Sustainability is becoming a common keyword.

More and more people are becoming environmentally conscious and proactive about their beliefs, supporting local farmers, buying organic, and seeking more ways to incorporate sustainability into their day to day lives. While food selection is one of the most common shifts towards sustainability, dog food is often overlooked. Let's examine a few simple ways to make healthy dog food in a more sustainable and environmentally responsible way.

If it’s not convenient, we don’t stick to it. We’re looking for the right balance of healthy, affordable and responsible. You should be on the hunt for food that advertises higher standards such as free-range, grass-fed, humanely raised, and antibiotic-free. The Honest Kitchen’s Force brand of dog food contains USDA free-range human-grade chicken. Further investigation reveals that their supplier of chicken is Petaluma Poultry, which has received a “step 3” in the Whole Foods Gap Rating for humanely raised meats.

Another consideration is the source of your protein. Not all animals can be factory farmed. If you purchase a food with one of the protein sources listed below, you know these meats weren’t jammed into a pin shoulder to shoulder with their peers.

• Sheep
• Bison
• Deer (Venison)
• Brushtail
• Elk

The jury is still out regarding whether or not grain is healthy for dogs. But s ©istockphoto/monkeybusinessimages

There are a variety of methods to create dog food that generates a smaller carbon footprint and is healthier for your pup. You go above and beyond for your pet. You want to him or her to have the highest quality fresh ingredients, so you make their food yourself.

Home gardens are a great way assure that you are getting the absolute freshest and most nutrient-dense foods. You also eliminate the carbon footprint associated with truck transportation! If you opt to house a hydroponic or aquaponic garden, you will use 10 times less water than the traditional soil method. As an added bonus, your crop grows twice as fast! Below are a few produce options that are good for dogs:

• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Green beans
• Brussel Sprouts
• Sweet Potatoes
• Pumpkin
• Apples, blueberries and pear

You can take your fresh produce and mix it with a base such as The Honest Kitchen’s Grain-Free Base Mix Dog Food, then add your protein de jour. If you don’t have a garden, you can use the above-mentioned base as a produce solution since it’s packed with fresh dehydrated whole foods and simply mix in your desired grass-fed, organic protein. There is even a recipe book that will give you tons of ideas on how to create eco-friendly food solutions for your fur-baby. If you’d like to use grains, opt for ancient grains such as millet, dark red whole grain sorghum, brown quinoa, and black rice.