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Iams vs The Honest Kitchen

Iams vs. The Honest Kitchen

In this comparison article for Iams vs The Honest Kitchen, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Iams and The Honest Kitchen, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this The Honest Kitchen vs Iams comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Iams Review Page or The Honest Kitchen Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: The Honest Kitchen vs. Iams

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Iams Dog Food vs. The Honest Kitchen Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodIamsThe Honest Kitchen
Crude Protein27.6%29.3%
Crude Fat14.9%15.7%
Crude Fiber5.2%6.3%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodIamsThe Honest Kitchen
Crude Protein40.9%50.4%
Crude Fat23.4%24.5%
Crude Fiber5.4%5.1%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude protein content of the two brands. For wet dog foods, The Honest Kitchen provides significantly more protein (about 9.54% more).


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.

Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fat. With regards to wet dog food, The Honest Kitchen and Iams also provide roughly the same amount of crude fat.


As you can see, Iams and The Honest Kitchen guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Iams and The Honest Kitchen also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Iams Cat Food vs. The Honest Kitchen Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodIamsThe Honest Kitchen
Crude Protein35.7%40.4%
Crude Fat15.9%23.1%
Crude Fiber4.6%3.5%
Wet/Canned Cat FoodIamsThe Honest Kitchen
Crude Protein46.7%52.0%
Crude Fat21.8%24.6%
Crude Fiber4.9%5.1%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.

There is a relatively large difference between the protein content of The Honest Kitchen and Iams. On average, Iams dry cat food recipes contain 4.69% less protein than The Honest Kitchen recipes. In addition, The Honest Kitchen wet cat foods also provide more protein than Iams wet foods.


Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

  • Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
  • Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
  • Slow the growth of yeast infections
  • Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
  • Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.

Iams dry recipes contain 7.17% less fat than The Honest Kitchen dry recipes. This difference in fat content is a notable difference between The Honest Kitchen and Iams. For wet cat foods, The Honest Kitchen typically provides a little more fat (about 2.84% more).


The Honest Kitchen and Iams both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet cat food, The Honest Kitchen and Iams also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Iams Pet Food Ingredients vs. The Honest Kitchen Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Iams.

Liver
Caramel
Beet Pulp
Corn Meal
Canola Oil
Corn Grits
Iron Oxide
Fish Digest
Ground Corn
Pea Protein
Brewers Rice
Wheat Gluten
Caramel Color
Vegetable Oil
Feeding Oatmeal
Poultry Giblets
Corn Gluten Meal
Meat By-Products
Powdered Cellulose
Chicken By-Products
Dried Tomato Pomace
Dried Meat By-Products
Chicken By-Product Meal
Ground Whole Grain Corn
Poultry By-Product Meal
Animal Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)
Poultry Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by The Honest Kitchen.

Dried Garlic

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Iams.

Blue 2
Red 40
Yellow 5
Yellow 6
Added Color
Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Iams & The Honest Kitchen?

Iams has been recalled 2 times.

  • Aug. 14, 2013: Salmonella
  • July 30, 2010: Salmonella

The Honest Kitchen has been recalled once.

  • Feb. 21, 2013: Salmonella

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodIamsThe Honest Kitchen
Per Pound$1.52$9.66
Per Calorie$0.0009$0.0053
Dry Cat FoodIamsThe Honest Kitchen
Per Pound$2.03$9.67
Per Calorie$0.0012$0.0049
Wet Dog FoodIamsThe Honest Kitchen
Per Pound$1.90$5.73
Per Calorie$0.0038$0.0129
Wet Cat FoodIamsThe Honest Kitchen
Per Pound$6.97$8.41
Per Calorie$0.0151$0.0176

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Iams or The Honest Kitchen, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Iams or The Honest Kitchen will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Iams and The Honest Kitchen. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.


Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Iams Pet Foods

You can purchase Iams pet foods from the following stores:


33 Recipes In-Stock Today

15 Recipes In-Stock Today

24 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy The Honest Kitchen Pet Foods

You can purchase The Honest Kitchen pet food products from these retailers:


84 Recipes In-Stock Today

26 Recipes In-Stock Today

23 Recipes In-Stock Today

22 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductIamsThe Honest Kitchen
Dry Dog Food24 Recipes9 Recipes
Wet Dog Food8 Recipes10 Recipes
Dog TreatsNone23 Treats
Dry Cat Food13 Recipes3 Recipes
Wet Cat Food13 Recipes10 Recipes
Cat Treats2 Treats3 Treats

Top Rated Iams Recipes

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Top Rated The Honest Kitchen Recipes

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