4 Easy Ways to Get Your Dog to Eat Her Veggies

1. Grate a little carrot onto your dog’s dinner. Carrots, enjoyed raw by many dogs are a great source of beta-carotene. If you find your dog loves carrots, you can also mash a bit of cooked carrot into her dinner or dry them into carrot chips for a healthy on-the-go treat. Or simply toss a baby carrot her way!

2. Mix a tablespoon or two of canned, pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, mind) into your dog’s dinner, reducing the portion size of his regular dog food by the same amount to help your dog lose weight while still feeling satisfied. The low fat/high fiber and water content will bulk up your dog’s meal to make sure he still feels full despite a smaller portion size. Plus, pumpkin is packed with good-for-dogs vitamins and minerals like carotenoids, zinc, and vitamin A. (Try Fruitables holistic pumpkin supplements; fruitablespetfood.com)

3. Finely chop broccoli flowerets—raw, cooked or even frozen—and snow the little bits atop your dog’s dinner. Give it a good mix if your dog is just learning to love veggies lest he eat around them. Broccoli is a good source of fibre, calcium, beta-carotene, folate, and vitamins A and C, and—bonus—it’s low in calories. A member of the cruciferous vegetable family, broccoli has cancer-fighting properties. Unfortunately, broccoli also has gas-causing properties, so watch the portion size!

4. Mash cooked turnip into your dog’s dinner. Turnips are a source of calcium and folate and—great news for canine waistline watchers—they’re low in calories: just 17 C per small turnip! All this means turnips make a great, healthy, low cal treat for dogs. In addition to mashed, try serving them dehydrated, baked, or raw.

Want more add-in ideas? Check out 10 More "People" Foods for Dogs