MedalSeries is a large Nulo line with 34 recipes: 25 kibbles, 6 wet patés and 3 toppers. The kibbles are built around poultry and fish. Turkey appears in 22 of them and chicken in 21, and most pair sweet potato with peas, lentils or chickpeas. Of the 25 kibbles, 21 are grain free. The four Ancient Grains recipes use oats and barley instead of legumes.
Kibble protein runs from 28% to 32% and estimated starch from 29.5% to 40.5%, all as fed. Compared with the catalog kibble average, the line averages more protein (30.2% vs 26.9%), less starch (33.5% vs 37.4%) and more calories (425 vs 395 kcal per cup). The wet patés average 9.9% protein against a catalog wet average of 8.3%, and all six contain peas or lentils. The toppers range from a 12% protein lamb pouch to two dry toppers at 45%.
There are trade-offs. Owners avoiding peas and lentils can choose only from the four Ancient Grains kibbles and the three toppers. Most kibbles mix several animal proteins, and only the three Limited Ingredient recipes use a single one. Many kibbles have nearly identical figures, so the choice often comes down to protein source and breed size.
| Recipe | Protein | Fat | Starch | Kcal / cup | First ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken & Peas Recipe Grain-Free | 32% | 17% | 30% | 431 | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal |
| Lamb & Lentils Recipe Grain-Free | 32% | 17% | 30% | 438 | Lamb, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal |
| Large Breed Turkey & Peas Recipe Grain-Free | 32% | 14% | 33% | 416 | Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal |
| Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free | 32% | 17% | 30% | 432 | Deboned Salmon, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal |
| Small Breed Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free | 32% | 17% | 30% | 426 | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal |
| Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free | 32% | 17% | 30% | 431 | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal |
| Small Breed Turkey & Chickpeas Recipe Grain-Free | 31.5% | 18% | 29.5% | 441 | Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Salmon Meal |
| Small Breed Baked & Coated Chicken, Duck & Turkey Recipe Grain-Free | 31% | 16% | 32.5% | 442 | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chickpeas |
| Baked & Coated Salmon, Chicken & Turkey Recipe Grain-Free | 30% | 16% | 33.5% | 426 | Deboned Salmon, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes |
| Weight Management Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free | 30% | 7% | 40.5% | 371 | Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal |
| Large Breed Baked & Coated Whitefish, Chicken & Turkey Recipe Grain-Free | 30% | 14% | 35.5% | 419 | Deboned whitefish, chicken meal, sweet potatoes |
| Limited+ MedalSeries Limited Ingredient Diet Chicken Recipe Grain-Free | 30% | 15% | 33.5% | 430 | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Green Lentils |
| Senior Chicken & Lentils Recipe Grain-Free | 30% | 14% | 35% | 411 | Deboned Chicken, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal |
| Limited+ MedalSeries Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey Recipe Grain-Free | 30% | 15% | 33% | 410 | Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Green Lentils |
| Puppy Salmon & Lentils Recipe Grain-Free | 30% | 17% | 32.5% | 428 | Deboned Salmon, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal |
| Puppy Baked & Coated Turkey, Chicken & Duck Recipe Grain-Free | 30% | 15% | 35% | 421 | Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes |
| Baked & Coated Beef, Pork & Lamb Recipe Grain-Free | 30% | 18% | 32% | 445 | Deboned Beef, Pork Meal, Chickpeas |
| Baked & Coated Chicken, Duck & Turkey Recipe Grain-Free | 30% | 16% | 34% | 449 | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chickpeas |
| Large Breed Puppy Baked & Coated Chicken, Duck & Turkey Recipe Grain-Free | 30% | 15% | 34.5% | 419 | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes |
| Limited Ingredient Diet Salmon Recipe Grain-Free | 30% | 15% | 34% | 420 | Deboned salmon, salmon meal, yellow peas |
| Large Breed Puppy Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free | 28% | 13% | 38% | 405 | Deboned Salmon, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal |
| Ancient Grains Salmon, Oats & Haddock Recipe | 28% | 16% | 35.5% | 427 | Deboned Salmon, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal |
| Puppy Ancient Grains Turkey, Oats & Guinea Fowl Recipe | 28% | 16% | 35.5% | 426 | Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal |
| Small Breed Ancient Grains Salmon, Oats & Acadian Redfish Recipe | 28% | 16% | 35.5% | 427 | Deboned salmon, turkey meal, chicken meal |
| Ancient Grains Beef, Barley & Lamb Recipe | 28% | 16% | 35.5% | 425 | Deboned Beef, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal |
| Line average | 30.2% | 15.5% | 33.5% | 425 |
All figures as fed, from the guaranteed analysis on each label. Starch is our estimate, since no bag prints it. Highest in the line is marked in bold, lowest in italics.
