AI-powered nutrition. Fresh ingredients.

Balanced homemade dog food — generated, not guessed.

The Balanced Bowl uses AI and a multi-pass nutrition solver to build balanced recipes from 600+ whole foods. Pick your ingredients, generate a recipe that meets NRC, AAFCO, or FEDIAF standards, and export your shopping list straight to Instacart.

Dog looking at fresh ingredients on the counter

AI nutrition guide + precision solver

Ask the AI guide about your dog’s diet, pick your ingredients, and let the solver handle the math. Every recipe is optimized across 30+ nutrients — then export to Instacart and start cooking.

600+ Whole foods database
30+ Nutrients balanced
1‑tap Instacart export

AI-powered tools for every step of the process

From ingredient selection to Instacart checkout — The Balanced Bowl handles pet profiles, recipe generation, nutrient optimization, and shopping list export so you can focus on cooking.

Pet profile setup screen

Personalized pet profiles

Capture breed, weight, and activity to build a plan that fits your dog.

Multi-pet household planning screen

Multi‑pet planning

Manage multiple dogs and create balanced plans from a single dashboard.

Advanced recipe options screen

Advanced recipe controls

Choose standards, preparation style, and macro targets before generating.

Recipe macro and micro breakdown screen

Macro + micro breakdowns

See protein, fat, carbs, and key micronutrients at a glance.

How The Balanced Bowl works

1. Pick your ingredients.

Choose from 600+ whole foods — proteins, organs, fish, veggies, starches, and fruits. Set your nutrition standard, prep mode, and macro profile.

2. Generate a balanced recipe.

Our solver optimizes portions to meet NRC, AAFCO, or FEDIAF nutrient targets — including supplements to fill any gaps. Review the full macro and micronutrient breakdown.

3. Prep and shop.

Follow step-by-step prep instructions and export your shopping list directly to Instacart, Amazon, or specialty retailers.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Balanced Bowl?

It’s a recipe generator for homemade dog food that actually balances the nutrition. Pick your dog’s proteins and veggies from a database of 600+ whole foods, and our solver builds a recipe that meets your chosen nutrition standard — complete with supplement recommendations to fill any gaps.

Can I use it for puppies or senior dogs?

Yes. Choose from puppy or adult standards under NRC, AAFCO, or FEDIAF — each with age-appropriate nutrient targets. For seniors, the Weight Management or Senior macro profiles help you dial in lower-calorie, higher-protein recipes.

Does it work for weight management?

Yes. The app calculates your dog’s daily calorie needs based on weight, age, activity level, and spay/neuter status. You can also override calories manually to match vet guidance. Preset macro profiles like Weight Management and Low Fat make it easy to target specific goals.

Which nutrition standards are supported?

NRC, AAFCO, and FEDIAF — each available for adult and puppy life stages. Select your preferred standard before generating and every recipe will be built to meet its nutrient minimums and safe upper limits.

Can I choose raw or cooked preparation?

Yes. Choose raw or cooked before generating and the app adjusts nutrient calculations accordingly — accounting for cooking losses and ingredient availability differences between the two approaches.

How do I set macro goals like protein or fat?

Choose from five preset macro profiles — Balanced, Weight Management, Low Fat, Performance, or Senior — or set custom protein, fat, and carb targets (low, medium, or high) to fine-tune the recipe for your dog’s needs.

Does it recommend supplements?

Yes. After optimizing whole food ingredients, the solver identifies any remaining nutrient gaps and recommends specific supplements to close them. Each supplement includes dosing, product images, and direct purchase links.

How are calories calculated?

The app estimates daily calories using your dog’s weight, age, activity level, sex, and reproductive status. The formula is based on standard MER/RER calculations. You can override the estimate at any time to match your vet’s recommendation.

How does it handle multi‑pet households?

Create profiles for each of your dogs with their own calorie targets and allergies. You can generate a shared recipe that portions out the right amount for each dog in the household.

What nutrient breakdowns do I get?

Every recipe shows a full macro breakdown (protein, fat, carbs, fiber) plus 30+ micronutrients including calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and all key vitamins. You’ll see how each nutrient compares to the minimum, maximum, and safe upper limit for your chosen standard.

Can I pick which ingredients go into my recipe?

Yes. Choose your required proteins, organs, fish, starches, vegetables, and fruits from the ingredient picker before generating. You can also exclude specific ingredients for allergies or preference — the solver works around your selections.

Does the app save my recipes?

Yes. Recipes are saved to your account and stored locally on your device. You can rename them, add notes and photos, and share them with other Balanced Bowl users via a link.

Can I export a shopping list?

Yes. The app builds a categorized shopping list from your recipe and connects you to retailers — standard grocery ingredients go to Instacart with nearby store selection, supplements link directly to Amazon, and specialty raw ingredients link to retailers like My Pet Carnivore and Raw Feeding Miami.

What is the AI Guide?

The AI Guide is a built-in assistant that knows your dog’s profile — breed, age, weight, allergies, and conditions. Ask it nutrition questions, get ingredient suggestions, or have it build recipe parameters for you. It can hand off directly to the recipe generator with your preferences pre-filled.

Download The Balanced Bowl

Generate balanced recipes with AI, track 30+ nutrients, and export your shopping list to Instacart — all in one app.