Reviewed By Joana Garrido DVM
Lean treats are fun and tasty snacks for dogs. They are made with high-protein yet low-carb and low-fat ingredients that provide natural nutrients without contributing to unnecessary weight gain and obesity.
Learn to make homemade lean dog treats for your canine companion by following our recipes below.
1. Fish Fingers Lean Treats for Dogs with Liver Dip
Fish is one of the best sources of protein as well as omega fatty acids. It also offers a wide array of health-boosting minerals such as iron, zinc, and magnesium. Thus, it is a good choice of ingredient when creating lean treats for dogs.
Ingredients
For the Fish Fingers
- 1½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 pieces boneless haddock fish fillet
- 1 egg
For the Dip
- ¼ cup chicken liver
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 6 tablespoons distilled water
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Dip
- Use a knife to trim the white connective tissue and fat from the chicken liver.
- Heat the Greek yogurt in a sauté pan over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken liver and cook them for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Space them well from each other so they brown more easily.
- Add the anchovy paste, black pepper, thyme, salt, and water.
- Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer.
- Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.
- Stir occasionally until all the chicken livers have browned.
- Remove from the heat, but leave them covered in the pan for around 5 minutes.
- Use a colander to strain the liquid from the pan.
- Transfer the chicken liver mixture to a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth.
- Place the chicken liver dip into ramekins. Cover the containers tightly using a plastic wrap. It should be closely touching the top of the dip.
- Use a rubber band to secure the plastic wrap to the ramekins. This will help keep the air out.
- Allow them to chill in the fridge for at least an hour before using.
For the Fish Fingers
- Preheat the oven to 356 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Evenly scatter the breadcrumbs on a baking tray and spray lightly with cooking oil.
- Toast the breadcrumbs in the oven for 4 minutes and transfer into a large bowl.
- Add the cream cheese, oregano, and thyme. Mix the ingredients until well combined.
- Crack the egg in a separate bowl.
- Increase the oven temperature to 428 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease a baking tray with a nonstick cooking spray.
- Cut the fish fillets into strips of 1.5 x 11 cm.
- Dip the fish strips into the egg. Use a tong to toss and coat them with breadcrumbs.
- Transfer these lean treats for dogs to the greased baking tray. Then bake them for 20 minutes or until golden.
- Take out the chicken liver dip while waiting for the lean treats for dogs to cool down completely.
Notes
- You can store the chicken liver dip and fish fingers in separate, tightly covered containers. Refrigeration will make them last for up to a week.
- These lean treats for dogs are best consumed by your pet immediately. Cooking any leftovers will not bring back their crispiness.
- These lean treats for dogs can be easily broken into bite-sized pieces for portion control.
2. Chicken Pinwheel Lean Treats for Dogs
Chicken is lean meat containing high-quality proteins for pooches. Because of its affordability, this meat is a great pick if you are on a tight budget but still want to prepare premium homemade lean treats for dogs.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Spread
- ¼ cup silken tofu
- ⅛ cup cooked green peas
- 1 cup cooked minced chicken breast
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 10 spinach leaves
For the Tortilla
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 whole chopped cauliflower
- 2 eggs
Instructions
/a> For the Tortilla
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Use a parchment paper to line a baking tray.
- Place the chopped cauliflower in a microwave-safe container. Cook the vegetable on high for 2 minutes.
- Take it out, stir, and then microwave again for another 2 minutes.
- Using a clean dish towel or cheesecloth, drain out the moisture from the cauliflower.
- Place the drained vegetable in a food processor or blender along with the eggs and black pepper. Pulse until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Mix it with your hand until you form a dough that is slightly sticky to the touch.
- Mold 6 balls out of the mixture and put them on the lined baking sheet.
- Use an item with a flat surface like a saucer to flatten the balls into less than ⅛-inch thin.
- In a nonstick frying pan, lightly toast the tortillas over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
For the Chicken Spread
- Use a blender or food processor to combine the silken tofu with green peas.
- Scoop the mixture into a large bowl, then add the minced chicken and almond milk.
- Spread the chicken mixture evenly from one side of the tortillas to the edges.
- Arrange the spinach leaves neatly on top of the chicken spread.
- Roll up the tortillas tightly and wrap them in plastic wrap to retain their form.
- Set the lean treats for dogs in the fridge to chill for 30 minxutes to an hour for the chicken spread to firm up.
- Take them out of the fridge, cut them into 1-inch slices, and serve them to your dog.
Notes
- The chicken pinwheels are soft and highly palatable treats. They can be mixed into the meals of picky dogs to improve their appetite.
- After making the chicken spread, set a small amount aside. You can use this to seal the edges of the lean treats for dogs when rolling them.
- Refrigerating these lean treats for dogs will make them last for around 2 to 3 days.
3. Egg Bell Pepper Rings Lean Treats for Dogs
Eggs are a versatile protein source with relatively low levels of fat. Turn them into great treats for your pet with the help of this recipe.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon minced coriander leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 whole green bell pepper
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Rinse the green bell pepper and slice it into four ½-inch rings.
- Remove seeds if there are any.
- In a nonstick cooking pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Cook the bell pepper rings for 5 minutes until they are crispy yet tender. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Carefully crack the eggs into the center of each bell pepper ring.
- Press the spatula on the rings to stop the eggs from leaking underneath.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and minced coriander leaves on the bell pepper rings.
- Cover the pan and let the eggs cook for about 2 minutes.
- Remove the lean dog treats from the heat. Allow these snacks to cool down completely before offering them to your furry pal.
Read:
FAQs About Lean Dog Treats
1. Are Lean Treats Good for Your Dog?
Lean treats are good for your dog. They are tasty but low in fat to help you maintain a healthy weight for your furry friend.
To create lean dog treats for dogs, you should be picky with the ingredients. Go for foods that are not only low in fats but also in carbohydrates.
Protein content is also a crucial factor to take into consideration. Several body functions of dogs rely on proteins in order to operate normally, such as tissue repair and lean muscle growth.
2. Where Can I Buy Lean Treats for Dogs?
Lean treats for dogs can be bought from pet stores or pet aisles in groceries. If they are not available in these places, shopping online is the next step to take.
Make sure to check the ingredients used to make lean treats for dogs. Only choose products made from natural food and contain little to no artificial ingredients.
3. What Is the Best Low-Fat Treats for Dogs?
Some of the best low-fat treats for dogs are lean meats like fish and chicken. While eggs do contain a fair amount of fats, most of them are found in the yolks.
So if you want to further reduce the fat content of eggs for your dog, just remove the yolks.
4. How Many Lean Treats Can I Give My Dog?
- The general guideline is that treats should not make up more than 10% of your dog’s daily caloric intake.
- Therefore, if he only needs to consume around 250 calories daily, do not feed over 25 calories of lean dog treats. The remaining 225 must come from his regular meals.
- So always remember to adjust the amount of food you offer to your dog when feeding him treats.
Summary
Lean treats for dogs have a low-fat and low-carbohydrate content but boast high levels of protein.
Compared to regular doggy snacks, they are less likely to play a part in the development of obesity. Thus lean treats for dogs are great for pets on a weight watch as well as pooches that need to maintain a trim figure or pets with chronic pancreatitis or sensitive stomachs.
If you are looking for alternative sources of proteins for these recipes, check out our articles discussing the 13 Best Types of Meat for Dogs.
