Big Life is a small kibble line built around grain, soybean meal and dried peas, with a meat or meat meal as the first ingredient. Both recipes show 25% protein, 12% fat and 10% moisture as fed, so the real differences come from the lead protein and the grains.
The Savory Chicken recipe opens with chicken meal and ground yellow corn and also lists fish. The Hearty Beef recipe opens with beef, then chicken meal, and uses ground brown rice. Estimated starch runs from 42% to 43%. Neither recipe is grain free, and both include dried peas and soybean meal among the first five ingredients.
The kibble catalog average across 1,834 foods is 26.9% protein and 37.4% starch. Against that, Big Life sits a little lower on protein and higher on starch. This is a moderate, grain-inclusive formula, not a high-protein one. Chicken appears in both recipes, which matters for owners trying to avoid it.
| Recipe | Protein | Fat | Starch | Kcal / cup | First ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savory Chicken, Veggies & Barley | 25% | 12% | 43% | -- | Chicken Meal, Ground Yellow Corn, Soybean Meal |
| Hearty Beef, Veggies & Brown Rice | 25% | 12% | 42% | -- | Beef, Chicken Meal (Source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate), Soybean Meal |
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.
25% protein · 12% fat · 43% starch
This is the only Big Life recipe with fish among its animal proteins. It leads with chicken meal and lists ground yellow corn second, with 43% estimated starch and 4% fiber, and suits owners looking for a chicken-based, corn-forward kibble.
Full review of Savory Chicken, Veggies & Barley25% protein · 12% fat · 42% starch
Beef leads this recipe, with chicken meal second and ground brown rice in place of corn among the first five ingredients. It has 42% estimated starch and 5% fiber, and suits owners who want a beef-led kibble without corn near the top of the list.
Full review of Hearty Beef, Veggies & Brown RiceNo. Neither Big Life recipe is grain free. Savory Chicken, Veggies & Barley lists ground yellow corn and ground whole grain corn, and Hearty Beef, Veggies & Brown Rice lists ground brown rice.
Yes. Dried peas are the fourth ingredient in both Savory Chicken, Veggies & Barley and Hearty Beef, Veggies & Brown Rice.
Neither. Both recipes show 25% protein and 12% fat as fed. Hearty Beef, Veggies & Brown Rice has slightly more fiber at 5% versus 4%, and Savory Chicken, Veggies & Barley has slightly more estimated starch at 43% versus 42%.
Protein runs lower than the average kibble we review (27.8% vs 30.1% on a dry matter basis).
Starch is higher than average, at 43% of the food as fed.
100% of recipes lead with a meat, fish or egg ingredient (89% across the site).
0% 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.
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