Rachael Ray Nutrish sorts its dry food into two small kibble lines with two recipes each. The split is about grain. Big Life includes grain, such as corn or brown rice. Grain Free is made without grain and pairs chicken or salmon with sweet potato. Since both lines are kibble, they can be compared side by side.
The label numbers are close. Grain Free shows 26% protein and 14% fat as fed, while Big Life shows 25% protein and 12% fat. Big Life averages 42.5% estimated starch, and Grain Free averages 39%. Big Life recipes are led by chicken meal or beef and also contain soybean meal and dried peas. Grain Free recipes list chicken, fish and turkey, along with pea starch and potato. Grain Free averages 363 kcal per cup, which is below the 395 kcal catalog average for kibble.
Average kibble, as fed
Big Life is a two-recipe kibble line from Rachael Ray Nutrish, one led by chicken meal and one by beef. Both recipes show the same 25% protein and 12% fat as fed and include grain, soybean meal and dried peas.
A good fit for: Owners who want grain-inclusive kibble with corn or brown rice; Dogs fed a moderate 25% protein, 12% fat kibble
Read the Big Life reviewAverage kibble, as fed
Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain Free is a two recipe kibble line made without grain, pairing chicken or salmon with sweet potato. Both recipes list chicken, fish and turkey, include pea starch and potato, and show 26% protein and 39% estimated starch as fed.
A good fit for: Owners who want grain free kibble with chicken or salmon first; Dogs that do well on 26% protein and 14% fat
Read the Grain Free review
Protein runs lower than the average kibble we review (27.4% vs 30.1% on a dry matter basis).
Starch is higher than average, at 42% of the food as fed.
74% of recipes lead with a meat, fish or egg ingredient (89% across the site).
21% 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
Rachael Ray Nutrish Dish Beef & Brown Rice with Veggie & Fruit Blend Dry Dog Food
28.9% dry matter
LEAST STARCH
Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain Free Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food
39% as fed
FEWEST CALORIES
Rachael Ray Nutrish Healthy Weight Real Turkey, Brown Rice & Venison Recipe Dry Dog Food
280 kcal per cup
Rachael Ray Nutrish is a dog and cat food and treats brand owned by Post Holdings and managed by its Post Consumer Brands pet food division, which the brand's website calls For All Tails Pet Care. The Rachael Ray name is a trademark of Ray Marks Co., LLC used under license. The brand is known for its tie to celebrity cook Rachael Ray and says it has enabled over $95 million in donations through The Rachael Ray Foundation through 2024. 1, 2, 3
When Post Holdings bought the brand in 2023, the deal also included pet food manufacturing facilities in Meadville and Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and Lawrence, Kansas. Public sources reviewed do not say which plant makes each Nutrish product or whether any items are made by outside co-manufacturers. 4
Nutrish launched in July 2008 through a partnership between Rachael Ray and Ainsworth Pet Nutrition of Meadville, Pennsylvania. The J.M. Smucker Co. acquired Ainsworth in 2018, and Post Holdings bought Nutrish and other Smucker pet brands for $1.2 billion in a deal that closed on April 28, 2023. In 2025 the brand relaunched as simply Nutrish with new packaging, and in April 2026 it put the Rachael Ray name back on its packaging. 5, 6, 7, 3, 8
In 2019 the FDA listed Rachael Ray Nutrish among the dog food brands named in 10 or more reports of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), while stating that the reports alone do not establish a causal link. In June 2015 five Nutrish wet cat food varieties were recalled over possibly elevated vitamin D. A 2018 class action alleging glyphosate in the food was dismissed. 9, 5
Researched from the sources above. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Our log holds FDA dog food recall notices from 2012 on, so this is not a guarantee that Rachael Ray Nutrish has never had one. See the recall log
The brand put the Rachael Ray name back on its packaging and launched a national 'Home Chef-Inspired Bowls' campaign with cookbook author Jenn Lueke. Post Consumer Brands
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