32% protein · 17% fat · 30% starch · 431 kcal/cup · Adult
This adult kibble sits at the top of the line's protein range with 32%. It is led by deboned chicken, chicken meal and turkey meal, followed by whole peas and sweet potato. With 17% fat and 30% estimated starch at 431 kcal per cup, it suits adult dogs that eat chicken and turkey.
Full review of Chicken & Peas Recipe Grain-Free32% protein · 17% fat · 30% starch · 438 kcal/cup · Adult
This is the only kibble here with lamb as its first ingredient, followed by turkey meal, chicken meal, whole peas and sweet potato. It pairs 32% protein and 30% estimated starch with 438 kcal per cup, which suits adult dogs that like lamb and also eat poultry.
Full review of Lamb & Lentils Recipe Grain-Free32% protein · 14% fat · 33% starch · 416 kcal/cup · Adult
Sold for large breed adults, this kibble starts with deboned turkey, chicken meal and menhaden fish meal, then whole peas and sweet potato. At 32% protein, it has the most protein of the two large breed adult recipes, with 14% fat, 33% estimated starch and 416 kcal per cup.
Full review of Large Breed Turkey & Peas Recipe Grain-Free32% protein · 17% fat · 30% starch · 432 kcal/cup · Adult
Deboned salmon leads this adult kibble, backed by turkey meal and chicken meal, then whole peas and sweet potato. With 32% protein and 30% estimated starch, it is among the line's highest protein, lowest starch kibbles, at 432 kcal per cup.
Full review of Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free32% protein · 17% fat · 30% starch · 426 kcal/cup · Adult
Sold for small breeds, this kibble starts with deboned chicken, chicken meal and turkey meal, then sweet potatoes and chickpeas. It has 32% protein, 17% fat and 30% estimated starch at 426 kcal per cup, which suits small dogs that eat chicken.
Full review of Small Breed Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free32% protein · 17% fat · 30% starch · 431 kcal/cup · Puppy
This puppy kibble is led by deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, whole peas and sweet potato. Among the puppy kibbles, it has the most protein at 32% and the least estimated starch at 30%, with 17% fat and 431 kcal per cup.
Full review of Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free31.5% protein · 18% fat · 29.5% starch · 441 kcal/cup · Adult
Sold for small breeds, this kibble has the least estimated starch in the line at 29.5% and ties for the most fat at 18%. It starts with deboned turkey, turkey meal, salmon meal, sweet potatoes and chickpeas, and has 441 kcal per cup.
Full review of Small Breed Turkey & Chickpeas Recipe Grain-Free31% protein · 16% fat · 32.5% starch · 442 kcal/cup · Adult
This is the small breed version of the coated chicken, duck and turkey kibble, with deboned chicken, chicken meal, chickpeas, lentils and sweet potatoes first. It has 31% protein, 16% fat, 32.5% estimated starch and 442 kcal per cup.
Full review of Small Breed Baked & Coated Chicken, Duck & Turkey Recipe Grain-Free30% protein · 16% fat · 33.5% starch · 426 kcal/cup · Adult
Deboned salmon leads this coated adult kibble, followed by chicken meal, sweet potatoes, deboned chicken and chickpeas. Its 30% protein, 16% fat and 33.5% estimated starch sit close to the line's kibble averages, at 426 kcal per cup.
Full review of Baked & Coated Salmon, Chicken & Turkey Recipe Grain-Free30% protein · 7% fat · 40.5% starch · 371 kcal/cup · Adult
This kibble is made for weight management. It has the least fat (7%), the most estimated starch (40.5%) and the fewest calories (371 kcal per cup) of any kibble in the line. Its 6.5% fiber is also the highest, and it suits adult dogs that need fewer calories per cup.
