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Premixes: A Different Type of Food (Water is an essential ingredient in the final food) |
EZComplete Premixes: There is a difference between how much food the premixes make and how much meat they balance
There is, understandably, a fair bit of confusion about how much meat the EZComplete premixes balance versus how much food they make. Premixes are a new type of thing to most of us, and they are different than canned , dry, or freeze-dried food. The amount of food a premix makes includes the water we add. It is an essential ingredient in the final food.
Very simply, the amount of meat each bag of premix balances and the amount of food each bag makes are two different amounts. This is true for all premixes. The difference in the weight is the water. This is how this category of food works.
If feeding dry food, each little piece of kibble is complete and balanced, and we understand it provides very little moisture. We know we must encourage our pets to drink the water essential for their best health.
If feeding canned food, the can already contains the moisture. The cost of the can includes the water in it: we pay for the water. Cans vary in their moisture content but are typically 78% water. This is quite similar to making homemade food, as the ingredients we use are rich in moisture and we must add a little bit to mix the ingredients together.
If buying a freeze-dried food, the information on the bag provides the weight of the freeze-dried food in the bag in ounces, and the amount of food the bag makes in pounds once the water, as directed, is added to rehydrate the food. This is clear and expected.
When we make homemade food, there is a recipe that includes meat, organs, bones (or bonemeal or an alternate source of calcium), some supplements, and a bit of water needed to mix everything together. The weight of all of these things adds up to the total amount of food made. This is obvious to all and what we expect.
With a premix, a portion of the food is dried ingredients. Those dried ingredients require moisture to make the food. Unlike freeze-dried food where adding water is obviously part of the weight of the final food, with a premix, it isn't as obvious. This is because it is only a portion of the final food that required the water. But if we add the premix to the meat, it's quite clear that isn't "food" and water is needed. In fact, the water is an essential ingredient. To become food, the meat and powder require moisture. This is why the instructions for all premixes, no matter the maker, include the portion of meat (or meat and organs), the amount of premix powder, and an amount of water. For any premix that balances just meat, there are three ingredients to the food: the meat, the premix, and the water.
EZComplete premixes, specifically, are 97% freeze-dried food-based ingredients (organs, etc) and just 3% vitamins and minerals. Almost all of the ingredients had moisture removed when freeze-dried. The water restores the moisture lost in the freeze-drying process. Thus, especially for EZComplete (and other premixes that use primarily freeze-dried organs and other food-based ingredients), water in the recipe is an essential ingredient in the final food and part of the weight of the final food you make with the premix. Food made with EZComplete premix, as directed, results in a food that is similar in composition to one you make at home with fresh ingredients.
The directions indicate an amount of water (or cooking water with the juices) to use: 1.5 cups for each two-pound batch. The two pounds refers to the starting point: the weight of the meat. The premix is added per instructions (53g for EZComplete fur Dogs and 53.3g for EZComplete fur Cats). The "two pound batch" (907g) refers to the starting point - the amount of meat that is going to be turned into food. The amount of food made is (with rounding) 2 pounds, 14 ounces for each premix (1300 grams).
The information for how much meat is needed and how much food each premix makes is as follows:
EZComplete fur Dogs - 450g balances 17 (16.98) pounds (7.7 KG) of meat and makes 24.2 pounds (10.98 KG) of food.
EZComplete fur Cats - 225g balances 8 pounds, 7 ounces (8.4375) pounds of meat (3.83 KG) and makes 12.1 pounds (5.49KG) of food.
EZComplete fur Cats - 450g balances 16 pounds, 14 ounces (16.875) of meat (7.65) and makes 24.2 pounds (10.98 KG) of food.
Very simply, the amount of meat each bag of premix balances and the amount of food each bag makes are two different amounts. This is true for all premixes. The difference in the weight is the water. This is how this category of food works.
If feeding dry food, each little piece of kibble is complete and balanced, and we understand it provides very little moisture. We know we must encourage our pets to drink the water essential for their best health.
