Ancient Grains is a four-recipe kibble line built around named meats and meat meals followed by grain sorghum and millet. Every recipe contains grain, none is grain free, and none lists peas, lentils or potato. All four are labeled for all life stages and all breed sizes.
Protein runs from 25% to 32% and estimated starch from 31% to 41%, as fed. The line averages 29.8% protein, 34.8% starch and 418 kcal per cup, against a kibble catalog average of 26.9% protein, 37.4% starch and 395 kcal per cup. Animal proteins span bison, pork, venison, beef, lamb, duck, turkey, chicken, egg and fish, and each recipe leads with a different main meat.
The trade-offs: Ancient Mountain sits well below its line mates on protein and carries the most starch, so the line is not uniform. Ancient Prairie and Ancient Wetlands are the denser options at 445 and 425 kcal per cup, which matters for owners measuring portions. Chicken meal appears in two recipes whose names highlight other meats, and the line is kibble only.
| Recipe | Protein | Fat | Starch | Kcal / cup | First ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Prairie Canine Recipe with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison | 32% | 18% | 31% | 445 | Water buffalo, pork, chicken meal |
| Ancient Wetlands Canine Recipe with Roasted Fowl | 32% | 18% | 31% | 425 | Duck, duck meal, chicken meal |
| Ancient Stream Canine Recipe with Smoked Salmon | 30% | 15% | 36% | 392 | Salmon, salmon meal, ocean fish meal |
| Ancient Mountain Canine Recipe with Roasted Lamb | 25% | 15% | 41% | 411 | Lamb, lamb meal, grain sorghum |
| Line average | 29.8% | 16.5% | 34.8% | 418 |
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 · 18% fat · 31% starch · 445 kcal/cup · All Life Stages
Ancient Prairie leads with water buffalo and pork, then chicken meal, and is the only recipe in the line with bison, pork, venison or beef. At 32% protein, 18% fat and 445 kcal per cup, the most calorie-dense in the line, it suits owners who want a red meat mix.
Full review of Ancient Prairie Canine Recipe with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison32% protein · 18% fat · 31% starch · 425 kcal/cup · All Life Stages
Ancient Wetlands leads with duck and duck meal, adds chicken meal, egg and turkey, and is the only recipe here with duck or turkey. It matches Ancient Prairie at 32% protein, 18% fat and 31% estimated starch but has 425 kcal per cup, suiting poultry fans.
Full review of Ancient Wetlands Canine Recipe with Roasted Fowl30% protein · 15% fat · 36% starch · 392 kcal/cup · All Life Stages
Ancient Stream is the line's only fish recipe, with salmon, salmon meal and ocean fish meal and no other animal protein listed. It has the fewest calories in the line at 392 kcal per cup, with 30% protein and 15% fat, suiting owners who want a fish-only kibble.
Full review of Ancient Stream Canine Recipe with Smoked Salmon25% protein · 15% fat · 41% starch · 411 kcal/cup · All Life Stages
Ancient Mountain is the line's only lamb recipe, with lamb and lamb meal ahead of grain sorghum, millet and cracked pearled barley. It has the least protein (25%) and the most estimated starch (41%) in the line, suiting owners who want lamb and egg as its only animal proteins.
Full review of Ancient Mountain Canine Recipe with Roasted LambNo. All four recipes contain grain, with grain sorghum and millet among the first five ingredients, and none lists peas, lentils or potato.
Ancient Prairie and Ancient Wetlands tie at 32% protein, as fed. Ancient Stream follows at 30%, and Ancient Mountain has the least at 25%.
Ancient Prairie and Ancient Wetlands list chicken meal among their first ingredients. Ancient Mountain (lamb and egg) and Ancient Stream (fish only) show no chicken on the label.
Protein runs higher than the average kibble we review (33.1% vs 30.1% on a dry matter basis).
Starch is lower than average, at 35% 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.
These are not unsafe. They are listed because readers ask about them.
MOST PROTEIN
Taste of the Wild Ancient Wetlands Canine Recipe with Roasted Fowl Dry Dog Food
35.6% dry matter
LEAST STARCH
Taste of the Wild Ancient Prairie Canine Recipe with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison Dry Dog Food
31% as fed
FEWEST CALORIES
Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream Canine Recipe with Smoked Salmon Dry Dog Food
392 kcal per cup
Expansion to batches of nine brands of dry dog and cat food made at Gaston, SC plant Dec 9 2011 - Apr 7 2012
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