Freeze-Dried Food for Puppies
Puppy Balancer™ is a concentrated blend of whole food vitamins and minerals that in combination with the Simple Food Project diets meet AAFCO’s Growth & Reproduction standards.
It’s clean, simple, and built for growing four-leggers.
Pair it with our freeze-dried recipes—each one made with 19 or fewer honest-to-raw ingredients, including USDA-inspected meats and organic produce. No synthetics. No fillers. Just real food, freeze-dried to keep every bit of it working in the bowl.
*Not all recipes require Puppy Balancer—check the chart or scroll to FAQs for details.
Why Simple Food Project
What We Say Yes To
Because your four-legger deserves the real deal.
 | Vet-formulated & owned by Dr. Chris Bessent |
| Independently owned — no venture capital or outside stakeholders |
| Made in-house at our human-grade GMP facility |
| Proudly rooted in Wisconsin |
| Freeze-dried raw to lock in 97%+ nutrients |
| Carnivore-balanced (70–80% meat for dogs, 80–90% for cats) |
| Low-carb recipes with as few as 7% carbs from fresh fruits, seeds, veggies |
| Minimalist recipes (as few as 10 ingredients, never more than 19) |
| USDA-inspected meats, organic produce, whole-food only sourcing |
| Calcium from ground bone—no synthetic additives |
| Rich in omegas from wild-caught krill (with unheard-of 1:1–1:2 Omega 6:3 ratios) |
| Taurine from real meat—no synthetics needed |
| Formulated using Food Energetics to support internal balance |
| Medley-style nuggets: freeze-dried + air-dried for texture & taste |
| Batch-logged & fully traceable (you can track each run) |
| Every batch 3rd-party tested for quality & safety |
| Low-temp pasteurization to kill pathogens without damaging nutrients |
| Feeding thousands of dogs & cats since 2017 |
| $2.70–$3.04/day for a 30 lb dog—freeze-dried feeding that doesn’t break the bank |
| All the benefits of raw feeding—none of the freezer, prep, or mess |
| A passion project run by pet-obsessed humans, nutrition nerds, and cat ladies |
What You’ll Never Find Here
Because food shouldn’t come with fine print.
 | No synthetic vitamins or minerals |
| No rendered, powdered, or mystery meats |
| No palatants (flavor sprays, enhancers, etc.) |
| No corn, soy, wheat, gluten, or grains |
| No fillers or artificial preservatives |
| No artificial flavors or dyes |
| No carrageenan, gums, or thickeners |
| No plasma, BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin |
| No synthetic taurine — ours comes from real meat |
| No tapioca or potato starch (no starchy fillers, period) |
| No ingredient splitting (aka carb hiding) |
| No extrusion, irradiation, or HPP |
| No high-temp processing — nutrients don’t survive extreme heat |
| No short shelf life — freeze-drying preserves food naturally |
| No caramel coloring or food dyes |
| No hidden carbs or cheap fillers disguised as “natural” |
| No formulas from faceless labs — Dr. Bessent built it herself |
| No skipped safety steps — every batch is pasteurized and tested |
| No venture capital or outside ownership |
| No co-packers or third-party processing — we make every batch ourselves |
| No mystery behind the label — what’s in the bag is on the bag |
Ingredients
Beef, salmon, beef liver, flaxseed, beef heart, organic carrots, organic cranberries, whole ground krill, organic green peas, whole ground pumpkin seeds, organic spinach, organic ginger, sea salt, dried kelp, dried yeast, mixed tocopherols (natural preservative)
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min)…40.0%
Crude Fat (min)…26.0%
Crude Fiber (max)…6.0%
Moisture (max)…8.0%
Carbohydrates % (max)…16.0%
Omega-3* (min)…5.2%
Omega-6* (min)…2.5%
Omega 3 : 6 ratio*…2 : 1
*Not recognized as essential by AAFCO.
Recipe Breakdown
Complete & Balanced
Formulated to meet AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance.
Calorie Content
Energy: 4,751 kcal/kg · 369 kcal/cup
Ingredients
Bison, bison liver, egg, flaxseed, organic green beans, organic spinach, organic pumpkin, whole ground krill, organic beets, coconut oil, whole ground eggshell, potassium salt, cod liver oil, dried kelp, dried yeast, mixed tocopherols (natural preservative), sage, guava
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min)…38.0%
Crude Fat (min)…28.0%
Crude Fiber (max)…6.0%
Moisture (max)…8.0%
Carbohydrates % (max)…9.4%
Omega-3* (min)…4.0%
Omega-6* (min)…3.5%
Omega 3 : 6 ratio*…1.1 : 1
*Not recognized as essential by AAFCO.
Recipe Breakdown
Complete & Balanced
Meets AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages (except large-breed growth).
Calorie Content
Energy: 4,700 kcal/kg · 367 kcal/cup
Ingredients
Chicken, turkey, chicken hearts, flaxseed, sweet potato, chicken liver, organic carrots, whole ground krill, whole ground pumpkin seeds, organic blueberries, organic spinach, organic cinnamon, sea salt, dried kelp, dried yeast, mixed tocopherols (natural preservative)
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min)…38.0%
Crude Fat (min)…28.0%
Crude Fiber (max)…6.0%
Moisture (max)…8.0%
Carbohydrates (max)…15.0%
Omega-3* (min)…5.0%
Omega-6* (min)…4.2%
Omega 3 : 6 ratio*…1.2 : 1
*Not recognized as essential by AAFCO.
Recipe Breakdown
Complete & Balanced
Formulated to meet AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance.