Full review of Weight Management Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free30% protein · 14% fat · 35.5% starch · 419 kcal/cup · Adult
Sold for large breed adults, this is the only kibble here led by deboned whitefish, followed by chicken meal, sweet potatoes, deboned chicken and chickpeas. It has 30% protein, 14% fat, 35.5% estimated starch and 419 kcal per cup.
Full review of Large Breed Baked & Coated Whitefish, Chicken & Turkey Recipe Grain-Free30% protein · 15% fat · 33.5% starch · 430 kcal/cup · Adult
This limited ingredient recipe uses chicken as its only animal protein, with deboned chicken, chicken meal, green lentils, dried sweet potatoes and yellow peas first. At 30% protein, 15% fat and 430 kcal per cup, it suits owners avoiding turkey and fish.
Full review of Limited+ MedalSeries Limited Ingredient Diet Chicken Recipe Grain-Free30% protein · 14% fat · 35% starch · 411 kcal/cup · Senior
This is the only kibble in the line labeled for senior dogs. It lists deboned chicken, turkey meal, menhaden fish meal, whole peas and sweet potato first. It has 30% protein, 14% fat, 35% estimated starch and 411 kcal per cup.
Full review of Senior Chicken & Lentils Recipe Grain-Free30% protein · 15% fat · 33% starch · 410 kcal/cup · Adult
This limited ingredient recipe uses turkey as its only animal protein. It starts with deboned turkey, turkey meal, green lentils, dried sweet potatoes and yellow peas. With 6% fiber and 410 kcal per cup, it suits owners avoiding chicken and fish.
Full review of Limited+ MedalSeries Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey Recipe Grain-Free30% protein · 17% fat · 32.5% starch · 428 kcal/cup · Puppy
This puppy kibble for all breed sizes is led by deboned salmon, chicken meal and turkey meal, with sweet potatoes and lentils next. It has 30% protein, 17% fat, 32.5% estimated starch and 428 kcal per cup, and it also contains egg.
Full review of Puppy Salmon & Lentils Recipe Grain-Free30% protein · 15% fat · 35% starch · 421 kcal/cup · Puppy
This coated puppy kibble is led by deboned turkey and turkey meal, with chicken and duck also among its proteins. It has 30% protein, 15% fat, 35% estimated starch and 421 kcal per cup, and suits puppies of any breed size that eat poultry.
Full review of Puppy Baked & Coated Turkey, Chicken & Duck Recipe Grain-Free30% protein · 18% fat · 32% starch · 445 kcal/cup · Adult
This is the only kibble in the line with pork. It starts with deboned beef, pork meal, chickpeas, lentils and chicken fat, and its animal proteins are beef, pork, lamb and egg. It ties for the most fat at 18%, with 445 kcal per cup.
Full review of Baked & Coated Beef, Pork & Lamb Recipe Grain-Free30% protein · 16% fat · 34% starch · 449 kcal/cup · Adult
This all breed adult coated kibble has the most calories in the line, at 449 kcal per cup and 3806 kcal per kg. Deboned chicken, chicken meal, chickpeas, lentils and sweet potatoes lead the list, and duck and turkey are also included.
Full review of Baked & Coated Chicken, Duck & Turkey Recipe Grain-Free30% protein · 15% fat · 34.5% starch · 419 kcal/cup · Puppy
This coated kibble is sold for large breed puppies. It starts with deboned chicken, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, chickpeas and lentils, and duck and turkey are also used. It has 30% protein, 15% fat, 34.5% estimated starch and 419 kcal per cup.
Full review of Large Breed Puppy Baked & Coated Chicken, Duck & Turkey Recipe Grain-Free30% protein · 15% fat · 34% starch · 420 kcal/cup · Adult
This limited ingredient recipe uses fish as its only animal protein, with deboned salmon, salmon meal, yellow peas, chickpeas and canola oil first. It has 30% protein, 15% fat and 420 kcal per cup, which suits owners avoiding poultry.
Full review of Limited Ingredient Diet Salmon Recipe Grain-Free28% protein · 13% fat · 38% starch · 405 kcal/cup · Puppy
Sold for large breed puppies, this kibble has 28% protein, 38% estimated starch and 13% fat, the lowest fat of any puppy kibble here. Deboned salmon leads, followed by chicken meal, turkey meal, sweet potato and lentils, at 405 kcal per cup.
