Ingredient Spotlight – Millet: A Natural Grain Alternative
Looking for a healthy grain alternative for your pet in their food? Millet might be a great solution.
Millet is a grass and its seeds have been harvested for human and animal food for over 7,000 years. A grass seed like millet is much more likely to occur naturally in a wild dog or cat’s diet. Millet is similar to what a carnivore in the wild might consume by eating a bird or herbivore.
Dogs are omnivorous and can utilize both plant and animal sources of nutrition. In contrast, cats are considered obligate carnivores meaning they must consume animal proteins to help deliver the nutrients they require. There are many varieties of millet including pearl millet, proso millet, and foxtail millet. These millet varieties are all safe for pets to eat but vary in nutrients. Nature’s Logic uses proso millet, a nutrient rich variety grown in the United States, as an all natural binder for our kibble as opposed to using corn, barley, or oats. We’ll explore the benefits of millet and its key role in some Nature’s Logic diets.
Unfamiliar with millet but curious about its potential for your pet? Discover its unique properties and role in maintaining a nutritional and balanced diet.
What is Millet?
Millet is a small whole grain increasing in popularity with its inclusion in pet food. Compared to wheat or rice, millet is an excellent source of nutrition as it has a much higher nutrient density. Millet has a rich nutrient profile and provide both dogs and cats with:
- Healthy carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Fatty Acids
- Minerals such as magnesium
- Vitamins
- Dietary Fiber
- Phytochemicals
Millet contains a well rounded nutrient profile, rich in dietary fiber, which promotes healthy digestion and overall gut health. The complex carbohydrates and fiber contained in millet are more slowly digested and absorbed, helping to promote stable blood sugar levels after a meal. Millet is a good source of B-vitamins, which offers essential support for energy, metabolism and maintaining a healthy nervous system.
Compared to commonly used grains like corn, wheat or rice, millet offers a higher protein content and supports healthy digestion. Notably, millet is gluten free, making recipes that utilize it a good option for pets with grain sensitivities or allergies.
Millet vs Commonly Used Grains
Unlike commonly used grains like corn, wheat, and rice, millet offers several digestive advantages for both dogs and cats.
A Primer on Corn, Wheat, and Rice:
Corn: Corn’s complex structure can be challenging for dogs and cats to digest completely. Additionally, some pets may be sensitive to corn protein.
Wheat: Similar to corn, the presence of gluten in wheat can cause digestive problems with sensitive pets.
Rice: Rice is more readily digested by pets compared to corn and wheat due to its smaller size and lack of gluten. However, the digestibility of rice can vary depending on processing methods and whether bran is included. Brown rice, which contains bran may be slightly less digestible than white rice.
Nature’s Logic 100% natural foods contain NO gluten, corn, wheat, soy, peas, or potatoes, so we have carefully selected millet as our grain of choice.
Is Millet Gluten Free? Digestive Advantages of Millet:
Millet is gluten free and carnivore appropriate and offers more protein than wheat or corn. Millet also offers several advantages in digestibility compared to these commonly used grains.
Fiber Content: Millet has a higher level of soluble fiber compared to corn and wheat. This type of fiber aids in digestion by regulating gut motility and promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, leading to improved gut health and reduced risk of digestive issues like constipation and diarrhea.
Gluten-Free: Unlike wheat and barley, millet is naturally gluten free. Millet’s gluten free nature is beneficial for pets with gluten sensitivities which can cause digestive problems like vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Choosing the Right Food
Most kibble pet food contains a grain or other starchy ingredient (referred to as a “binder”) to help form the kibble and hold its shape. Wheat, corn, barley, oats, or other similar grains are commonly used as binders in many dry pet foods.
Nature’s Logic 100% all natural foods for dogs and cats contain NO gluten, corn, wheat, soy, peas, or potatoes. We have carefully selected millet as our grain of choice. Millet is gluten free and carnivore appropriate as it has more protein than wheat, or corn.
Millet is an all-star ingredient that plays a role in Nature’s Logic dry foods. At Nature’s Logic, all natural nutrition makes our line of pet foods a smart choice for dogs and cats. Because our foods do not contain synthetic vitamins, every ingredient we include has a specific role to play.
Millet is one of the unique ingredients in Nature’s Logic’s high protein, nutrient dense diets formulated for cats and dogs. Millet’s higher soluble fiber content and lack of gluten offers several advantages for easier and more complete digestion for your pets. When used as an ingredient as part of a diet that includes a variety of meats, fruits, and vegetables, millet is a safe and healthy addition to a balanced diet that you can feel good about feeding to your pet.
