vs
Primal vs The Honest Kitchen

Primal vs. The Honest Kitchen

In this comparison article for Primal vs The Honest Kitchen, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Primal 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 Primal comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Primal Review Page or The Honest Kitchen Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: The Honest Kitchen vs. Primal

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.

Primal Dog Food vs. The Honest Kitchen Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodPrimalThe Honest Kitchen
Crude Protein48.0%29.3%
Crude Fat26.7%15.7%
Crude Fiber4.6%6.3%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodPrimalThe Honest Kitchen
Crude Protein49.5%50.4%
Crude Fat28.4%24.5%
Crude Fiber5.3%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.

On average, Primal dry dog food recipes contain 18.72% more protein than The Honest Kitchen recipes. Clearly, there is a significant difference between the protein content of The Honest Kitchen and Primal. For wet dog foods, The Honest Kitchen and Primal provide roughly the same amount of protein.


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Like protein, fats are an essential part of a dog's body. Fats are needed for the proper development and function of the canine body.

When you look at the average percentages of crude fat for dry dog food, it's clear that Primal provides significantly more fat. On average, Primal guarantees about 11.01% more protein than The Honest Kitchen. For wet dog foods, Primal typically provides a little more fat (about 3.88% more).


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

Primal Cat Food vs. The Honest Kitchen Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodPrimalThe Honest Kitchen
Crude Protein50.1%40.4%
Crude Fat24.0%23.1%
Crude Fiber4.8%3.5%
Wet/Canned Cat FoodPrimalThe Honest Kitchen
Crude Protein54.6%52.0%
Crude Fat25.4%24.6%
Crude Fiber4.1%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.

The comparison table above shows that Primal dry cat foods provide significantly more protein than The Honest Kitchen. More specifically, Primal guarantees at least 9.73% more protein. For wet cat foods, Primal typically provides a little more protein (about 2.52% more).


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):

  • Help transport nutrients across cell membranes
  • Fats produce metabolites, which help control inflammation
  • Maintain healthy blood pressure
  • Slow the growth of yeast infections
  • Fats improve the taste/texture of food.

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


There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet cat food, The Honest Kitchen and Primal also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

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

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

Dried Garlic

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

Primal has been recalled 2 times.

  • March 13, 2015: low thiamine level
  • Dec. 22, 2017: incorrect bone grind size

The Honest Kitchen has been recalled once.

  • Feb. 21, 2013: Salmonella

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodPrimalThe Honest Kitchen
Per Pound$45.57$9.66
Per Calorie$0.0227$0.0053
Dry Cat FoodPrimalThe Honest Kitchen
Per Pound$45.93$9.67
Per Calorie$0.0230$0.0049

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 Primal 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 Primal 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 Primal 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 Primal Pet Foods

You can purchase Primal pet foods from the following stores:


15 Recipes In-Stock Today

20 Recipes In-Stock Today

15 Recipes In-Stock Today

14 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

ProductPrimalThe Honest Kitchen
Dry Dog FoodNone9 Recipes
Wet Dog FoodNone10 Recipes
Dog Treats6 Treats23 Treats
Dry Cat FoodNone3 Recipes
Wet Cat FoodNone10 Recipes
Cat TreatsNone3 Treats

Top Rated Primal Recipes

Dog Food
Primal
Freeze-Dried Formulas Freeze-Dried Canine Venison Formula
Check Price
Dog Food
Primal
Raw Frozen Formulas Canine Venison Formula
Check Price
Cat Food
Primal
Freeze-Dried Formulas Freeze-Dried Feline Chicken & Salmon Formula
Check Price
Cat Food
Primal
Raw Frozen Formulas Feline Beef & Salmon Formula
Check Price

Top Rated The Honest Kitchen Recipes

Dog Food
The Honest Kitchen
Dehydrated Dog Food Whole Grain Chicken Recipe
Check Price
Dog Food
The Honest Kitchen
Butcher Block Beef, Lamb & Spring Veggies Pate For Dogs
Check Price
Cat Food
The Honest Kitchen
Whole Food Clusters Grain Free Turkey & Chicken Recipe For Cats
Check Price
Cat Food
The Honest Kitchen
Câté Grain Free Beef & Chicken Recipe For Cats
Check Price