Full review of Large Breed Puppy Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free28% protein · 16% fat · 35.5% starch · 427 kcal/cup · Adult
This is the all breed adult grain-inclusive salmon recipe, named for haddock. Deboned salmon, turkey meal, chicken meal, oats and barley come first, with no peas, lentils or potato. It has 28% protein, 16% fat and 35.5% estimated starch at 427 kcal per cup.
Full review of Ancient Grains Salmon, Oats & Haddock Recipe28% protein · 16% fat · 35.5% starch · 426 kcal/cup · Puppy
This is the only grain-inclusive puppy kibble in the line, led by deboned turkey, turkey meal, chicken meal, oats and barley. It contains no peas, lentils or potato, and it has 28% protein, 16% fat and 426 kcal per cup.
Full review of Puppy Ancient Grains Turkey, Oats & Guinea Fowl Recipe28% protein · 16% fat · 35.5% starch · 427 kcal/cup · Adult
This is the small breed grain-inclusive option, named for salmon, oats and Acadian redfish, with deboned salmon, turkey meal, chicken meal, oats and barley first. It contains no peas, lentils or potato, and it has 28% protein and 35.5% estimated starch at 427 kcal per cup.
Full review of Small Breed Ancient Grains Salmon, Oats & Acadian Redfish Recipe28% protein · 16% fat · 35.5% starch · 425 kcal/cup · Adult
This is the only grain-inclusive kibble with deboned beef as its first ingredient. Turkey meal, chicken meal, barley and oats come next, and lamb is among its proteins. It contains no peas, lentils or potato, and it has 28% protein, 16% fat and 425 kcal per cup.
Full review of Ancient Grains Beef, Barley & Lamb Recipe| Recipe | Protein | Fat | Moisture | Kcal / kg | First ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paté Weight Management Turkey & Cod Recipe | 10% | 3% | 78% | 1,071 | Turkey, Turkey Broth, Salmon Broth |
| Paté Turkey & Lentils Recipe | 10% | 7% | 78% | 1,239 | Turkey, Salmon Broth, Turkey Liver |
| Paté Chicken, Carrots & Peas Recipe Grain-Free | 10% | 8% | 78% | 1,329 | Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth |
| Paté Beef, Peas & Carrots Recipe Grain-Free | 10% | 7% | 78% | 1,173 | Beef, Turkey, Beef Broth |
| Paté Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipe | 10% | 7% | 78% | 1,284 | Turkey, Turkey Broth, Turkey Liver |
| Paté Puppy Chicken, Salmon & Lentils Recipe | 9.5% | 5% | 78% | 1,286 | Chicken, Chicken Broth, Salmon Broth |
| Line average | 9.9% | 6.2% | 78% | 1,230 |
All figures as fed, from the guaranteed analysis on each label. Wet food is mostly water, so compare it with other wet food only. Highest in the line is marked in bold, lowest in italics.
10% protein · 3% fat · 395 kcal/serving · Adult
This paté is sold for weight management. It has the least fat (3%) and the fewest calories of the wet recipes, at 395 kcal per serving. Its 2.5% fiber is the highest among the patés, and it suits adult dogs on a calorie budget.
Full review of Paté Weight Management Turkey & Cod Recipe10% protein · 7% fat · 1,239 kcal/kg
This is the only paté with chickpeas in its first five ingredients, after turkey, salmon broth, turkey liver and salmon. It has 10% protein, 7% fat and 1239 kcal per kg, and suits owners who want turkey and fish without chicken.
Full review of Paté Turkey & Lentils Recipe10% protein · 8% fat · 489 kcal/can · Adult
With 8% fat and 489 kcal per can, this paté is the richest wet recipe in the line. Chicken, chicken liver, chicken broth, carrots and peas lead the list, so it suits adult dogs that eat chicken and need more calories per can.
Full review of Paté Chicken, Carrots & Peas Recipe Grain-Free10% protein · 7% fat · 432 kcal/can
This is the only wet recipe here with beef. It lists beef, turkey, beef broth, beef liver and peas first and also contains egg. With 10% protein, 7% fat and 432 kcal per can, it suits dogs that prefer a red meat recipe.
Full review of Paté Beef, Peas & Carrots Recipe Grain-Free10% protein · 7% fat · 473 kcal/can
This is the only paté in the line that contains potato: sweet potatoes follow turkey, turkey broth, turkey liver and peas. It has 10% protein, 7% fat and 473 kcal per can, and its animal proteins are turkey and egg, with no chicken or fish.
