Nom Nom Dog Food Review

What is Nom Nom?

The market for gently cooked pet food is exploding—there are now tons of options for human-grade meals for your furry friends that can be delivered to your door as part of a subscription service. But Nom Nom stands out from the crowd: Not only are their meals human-grade and shipped for free, their chow is also backed by research studies.

Those studies mean that unlike other subscription pet foods, you have more than anecdotal evidence demonstrating how Nom Nom’s food will improve your pet’s health—there are hard numbers to back it up. After just four weeks eating Nom Nom, 61 percent of dogs saw an increase in appetite, 48 percent were more active and had better coats, and 58 percent pooped less often. And that poop percentage matters: It means the dogs were digesting more of the food. In fact, in another study on digestibility, dogs fed Nom Nom digested and absorbed 90 to 95 percent of the calories in their food, compared to just 85 percent digested for another group fed a “nutritionally similar” kibble.

Nom Nom’s dedication to science starts at the top: While other subscription pet meal services are advised by veterinary nutritionists, every Nom Nom meal is formulated by their on-staff board-certified veterinary nutritionist, Dr. Justin Shmalberg. The meals his team develops offer a mix of meat, vegetables, oils and vitamins, and all meet the nutritional level standards established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for pet food.

For dogs, Nom Nom offers four recipes: Beef Mash, Chicken Cuisine, Pork Potluck and Turkey Fare. Each starts with human-grade meat, which is mixed with vegetables like russet potatoes, carrots, spinach, squash, kale and others. The beef and turkey meals also include eggs. All the recipes are fortified with oils, like sunflower, canola and fish oil, and include vitamin supplements—E, D and B vitamins are included, as well as minerals.

For cats, there’s only one flavor at this time—Chicken Cuisine. The recipe includes chicken thigh, chicken breast, chicken liver, carrots, spinach and vitamin supplements.

Since different ingredients have different cooking times and temperatures, both the dog and cat meals are prepared with each ingredient cooked separately, then combined afterwards. The meals are all prepared and packaged in kitchens that Nom Nom owns and operates in Nashville, Tennessee, and near San Francisco. There are no preservatives or fillers in Nom Nom meals.

In addition to pet food, Nom Nom offers jerky treats and probiotic supplements for both dogs and cats. The probiotic supplements can be added to food with a small scoop, and comes in two formulas for dogs—a “full spectrum,” nine-bacteria formula that the company says can help “normal” dogs with digestion and immune function, and a “GI-targeted” formula of five bacteria to improve digestive health for dogs that get queasy.

Nom Nom’s veterinary nutritionists have also determined the right portions to help keep your pet fit and happy—and they’ve taken the guesswork out of how much to feed them with pre-portioned meals customized for your pet. When you sign up, you’ll fill out a simple questionnaire to tell Nom Nom about your dog or cat’s age, weight, breed, body shape and any medical issues. This information is used to help you pick the right recipes, but also determines the exact portions (and price of those portions) your pet will receive. That means there’s no measuring: When you get your Nom Nom meals, you just open each individually-portioned meal and plop it into your pet’s bowl.

There’s also no shopping: Subscribers to Nom Nom get their meals—and probiotics and treats—delivered for free anywhere in the contiguous 48 states. When you sign up, you’ll be shipped a trial package with two weeks of food—either meals to cover all of your pet’s daily eating, or half-portions that can be mixed with “traditional” food for a lower price. The trial package is shipped in fully-recyclable packaging. Once it arrives, the majority of Nom Nom meals should go in your freezer; move a few to the refrigerator every few days to defrost and serve.

After your two-week trial, Nom Nom will ship (and bill you for) four weeks of food at a time—this amount can be adjusted to fit your schedule. If your dog or cat doesn’t like Nom Nom, the company will refund up to 30 days’ worth of food, and you can alter, pause or cancel your subscription at any time.

Nom Nom has studies on the effects of their foods, but their fans have more to say: Reviewers report not just that their pets gobble up their gently cooked Nom Nom meals, but the food has given their pets better breath, softer coats, increased stamina, and an overall happier life.