Calorie Content
Energy: 4,487 kcal/kg · 349 kcal/cup
Ingredients
Duck, duck neck, duck heart, flaxseed, organic squash, organic kale, organic carrots, whole ground krill, organic blueberries, chia seeds, organic turmeric, sea salt, cod liver oil, dried kelp, dried yeast, mixed tocopherols (natural preservative), black pepper, fennel, guava
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min)…40.0%
Crude Fat (min)…28.0%
Crude Fiber (max)…6.0%
Moisture (max)…8.0%
Carbohydrates (max)…13.6%
Omega-3* (min)…4.9%
Omega-6* (min)…5.7%
Omega 3 : 6 ratio*…0.85 : 1
*Not recognized as essential by AAFCO.
Recipe Breakdown
Complete & Balanced
Meets AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
Calorie Content
Energy: 4,419 kcal/kg · 345 kcal/cup
Ingredients
Duck, beef, beef liver, flaxseed, lentils, trout, organic green beans, organic apples, whole ground krill, whole ground pumpkin seeds, organic spinach, organic turmeric, sea salt, dried kelp, dried yeast, mixed tocopherols (natural preservative)
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min)…35.0%
Crude Fat (min)…20.0%
Crude Fiber (max)…6.0%
Moisture (max)…5.0%
Carbohydrates (max)…23.0%
Omega-3* (min)…4.5%
Omega-6* (min)…4.2%
Omega 3 : 6 ratio*…1 : 1
*Not recognized as essential by AAFCO.
Recipe Breakdown
Complete & Balanced
Formulated to meet AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance.
Calorie Content
Energy: 4,141 kcal/kg · 322 kcal/scoop
Ingredients
Lamb, lamb spleen, lamb heart, flaxseed, organic yams, organic spinach, whole ground krill, organic cranberries, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, cod liver oil, whole ground eggshell, potassium salt, sea salt, dried yeast, dried kelp, mixed tocopherols (natural preservative), mint, guava
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min)…34.0%
Crude Fat (min)…32.0%
Crude Fiber (max)…5.0%
Moisture (max)…8.0%
Carbohydrates (max)…9.4%
Omega-3 (min)…5%
Omega-6 (min)…3%
Omega 3 : 6 ratio…1.6 : 1
*Not recognized as essential by AAFCO.
Recipe Breakdown
Complete & Balanced
Formulated to meet AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance.
Calorie Content
Energy: 4,795 kcal/kg · 374 kcal/cup
Ingredients
Ground turkey, ground krill, dried ground spinach, dried ground tomato, dried ground avocado, dried ground cranberry, dried ground blueberry, dried ground spirulina, dried ground sweet potato, dried ground broccoli, barley grass, dried ground pomegranate, and dried ground guava.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min)…30%
Crude Fat (min)…5%
Crude Fiber (max)…5%
Moisture (max)…12%
How Long to Add Puppy Balancer
| Expected Adult Weight (lbs) | 0–6 Months | 6–8 Months | 8–12 Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef & Salmon, Chicken & Turkey, Duck & Trout | |||
| <40 lbs | Add Puppy Balancer | OK to feed without Puppy Balancer |
OK to feed without Puppy Balancer |
| <70 lbs | Add Puppy Balancer | Add Puppy Balancer | Add Puppy Balancer |
| >70 lbs | Add Puppy Balancer | Add Puppy Balancer | Add Puppy Balancer |
| Bison or Lamb | |||
| <70 lbs | OK to feed without Puppy Balancer |
OK to feed without Puppy Balancer |
OK to feed without Puppy Balancer |
| >70 lbs | Add Puppy Balancer | Add Puppy Balancer | Add Puppy Balancer |
| Duck | |||
| All size puppies | OK to feed without Puppy Balancer |
OK to feed without Puppy Balancer |
OK to feed without Puppy Balancer |
*Puppy Balancer is simply a concentrated blend of vitamins and minerals from whole foods, so you can use the blend well past puppy age!
Complete & Balanced
Pairing Puppy Balancer with the Beef & Salmon, Duck & Trout, or Chicken & Turkey recipes will meet AAFCO’s Growth & Reproduction standards—making each a complete & balanced puppy diet.
**If your puppy will be over 70 lbs**, pair Puppy Balancer with the Bison or Lamb recipes to ensure a complete & balanced meal for large-breed growth.
The Duck recipe is formulated for all life stages and does not require Puppy Balancer.
By itself, Puppy Balancer is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.
Feeding Recommendation
Use: Add 1 tsp Puppy Balancer for every 1/3 cup Simple Food.
Note: Puppy Balancer is a concentrated blend of vitamins and minerals from whole foods, designed to support your puppy’s growth through their first year (and beyond, if needed!).
Simple Serving Suggestions
Start by using the daily feeding guide below and adjust to your own puppy’s needs.
If your pup is 4 months or younger, we’d suggest allowing your puppy to graze throughout the day. You can also break up their feeding schedule by putting food out four or more times a day.
Once they’re 4-months-old, you can start dividing their food into two portions, feeding AM & PM.
About the Project
Every pet deserves real food– whole, high-quality food that we believe helps all pets thrive.
What goes into recipes is every bit as important as what’s left out so, using nothing but whole foods, Dr. Bessent formulated limited-ingredient recipes. Then, using some rather cutting-edge spaceman technology, she freeze-dried them so that every benefit of raw, whole food was available for your pet.
It’s real, whole food nutrition without compromising convenience, and that really makes the decision around how and what to feed your four-legger simple.