistently, support long-term health, and do it in a way you can maintain.
Let’s break it all down.
Balance Over Time vs. Complete & Balanced Diets
What “complete and balanced” means
A complete and balanced diet is formulated to meet a nutrition standard (like NRC or AAFCO) every day, in every serving, or at least in a very consistent, measurable way.
Benefits:
Great for people who want high confidence and precision.
Helpful for dogs with medical needs where nutrient targets matter (growth, kidney disease, pancreatitis history, etc.).
Makes it easier to track exact nutrients like zinc, iodine, vitamin D, copper, and omega-3s.
Less guesswork if you use a formulation tool or professional guidance.
I focus on daily balance for puppies by feeding commercial raw that’s formulated for all life stages, then adding a few whole foods to help cover the extra nutritional needs of a growing pup.
What “balance over time” means
Balance over time means your dog’s diet hits nutritional needs across a window of time, like a week or two, rather than requiring every meal to be “perfect.”
Think: you rotate proteins, organs, bones, and whole foods so the overall pattern adds up.
Benefits:
More realistic for busy homes.
Easier to stay consistent long-term (and consistency is where results come from).
Encourages variety, which can help cover nutrient gaps naturally.
Helps many people avoid perfectionism, food fear, and burnout.
This is how I feed my adult and senior dogs; it makes the most sense for my dogs.
So which is “better”?
Neither is morally superior. The better approach is the one you can do safely and consistently.
Because I’m an accountant, this is how I define the difference:
Complete and balanced is like accounting: exact numbers.
Balance over time is like budgeting: still responsible, just tracked differently.
An Example of Balance Over Time
I feed my dogs DIY ground blends that are a combination of 80-10-10 grinds sourced locally and additional whole foods that fill any nutritional gaps. I use Animal Diet Formulator to create recipes for my dogs.
But, although these recipes are balanced, I’m still balancing over time because I don’t mix everything into my grinds.
I don’t add chicken eggs, sardines, and kelp to my blends; choosing to add them to my dogs’ meals during the week.
I add gently cooked chicken eggs - I cook the egg whites to deactivate the natural biotin blocker. The number of days my dogs get eggs depends on the protein.
I don’t add sardines to my grinds because they are rich in thiaminase, which blocks B vitamins. I alternate with salmon and salmon oil; I don’t re-formulate recipes to account for the changes in Omega-3 sources.
I add kelp to my dogs’ meals daily because I use a product formulated for pets, and there’s less of a risk of adding too much iodine to their diet.
There’s mixed information about how seriously we should take theanti-nutrient risks of egg whites and sardines.
Why Following Multiple Raw Feeding Models Helps
Here’s a secret a lot of experienced fresh feeders learn over time: you don’t have to marry one model.
Different models each have strengths. Borrowing from multiple approaches can help you:
Build more variety without stressing about “breaking the rules”
Fill common nutrient gaps more easily (manganese, vitamin E, iodine)
Adjust based on your dog’s needs, your budget, and what you can source locally
Keep meal prep flexible and sustainable
One model might help you nail the “meat, bone, organ” foundation. Another might remind you to include fiber-rich plants. Another might guide rotation and supplementation in a simple way.
That’s not being inconsistent. That’s being practical.
What Is Prey Model Raw (PMR)?
Prey Model Raw (PMR) aims to mimic the approximate composition of a whole prey animal.
A common starting point is:
80% muscle meat
10% edible bone
5% liver
5% other secreting organ (kidney, spleen, pancreas, brain, etc.)
Some people include things like fur/feathers or whole prey items when available, but it’s not required to understand the base idea.
Example (PMR-style day)
Beef muscle meat
Chicken necks (edible bone)
Beef liver
Pork kidney
PMR is simple and clean, and it teaches you the foundation: meat, bone, and organ matter. This is why I chose PMR as the foundation of my dog food recipes. I also feed PMR meals when:
I’m between completed meal preps
I want to give my dogs a simple, basic meal
I forgot to thaw a batch of dog food
What Is BARF?
BARF is commonly described as either:
Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, or
Bones and Raw Food
BARF typically includes:
Raw meaty bones
Muscle meat and organs
Plus plant matter (blended/pureed vegetables and fruit)
Sometimes additions like eggs, fatty fish, dairy, seeds, and whole food supplements
One common BARF framework is:
70% meat
10% bone
10% organs
10% plant matter
Percentages vary by practitioner and dog.