Nom Nom takes the guesswork out of feeding your pet better food with pre-portioned meals based on your furry friend’s weight, breed, age and medical issues. With an easy-to-use delivery system, it couldn’t be simpler. And with meals designed by scientists and that are constantly being studied to get even better, you can feel great knowing that Nom Nom is dedicated to feeding your pet truly healthy food—with results that can be quantified by research.

How It Works

Nom Nom delivers pre-portioned, pre-cooked meals for your dog and cat directly to your door. The meals are designed for your pet’s specific age, weight, body shape, breed and medical issues, with food formulated by veterinary nutritionists and backed by scientific study.

When you sign up on the Nom Nom website, you’ll fill out a profile for your pet. This includes their name, age, sex, breed and weight. You’ll be asked to choose between three body shapes—underweight, ideal or overweight, with helpful pictures and descriptions. And, finally, from a list of issues your pet might be experiencing—picky eating, food allergies, a dull or flaky coat, and arthritis or joint pain.

When you’ve finished building your pet’s profile, Nom Nom will help you build a two-week trial pack. For your dog, this trial box can include two of their four recipes. For cats, there’s only one flavor. When we filled in the info for our dog, Nom Nom recommended their Beef Mash and Chicken Cuisine flavors.

Your pet’s specific nutritional needs will determine the amount in each meal—our dog needs to lose about five pounds, so his meals will be on a reduced-calorie plan until he’s reached his ideal weight. (He’s not alone. More than half of American dogs are overweight). Since our cat is already an ideal weight, his meals will help keep him there.

The amount in each meal is also partially determined by you: Nom Nom offers full portions, where your pet eats all Nom Nom food, or “half portions,” which are designed to be mixed with traditional pet food to give it a fresh boost. Half portions are available for larger dogs over 40 pounds during checkout. If there are dogs who are under 40 pounds that would like to do half portions, simply contact the Nom Nom care team for assistance.

Your pet’s nutritional needs and portion sizes will determine the price of each delivery from Nom Nom—so the price is different for every pet lover. For an all-Nom Nom diet for our 40-pound dog, food would cost $40.96 per week, or $5.85 per day. For our 10-pound tabby to eat all Nom Nom would cost $31.35 per week, or $4.47 per day. The trial box is cheaper: Nom Nom offers a discount off the first two-week order.

The two week trial of food is shipped for free anywhere in the contiguous 48 states, and is delivered in a refrigerated box made of all recyclable materials. Delivery windows and dates can be set to fit your schedule. When it arrives, most of your Nom Nom meals should be moved to the freezer. A few of the pre-portioned packets can be kept in the refrigerator, and you’ll thaw more every few days.

When it’s feeding time, there’s no measuring needed: Just pull out one of the pre-portioned packages from the fridge, open it, and empty the entire package into your pet’s bowl.

The meals have the appearance of a chopped up hamburger (or chicken or pork or turkey burger) that’s been mixed with vegetables—because that’s what it is. Nom Nom’s dedicated kitchens pre-cook the ingredients individually, then mix them together to create the final meals. In addition to one of the proteins listed, the dog meals include eggs and vegetables like carrots, spinach, green beans and squash. Nom Nom dog food is also fortified with healthy fats from oil—like sunflower oil, canola oil and fish oil—and a proprietary vitamin and mineral blend.

There’s only one recipe for cat food: Chicken Cuisine includes chicken thigh, chicken breast, chicken liver, carrots, spinach and vitamin supplements.

Once your two-week trial box is finished, Nom Nom will bill you and ship four weeks of food at a time—or, if you like, a different amount. You can pause or cancel your plan at any time, and you can change the amount of food you’re sent—you can switch to the half-portion plan, or change the recipes.

If your pet doesn’t like Nom Nom’s food after 30 days of trying it, the company will refund 30 days of your purchase price.

Nom Nom Dog Food Ingredients

Nom Nom offers four different recipes for dogs: Beef Mash, Chicken Cuisine, Pork Potluck and Turkey Fare. Each starts with human-grade meat, which is mixed with vegetables, oils, and a proprietary vitamin and mineral supplement blend.

Beef Mash includes russet potatoes, eggs, carrots and fish oil. Chicken Cuisine includes sweet potatoes, squash, spinach, sunflower oil and canola oil. Pork Potluck has russet potatoes, green beans, squash, kale, brown mushrooms and fish oil. Turkey Fare has brown rice, eggs, carrots, spinach and fish oil.

