Healthy Pup and Human Treats

It’s summertime!  Time for bbq’s, parties, and summertime treats.  We and our pups deserve a treat now and then! But we want to help you do it in a healthy way you both so you don’t take away all the hard work you’ve put into your and your pup’s health.  Read on for healthy snacking and treating tips for everyone!

Let’s talk about Fido first: a good general rule is dogs should not get more than 10% of their daily calories from treats.  They are great for training and for bonding, but too many can lead to a slow, steady weight gain.  Try to pay attention next time you give your dog a treat and see how many you give – two?  Three?  A handful?  Are multiple people in the home treating?  Be aware of how many treats your pup gets and check out the nutrition label to see how many calories are in each serving.  A few tips to lower the number of calories your doggy consumes from treats:

• Try giving them fruits or veggies – some dogs love carrots, apple slices (no seeds), or bananas.  Just avoid the toxic foods for dogs: grapes, raisins, chocolate, and onions.
• Use praise when training instead of treats.  Many trainers support training techniques where you don’t treat every time you get the behavior anyway – not knowing when they will hit the jackpot is part of what keeps pups motivated in training!
• Use their kibble as training treats before regular meal time, taking from the serving size you would normally give so they aren’t getting anything extra.
• Try making healthy homemade treats for your dog – cheaper for you and healthier for them since you know what goes in them!  Check out these healthy Kong recipes for some great options!  Or you can make these bite-size treats for a quicker reward!
• We have lots of recipes on our blog, check them out and share these goodies WITH your dog! They are that good!
• Even easier – order these delicious and healthy treats from One Dog Organic Bakery!  They are made with the best ingredients so they are extremely nutritious, and pups LOVE them!

Now for human treats!  Just as most of us don’t realize how many treats we give our dogs, we tend to underestimate the amount of calories we take in as well.  Many of us mindlessly snack throughout the day or pick treats we think are healthy, but aren’t as nutritious or guilt-free as we think.  Here are some snacking tips for YOU!

• Make sure you eat something every 2-3 hours to avoid getting overly hungry and binging on the nearest goodies!
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.  Sometimes thirst is mistaken for hunger.
• Don’t necessarily reach for the labels “low fat”, “low calorie”, or “sugar free”.  Check your nutrition facts – usually these “healthier” versions are not too different from the real-deal.  So have that treat you are craving, but just one serving!
• For a fun low calorie summertime treat, try making these yummy frozen peanut butter cups (probably also delicious with almond butter instead of peanut butter)!  This fruity treat is also a LYF fave!

Here at Leash Your Fitness our goal is to keep you and your puppy dog healthy and happy!  Be mindful when treating (for both of you!) to get the most out of the yummy goodness – be sure to enjoy every bite for yourself, and be sure to watch Fido enjoy theirs!  Letting it sink in that you’re both getting the reward you deserve will keep you both from over-indulging.  We want to know – what are YOUR favorite healthy treats for either of you?  Do you buy them or make them at home?  Share your faves!