Example (BARF-style day)
Turkey muscle meat
Duck necks (bone)
Beef liver + spleen (organs)
Pureed veggie mix (like leafy greens + broccoli + blueberries)
An egg or sardines
The BARF model is more prevalent because many commercial brands follow a similar model. It can be helpful for people who like adding whole foods that support the gut, antioxidants, and phytonutrients.
What Is the Ancestral Model?
The Ancestral Model is a practical, modern approach to feeding fresh food that focuses on:
A strong meat/bone/organ base
Variety over time
Strategic use of whole foods and supplements
Realistic routines that fit real life
In many ancestral-style approaches, you’ll see:
Rotating proteins weekly
Adding “nutrient boosters” like eggs, fatty fish, green tripe, or whole food supplements
Not obsessing over perfect numbers every day, but still being intentional
Example (Ancestral-style week pattern)
Across a week you might rotate:
Beef blend + RMBs on some days
Turkey blend + egg + sardines on other days
A “simple day” of RMBs or goat milk
Whole food add-ons like mushrooms, kefir, berries, or a veggie mix
The big idea is: nutrient coverage comes from rotation and repetition of smart ingredients, not from stress.
Why Rotating Proteins and Ingredients Matters
If you only feed one protein forever, you can accidentally create nutrient blind spots.
Different proteins bring different strengths:
Beef tends to be rich in zinc and B vitamins
Pork can be a great thiamine source
Turkey is usually lean and easy for many dogs
Sardines/anchovies bring omega-3s, vitamin D, and selenium
Green tripe supports the gut and adds natural enzymes
Organs vary a lot: spleen is not the same as kidney, and neither is the same as liver
Rotation helps:
Reduce the risk of long-term deficiencies
Improve nutrient diversity naturally
Keep meals interesting (for picky dogs and burned-out humans 😅)
Potentially lower the chance of developing sensitivities for some dogs
A simple goal: 3 to 5 proteins over a month, plus consistent organ variety. I alternate the main protein in my dogs’ meals weekly, allowing me to feed 3-4 proteins each month.
Tools and Resources That Make Recipe Building Easier
If you’re the kind of person who feels calmer with numbers, tools help a lot.
Animal Diet Formulator (ADF)
ADF is designed for people who want to build recipes with actual nutrient targets in mind. It can help you:
See macro and micronutrient totals
Catch gaps (like vitamin E, iodine, manganese, zinc)
Adjust supplements strategically instead of guessing
Feed Real Institute calculators
Feed Real Institute calculators are helpful for building recipes with structure and confidence, especially if you’re working within an ancestral-style approach and want support with:
Ingredient amounts based on dog size
Percent-based planning
Making sure your bases are solid before you get fancy
Working with a professional canine nutritionist
A qualified professional can be worth it if:
Your dog has health issues or unique needs
You feel overwhelmed and want a plan you can follow
You want a “set it and forget it” recipe you can rotate confidently
It’s not a flex to struggle. Getting help is smart.
Use Free Recipes Found Online
Many people use free recipes found in books, online, or on social media platforms. While this can serve as a great way to start, it’s not something I feel comfortable leaning on because many recipes are formulated for specific dogs and may not be a good fit over time for your dog.
Free recipes are a good idea if:
You’re looking to get started feeding fresh food
You have time to continue educating yourself about canine nutrition so you can identify flaws in these recipes
You understand that these recipes aren’t always for ALL dogs
I share my recipes on social media with a disclaimer that they are for informational purposes only, as each recipe is formulated for my four dogs and may not work for others.
Raw Feeding Isn’t Supposed to Be Complicated
Raw feeding is not meant to feel like a daily test you can fail.
Yes, nutrients matter. But so does:
consistency
variety
using what you can access
building routines you can maintain
And here’s my honest take: if I didn’t have Animal Diet Formulator, I would follow the Ancestral Model.
Will it be perfectly NRC balanced on paper every single day? Probably not.
But with weekly variety, rotating proteins, rotating organs, and using smart “nutrient helper” foods, I believe it gets close enough for many healthy dogs, and it’s a plan people can actually stick with.
Because the best diet isn’t the most complicated one.
It’s the one you can do safely, consistently, and with confidence.