Full review of Paté Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipe9.5% protein · 5% fat · 474 kcal/serving · Puppy
This is the only wet recipe in the line labeled for puppies. Chicken, chicken broth, salmon broth, chicken liver and salmon come first. Its 9.5% protein is the lowest among the patés, and it has 5% fat and 474 kcal per serving.
Full review of Paté Puppy Chicken, Salmon & Lentils Recipe| Recipe | Protein | Fat | Moisture | Kcal / kg | First ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tasty Toppers Chicken Recipe Grain-Free | 45% | 32% | 5% | 5,052 | Chicken, Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver |
| Tasty Toppers Turkey Recipe Grain-Free | 45% | 34% | 5% | 5,142 | Turkey, Turkey Heart, Turkey Liver |
| Meaty Pouches Lamb, Mackerel & Kelp Recipe Grain-Free | 12% | 5% | 80.5% | 948 | Lamb, Lamb Broth, Mackerel |
| Line average | 34% | 23.7% | 30.2% | 3,714 |
All figures as fed, from the guaranteed analysis on each label. Wet food is mostly water, so compare it with other wet food only. Highest in the line is marked in bold, lowest in italics.
45% protein · 32% fat · 10% starch · 227 kcal/cup
This dry topper is built on chicken, chicken heart, chicken liver, pumpkin and chicken necks, with 45% protein, 32% fat and 227 kcal per cup. Its 10% estimated starch is the highest of the three toppers, and it suits dogs that already eat chicken.
Full review of Tasty Toppers Chicken Recipe Grain-Free45% protein · 34% fat · 8% starch · 231 kcal/cup
The turkey topper lists turkey, turkey heart, turkey liver, pumpkin and turkey necks, and its 34% fat is the most of any topper here. At 231 kcal per cup with 8% estimated starch, it suits owners who want a calorie-dense topper without chicken.
Full review of Tasty Toppers Turkey Recipe Grain-Free12% protein · 5% fat · 76 kcal/pouch
At 80.5% moisture, this pouch is the wettest topper in the line, and lamb, lamb broth, mackerel, mackerel broth and kelp lead its ingredient list. It has 12% protein, 5% fat and 76 kcal per pouch, which suits owners who want a light, moist lamb and fish add-on.
Full review of Meaty Pouches Lamb, Mackerel & Kelp Recipe Grain-FreeMostly. All wet patés, all toppers and 21 of 25 kibbles are grain free. The four Ancient Grains kibbles contain oats and barley: Salmon, Oats & Haddock; Beef, Barley & Lamb; Puppy Turkey, Oats & Guinea Fowl; and Small Breed Salmon, Oats & Acadian Redfish.
Among kibbles, six recipes reach 32%, including Chicken & Peas, Lamb & Lentils, Salmon & Sweet Potato and Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato. The Tasty Toppers Chicken and Turkey recipes list 45%, but they are toppers, not complete meals.
Among kibbles, the Weight Management Chicken & Sweet Potato recipe has the fewest calories at 371 kcal per cup. Among wet foods, the Paté Weight Management Turkey & Cod has the fewest at 395 kcal per serving.
Protein runs higher than the average kibble we review (33.5% vs 30.1% on a dry matter basis).
Starch is lower than average, at 34% of the food as fed.
100% of recipes lead with a meat, fish or egg ingredient (89% across the site).
88% of recipes are grain-free.
this range, lowest to highest its average average of all 3,205 foods we review
Starch is our estimate from the guaranteed analysis, since no manufacturer prints it. How we work it out
Share of recipes that list each animal protein as an ingredient, not counting oils, fats or flavorings. Useful if your dog has a food sensitivity.
These are not unsafe. They are listed because readers ask about them.
MOST PROTEIN
Nulo MedalSeries Chicken & Peas Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
35.6% dry matter
LEAST STARCH
Nulo MedalSeries Small Breed Turkey & Chickpeas Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
30% as fed
FEWEST CALORIES
Nulo MedalSeries Weight Management Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
371 kcal per cup
Our log holds FDA dog food recall notices from 2012 on, so this is not a guarantee that Nulo has never had one. See the recall log
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