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Working out how much homemade food to feed a dog is the step most owners find hardest after deciding to cook, because there is no feeding chart printed on the side of a saucepan. The good news is that you can reach a sensible starting point with some simple maths, then fine-tune it by watching your dog’s weight and shape over a few weeks.
Please note: this article is general information, not veterinary advice. Every dog is different, and all the numbers below are approximate starting ranges. Confirm portions with your vet, especially for puppies, seniors, pregnant or nursing dogs, and any dog with a health condition.
What Changes How Much Your Dog Needs
Two dogs of the same size can need very different amounts of food. The main factors are:
- Ideal body weight: plan portions for the weight your dog should be, not the current weight if they are carrying extra pounds.
- Age: growing puppies need far more energy per kilo than adults, and many seniors need less.
- Activity: a working farm dog may need much more than a sofa-loving companion of the same size.
- Neutered status: neutered dogs often need fewer calories than intact dogs.
- Breed and metabolism: some dogs simply burn energy faster than others.
- The recipe itself: a fatty, meat-heavy mix packs more energy into each spoonful than a vegetable-heavy one.
That last point is why cup-based rules from kibble bags can mislead you with home cooking. Weighing food in grams and thinking in calories gives you much more control.
Method 1: How Much Homemade Food to Feed a Dog by Body Weight
The quickest rule of thumb for fresh and homemade diets is to feed roughly 2 to 3 percent of an adult dog’s ideal body weight in food each day. Calmer, less active dogs sit near 2 percent and busier dogs nearer 3 percent. Small and toy breeds burn more energy per kilo, so they often need 3 to 4 percent or a little more. This rule is for adults only; puppies need a separate plan.
Approximate daily totals for healthy adults (starting points only):
- 5 kg (11 lb): about 150 to 200 g per day
- 10 kg (22 lb): about 200 to 300 g per day
- 20 kg (44 lb): about 400 to 600 g per day
- 30 kg (66 lb): about 600 to 900 g per day
- 40 kg (88 lb): about 800 to 1,200 g per day
Split the daily total into two meals for most adults. The weakness of this method is that it ignores how calorie-dense your recipe is, which is where the next method helps.
Method 2: Work It Out From Calories
For a more accurate estimate, start with your dog’s calorie needs and then work out how many grams of your recipe deliver them. Vets often begin with the resting energy requirement, or RER:
RER = 70 x (ideal body weight in kg) to the power of 0.75
You then multiply RER by a rough life-stage factor:
- Typical neutered adult: about 1.6
- Typical intact adult: about 1.8
- Weight loss: about 1.0 to 1.2, and only under vet guidance
- Puppies: about 2 to 3, depending on age
- Working or very active dogs: often higher
Approximate daily calories for a typical neutered adult, using 1.6 x RER:
- 5 kg (11 lb): about 370 kcal
- 10 kg (22 lb): about 630 kcal
- 20 kg (44 lb): about 1,060 kcal
- 30 kg (66 lb): about 1,440 kcal
- 40 kg (88 lb): about 1,780 kcal
Turning calories into grams
- Add up the calories of every ingredient in one batch, using the packaging or a nutrition database.
- Cook the batch and weigh the finished food in grams.
- Divide the total calories by the total grams to get calories per gram.
- Divide your dog’s daily calories by that number to get grams per day.
Example: a batch contains 3,000 kcal and weighs 2,400 g cooked, so it provides 1.25 kcal per gram. A 20 kg neutered adult needing about 1,060 kcal would start at roughly 850 g per day, split into two meals. You only need to redo this when you change the recipe.
If the maths feels daunting, a structured guide helps. The Homemade Food Without Secrets eBook covers how to calculate daily food portions and explains the essential nutrients dogs need, alongside more than 50 recipes, snacks and treats.
Method 3: Adjust Using Body Condition
Both methods above give you a starting number. Your dog’s body tells you whether it is right. Check these every week or two:
- Weight: use the same scale at the same time of day. Many owners weigh themselves holding a small dog, then subtract their own weight.
- Ribs: you should feel them easily under a thin layer of fat, without pressing hard.
- Waist: from above, there should be a visible waist behind the ribs; from the side, the belly should tuck up.
- Stools and energy: very loose stools can mean too much food or too rich a recipe, and low energy may mean too little.
If your dog is gaining weight they do not need, cut the daily amount by about 10 percent and check again in two weeks. If they are losing weight they cannot spare, add about 10 percent. Small, steady changes are safer than big swings.
Switching From Kibble Without an Upset Stomach
Move to homemade food gradually over about 7 to 10 days. Start with roughly a quarter homemade and three quarters of the old food, then go to half and half, then three quarters homemade, and finally all homemade. Keep the total amount roughly matched to your dog’s needs at each stage. A common mistake is adding a full homemade portion on top of a full kibble portion, which doubles the calories overnight.
Common Portioning Mistakes
- Measuring by cups or scoops. Homemade food varies in density, so weigh it in grams.
- Forgetting treats and extras. Keep treats, chews and table scraps to around 10 percent of daily calories.
- Feeding for current weight. An overweight dog fed for its current weight will stay overweight.
- Changing recipes without recalculating. Swapping chicken breast for beef mince can change calories per gram a lot.
- Assuming the right amount means the right nutrients. Portion size cannot fix a recipe that is missing key vitamins or minerals. Ask your vet or a veterinary nutritionist to review your recipes, as many homemade diets need added supplements.
Tools That Make Portioning Easier
A digital kitchen scale is the single most useful purchase. Batch cook once or twice a week, weigh out daily portions into labelled containers, and freeze what you will not use within a few days. That way you portion once instead of at every meal.
If you want ready-made recipes to rotate, Real Food for Dogs is a digital cookbook with more than 100 recipes built around about five ingredients each, plus portioning notes and a rotation-feeding schedule. Its bonus book, Real Weight Loss for Dogs, is relevant if you are trimming portions for a heavier dog. Our full Real Food for Dogs review covers what works and what does not. New to cooking for your dog? Start with our complete guide to homemade dog food for the basics.
Our Recommendation
If you are just starting out and want help with both the portion maths and the recipes in one place, Homemade Food Without Secrets is a practical first resource. The guide says it is designed for both adult dogs and puppies, and it includes sections on portion calculation, beginner precautions and safe and unsafe fruits. Use it alongside your vet’s advice rather than instead of it.
Homemade Feeding FAQ
How much homemade food to feed a dog per day by weight?
As an approximate starting point, about 2 to 3 percent of ideal body weight for medium and large adults, and often 3 to 4 percent for small breeds. Adjust based on body condition and confirm with your vet.
How many meals a day should my dog get?
Most adult dogs do well on two meals a day. Puppies usually need three or four smaller meals, and some small breeds prefer three.
Do puppies need more homemade food?
Yes. Puppies need much more energy per kilo, and their growth depends on precise calcium and other nutrient levels. Homemade puppy diets should always be planned with your vet.
How long can I store homemade dog food?
Cooked food generally keeps for about three to four days in the fridge. Freeze extra portions and thaw them in the fridge the day before you need them.
Final Thoughts
There is no single perfect number, but there is a reliable process. Use body weight or calories to find a starting amount, weigh every portion, and adjust slowly based on your dog’s shape and energy. Get that right and you will know exactly how much homemade food to feed a dog at every stage of life, with your vet confirming the details.
