Fresh Meat & Poultry
Cooka just adores Senhor Nuno, our local meat merchant from Mafra. Her tail starts wagging as soon she hears the tires of his truck arrive on the road of our bakery. Nuno’s meat is always of premium quality and fully traceable. And of course only human-grade.
Did you know?
We believe that our furry companions need a diet rich in animal protein. Domesticated for centuries by humans, yet the canine DNA has not changed much from the times they were roaming the forests in packs. Dogs evolved from wolves in the wild, surviving primarily by hunting animals. Their digestive systems is made to utilize meat, fat, and bones. This kind of diet provides them with important amino acids, the building blocks of protein, which are essential to build, maintain, and restore the body’s health.
Fruit & Vegetables
Cooka loves her ‘greens and colors’ (she calls it her rainbows), as they provide important nutritional support. Did you know that about 30% of a dog’s diet should consist of fruit and veggies? At our bakery we use fresh apples, fresh carrots, fresh beetroot and frozen wild berries.
Dairy & Fats
Some dogs, just like us, have difficulties in digesting milk, due to the high lactose content. But cheese, which is naturally low in lactose makes for a wholesome dairy treat and provides a great source of Calcium. At Cooka’s we only bake with cheese from the Azores, the pristine Atlantic Islands where cows still roam free in the green fields. Our preferred choice of fat is old-fashioned lard. Being a pure animal fat it is highly nourishing and beneficial for our dog’s health.
Did you know?
“The nutrient requirements of canine athletes are unique. Dogs have a greater capacity for fat oxidation than humans both at rest and during exercise. In dogs undertaking endurance exercise, such as sled dogs, high fat (>50% of energy) diets increase stamina and maximize energy production…”
– Richard C. Hill
Flour, Grains & Super-seeds
Seeds are tiny powerhouses and Cooka always likes adding a few spoonful. Flax, chia and hemp seeds are all staples in Cooka’s kitchen. Just like humans, many dogs are becoming more and more sensitive to wheat and gluten. Cooka’s preferred choice of flour is made from rice which is neutral by nature and a slightly sweet grain.
Herbs & Spices
Nature’s pharmacists, superb antioxidants and highly nutritious. Cooka loves oregano, cinnamon, parsley and rosemary.
Did you know?
Common health complaints like itching, scratching, skin issues or allergies can be caused by our pet’s diet? Inexpensive feed-grade foods are often filled with byproducts and waste items that lack nutritional value. To compensate, synthetic vitamins, minerals and taste-enhancers are then added to the final product, creating an ‘artificially pleasing’ treat or meal. Chemicals can easily fool the brain and the best of a muzzle, but the body always knows and sooner or later health problems will appear. Just like for us, the more natural and less processed the food we consume, the better we feel.
Super-Foods
What exactly are super-foods? Today we hear this term everywhere and it seems almost every food has turned SUPER. Which actually is true. Each vegetable, fruit, spice, herb… has its own special power and should be celebrated. But to keep things simple we keep fruit and veggies on their own page, as we do with seeds or dairy. Super-foods for now are reserved just for these food sources that don’t seem to fit(yet) into any other categories, like algae.
Fresh Fish & Crustaceans
Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which according to veterinarians may have health benefits such as decreasing inflammation. Fish is also a good alternative for dogs with food allergies to more common ingredients, like chicken.