There’s only one flavor for cats—Chicken Cuisine. This meal includes chicken thigh, chicken breast, chicken liver, carrots, spinach and a proprietary vitamin blend.

Nom Nom also offers probiotic supplements that can be added to food for a digestive and immunity boost. The “Full Spectrum” formula for dogs gives dogs with normal digestive health an immunity and digestive boost with nine bacteria, while the “GI-targeted” formula has five bacteria to improve digestive health for dogs that get queasy. There’s one option for cats, which includes four bacteria.

Nom Nom’s jerky treats have just one ingredient each: The beef jerky is USDA-certified top sirloin, and the chicken jerky is USDA-certified chicken breast.

None of Nom Nom’s meals or treats have any preservatives or fillers. All of their meals are prepared in Nom Nom’s dedicated kitchens in Nashville, Tennessee, and outside San Francisco. The Nom Nom team pre-cooks the ingredients individually, then mixes them together to create the final meals.

How Much is Nom Nom Dog Food?

The price of Nom Nom meals are determined by the weight, age, breed, body shape and medical issues of your pet. So the price is different for everyone: Food for a sleek calico will cost less than meals for a boxer that’s gotten a little boxier in old age.

For dogs that weigh 10 to 15 pounds, you can expect to spend $30 to $40 per week to feed an all-Nom Nom diet. Small cats can cost you as little as $2 per day with monthly delivery. Nom Nom says that tiny dogs will cost $3 per day, while feeding larger dogs an all-Nom Nom diet can cost up to $10 per day.

That’s expensive, and some pets need some time to adjust to an all-fresh diet. Nom Nom offers “half portions” that can be mixed with traditional pet food—these can help pets adjust, and also cost less. When we priced our pets’ food, switching to half-portions reduced the price by 34 percent.

Nom Nom starts with a two-week trial. Trial food is shipped for free anywhere in the contiguous 48 states and is delivered in a refrigerated box made of all recyclable materials. Delivery windows and dates can be set to fit your schedule. When it arrives, most of your Nom Nom meals should be moved to the freezer. A few of the pre-portioned packets can be kept in the refrigerator, and you’ll thaw more every few days.

Once your two-week trial box is finished, Nom Nom will bill you and ship four weeks of food at a time—or, if you like, a different amount. You can pause or cancel your plan at any time, and you can change the amount of food you’re sent—you can switch to the half-portion plan, or change the recipes you’re being sent.

How Does It Compare?

With so many fresh, human-grade pet foods, it’s hard to know which one is perfect for your pet. Here’s how Nom Nom stacks up against other pet plans:

Why We Love It: The Bottom Line

Nom Nom offers made-to-order meals of human-grade food for your dog or cat, delivered directly to your door. With pre-portioned packaging and simple delivery schedules, Nom Nom makes feeding your pet a healthy, fresh diet simple.

By building a simple profile of your pet with their short quiz, Nom Nom learns your pet’s weight, age, breed, body shape and medical issues to create meals—and portions—that are specifically designed for your pet. These meals are prepared in one of two exclusive Nom Nom kitchens, from human-grade meats and vegetables. Your pet’s customized food is then delivered to your door without shipping fees.

Nom Nom gets science involved in the development of their meals: Not only is each meal formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, but Nom Nom conducts studies on their food to test its results on animal health and to continue to improve their recipes.

Those studies show that pets fed Nom Nom have shinier coats and healthier digestive systems. Fans of the service also say their pets’ breath smells better and they’ve got more energy than before.

But the best part: It’s so simple. There’s no measuring with Nom Nom, or guessing the right portion of gently cooked  food for your pet’s nutritional needs. Each meal is pre-measured and packaged for your pet, so you can empty it all into their bowl, knowing you’re serving your furry friend the right amount to improve their health and happiness.

About Nom Nom

When one of Alex Jarrell and Zach Phillipps’ Australian shepherd puppies, Harlee, had an immune deficiency, their vet suggested preparing their own gently cooked meals to help her out. The founders wanted to provide other pet lovers an easier way to feed their dogs meals that would support immunity—so they partnered with veterinary nutritionists to launch Nom Nom in 2014. The company now has 177 employees, and is headquartered in the San Francisco area.