If feeding canned food, the can already contains the moisture. The cost of the can includes the water in it: we pay for the water. Cans vary in their moisture content but are typically 78% water. This is quite similar to making homemade food, as the ingredients we use are rich in moisture and we must add a little bit to mix the ingredients together.
If buying a freeze-dried food, the information on the bag provides the weight of the freeze-dried food in the bag in ounces, and the amount of food the bag makes in pounds once the water, as directed, is added to rehydrate the food. This is clear and expected.
When we make homemade food, there is a recipe that includes meat, organs, bones (or bonemeal or an alternate source of calcium), some supplements, and a bit of water needed to mix everything together. The weight of all of these things adds up to the total amount of food made. This is obvious to all and what we expect.
With a premix, a portion of the food is dried ingredients. Those dried ingredients require moisture to make the food. Unlike freeze-dried food where adding water is obviously part of the weight of the final food, with a premix, it isn't as obvious. This is because it is only a portion of the final food that required the water. But if we add the premix to the meat, it's quite clear that isn't "food" and water is needed. In fact, the water is an essential ingredient. To become food, the meat and powder require moisture. This is why the instructions for all premixes, no matter the maker, include the portion of meat (or meat and organs), the amount of premix powder, and an amount of water. For any premix that balances just meat, there are three ingredients to the food: the meat, the premix, and the water.
EZComplete premixes, specifically, are 97% freeze-dried food-based ingredients (organs, etc) and just 3% vitamins and minerals. Almost all of the ingredients had moisture removed when freeze-dried. The water restores the moisture lost in the freeze-drying process. Thus, especially for EZComplete (and other premixes that use primarily freeze-dried organs and other food-based ingredients), water in the recipe is an essential ingredient in the final food and part of the weight of the final food you make with the premix. Food made with EZComplete premix, as directed, results in a food that is similar in composition to one you make at home with fresh ingredients.
The directions indicate an amount of water (or cooking water with the juices) to use: 1.5 cups for each two-pound batch. The two pounds refers to the starting point: the weight of the meat. The premix is added per instructions (53g for EZComplete fur Dogs and 53.3g for EZComplete fur Cats). The "two pound batch" (907g) refers to the starting point - the amount of meat that is going to be turned into food. The amount of food made is (with rounding) 2 pounds, 14 ounces for each premix (1300 grams).
The information for how much meat is needed and how much food each premix makes is as follows:
EZComplete fur Dogs - 450g balances 17 (16.98) pounds (7.7 KG) of meat and makes 24.2 pounds (10.98 KG) of food.
EZComplete fur Cats - 225g balances 8 pounds, 7 ounces (8.4375) pounds of meat (3.83 KG) and makes 12.1 pounds (5.49KG) of food.
EZComplete fur Cats - 450g balances 16 pounds, 14 ounces (16.875) of meat (7.65) and makes 24.2 pounds (10.98 KG) of food.
Thank you for your interest!
Please note: At Food Fur Life, we feel strongly that transitioning your pet to a healthy, homemade diet is a commitment. Many are transitioning older animals, and as we frequently discuss, some pets (especially cats) do not recognize the new raw or home cooked food AS food. Compared to most commercially available canned or kibble pet foods, homemade food (no matter how it smells to us) has a very different smell, taste, texture and temperature than food to which they are accustomed. It is very much like asking an older person that has never eaten anything other than out of a bag, box or can to start eating fresh fruit and salad. And for our older pets, even if they took to the new food right away, their bodies would be in great upheaval with a rapid switch. While many pets do enjoy food made with the EZComplete premix right out of the starting gate and have no transition issues, some resistance to the new food format is normal. This is why we have resources dedicated to helping you achieve a successful transition. These include:
How To Slowly and Properly Introduce the New Food Made with EZComplete fur Cats
How To Transition to the New Food Made with EZComplete fur Cats
How To Transition Your Cat to Timed Meals
How To Transition Your Dog to the New Food Made with EZComplete fur Dogs
We also make ourselves available by email, and via message on our Facebook page.