The following article reviews dog food similar to Nulo for 2026. Carry on reading to find out more.
If you are a dog parent, you are probably familiar with Nulo dog food.
This premium brand offers dry and wet food made with high-quality meat and ancient grains.
The recipes are nutritious and tasty, however, some dog parents wonder if the price is too high, or if some different brands offer more varieties for their growing puppies.
We’ve decided to make a list of the best budget alternatives to Nulo dog food that may be more suitable for your pup, regarding ingredients, price, and overall quality.
So, our task was to find cheaper brands that offer as good quality dog food as Nulo’s.
With this in mind, our top pick is Catherine Heigl’s Badlands Ranch Dog Food.
This brand gets points for quality ingredients, affordability, availability, and variety.
The other brands on our list scored high as well for certain features that might be more fitting for your dog.
After testing many dog foods out there and working closely with vets and pet experts, we present to you the following Nulo substitutes.
Check out the list of our favorite Nulo dog food alternatives.
At a Glance: 6 Nulo Dog Food Alternatives
- Badlands Ranch Superfood Complete Beef Formula (Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grain Beef, Barley & Lamb Adult Dry Dog Food Alternative)
- Taste of the Wild Ancient Wetlands with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food (Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Adult Dog Food Alternative)
- Crave High Protein White Fish & Salmon Adult Grain-Free Dog Food (Nulo Freestyle Salmon & Peas Dry Dog Food Alternative)
- Merrick Senior Grain-Free Dry Dog Food (Nulo Freestyle Senior Trout & Sweet Potato Dry Food Alternative)
- Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Puppy Dog Food (Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Puppy Formula Alternative )
- American Journey Chicken & Turkey Grain-Free Canned Food (Nulo Freestyle Turkey & Sweet Potato Canned Dog Food Alternative)
Dog Food Similar to Nulo Reviewed
Ready to learn more about high-quality but budget-friendly dog food similar to Nulo? Choose one of these recipes and your furry friend will get tasty food loaded with premium ingredients at a cheaper price.
Badlands Ranch Superfood Complete Beef Formula
What makes Badlands Ranch a terrific choice, is the fact that it’s made with 90% grass-fed US Beef and organic, natural ingredients that are slowly cooked to keep in nutrients and give your dog everything he needs.
It’s a great alternative to Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grain Beef, Barley & Lamb Adult Dry dog food which is made with deboned beef, chicken meal, turkey meal, and deboned lamb.
Both Nulo’s and Badlands Ranch’s recipes feature chia seeds, however, the latter uses organic chia seeds, in addition to organic: sweet potato, pumpkin, blueberry, broccoli, lion’s mane mushroom, ginger, and turmeric.
The superfoods are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that help your dog thrive.
This brand makes sure your pup get the finest ingredients and the recipe is without any fillers, artificial additives, soy, corn, or wheat.
In comparison, Nulo’s recipe has chicken fat and ground flaxseed to provide canines with omega fatty acids, but Badlands Ranch’s formula is enriched with chia seeds and salmon to give your dog plenty of healthy omegas to support skin, coat, heart, and brain health.
Furthermore, Catherine Heigl’s recipe has more protein (30%) and fat (25%) than Nulo’s formula (27% and 16% respectively) and it can be a good fit for active dogs who need plenty of these nutrients to stay healthy, strong, and energized.
Key Takeaways:
- #1 ingredient is grass-fed beef
- Organic ingredients
- Packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and omega-fatty acids
- Lots of protein from beef and salmon meats to build muscles
- Air-dried to preserve nutrients
- Made in the USA
Both Nulo and Badlands Ranch can be good options for healthy dogs that thrive on a high-protein and fat diet, and although Nulo’s formula has more meat sources, Ranch’s formula includes more than 87% natural, hormone-free meat.
The Badlands Ranch’s recipe is slowly cooked to offer all the nutritional value of fresh food but packed in a convenient kibble.
It’s surprise that this brand’s kibble isn’t more expensive than Nulo’s.
Taste of the Wild Ancient Wetlands with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food
Key Takeaways
- #1 ingredient is roasted duck
- Lots of protein from different meats
- Ancient grains high in protein and fiber for solid bones and muscles
- Superfoods rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for overall health
- Omega fatty acids for shiny skin and coat
- K9 Strain proprietary probiotics to support the digestive system
This alternative to Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Formula offers high-quality ingredients such as roasted duck, roasted quail, and smoke-flavored turkey combined with ancient grains in a formula that’s both healthy and tasty.
Taste of the Wild gives dogs of all breeds and at all life stages nutritious food with a taste of the wild they crave.
The meats give your pup plenty of protein to build muscle and stay strong.
Both Nulo and Taste of the Wild include chicken meals to provide plenty of protein.
Nulo’s kibble is rich in protein from chicken and turkey whereas Taste of the Wild’s from chicken, turkey, duck, and quail. Taste of the Wild’s recipe contains 32% crude protein, whereas Nulo’s 27%.
Furthermore, the recipes have barley and millet in common, but Taste of the Wild’s recipe has grain sorghum, quinoa, and chia seed in addition, while Nulo has flaxseed and oats.
Ancient grains like grain sorghum, millet, and barley are also excellent sources of protein and fiber that support your dog’s health.
The two formulas use healthy omega-3 fatty acids to protect tissue and reduce inflammation, but Nulo uses flaxseed as a source of these healthy fats, while Taste of the Wild includes Salmon Oil.
Moreover, probiotics are included in both recipes to help support digestive health and neither product contains wheat, corn, or soy.
On top of that, Taste of the Wild’s recipe contains blueberries, tomatoes, and raspberries rich in antioxidants that boost the immune system.
The formula is enhanced with vitamins, minerals, omega fatty acids, and proprietary probiotics that support healthy digestion, skin, and coat.
If you want dry dog food with premium ingredients and a variety of flavors that’s more cost-effective, Taste of the Wild is a fantastic choice for you.
You’ll get great value for money and your pup will be thrilled with the nutritious and flavorful kibble.
Dog parents buying on a budget will appreciate that this formula is approximately 12.5% cheaper than Nulo’s recipe.