If your pup is on a special diet or has food allergies, these hypoallergenic treats will make him feel satisfied and provide him with essential vitamins and minerals.
Implementing gentle snackers into your routine is best done when it makes sense and aligns with your objectives. Doing this will enable you to create an eating pattern that feels beneficial both mentally and physically.
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Fruit
Fruits are a special category of food items. They can range in texture from dry, like an apple or peach, to fleshy like an avocado.
Plant ovules, also known as pistils and carpels, are derived from a female reproductive part – specifically its ovary and carpels (see also pollination). When an ovule matures it can develop into either fleshy or hardened fruit or nut while its sepals, petals, and stamens will typically fall off to make way for this maturing process.
Fruits can be divided into three primary groups: simple, aggregate and multiple. In the former case, one ovary produces a fruit while in the latter two cases the number of ovaries within each flower merge to form larger-than-life-sized fruits.
Nuts
Nuts make an excellent addition to a dog’s diet as they contain essential nutrients, protein and healthy fats. Unfortunately, they can be high in calories so should only be given as an occasional reward rather than as a regular snack.
Nut consumption has been well-documented in both epidemiologic and clinical studies, with cardiovascular risk factors like coronary heart disease (CHD), sudden cardiac death and diabetes being positively affected [2,3]. Notably, regular consumption of nuts does not lead to body weight gain despite their energy dense composition.
This may be because chronic nut consumption in free feeding situations induces satiety and limits other energy-dense food intake, thus decreasing the tendency to gain weight through increased caloric intake [135,141]. Furthermore, frequent nut consumption has been known to positively impact oxidative stress and inflammation [133,144].
Cheese
Cheese has been a beloved food for millennia. Its distinctive flavors and textures come from milk, salt, cultures, and an enzyme called rennet that are combined.
Curdling cheese requires the combination of acids and rennet to transform individual pieces of liquid milk into a solid mass. Generally, fresher cheeses are curdled with more acid to rennet ratio than harder varieties that have aged for some time.
Protein is one of the key nutrients found in cheese, making it a great choice for active pups who require extra energy throughout their daily activities. Plus, since protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates do, you get sustained energy instead of an abrupt spike and crash like carbohydrates do.
Cheese contains sodium to prevent bacterial and fungal growth that could spoil the product. Unfortunately, too much sodium may contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease; thus it’s best to consume cheese in moderation and consult a registered dietitian if you have concerns about fat, sodium content or calories.
Pretzels
Snacking often gets a bad rap, but it’s essential for making healthy food choices. Gentle snackers should limit their portions and focus on providing their body with nutritious fillers.
Soft pretzels are made with a special combination of flour, water, salt, baker’s yeast and fat (usually shortening) that makes them soft and chewy. To add even more flavor and crunch to the dough, they often feature salt crystals for crunch.
The yeast in the dough produces carbon dioxide gas when it breaks down sugar, giving the pretzel its characteristic light and crisp texture. Chemical leavening agents such as sodium bicarbonate or ammonium bicarbonate may also be employed to achieve this same result.
Pretzels come in both soft and hard varieties, which can be enjoyed either alone or accompanied by condiments like mustard or cheese. On the whole, hard pretzels tend to be healthier for you than their soft counterparts but still need to be watched for sodium intake.
