INSTEAD OF HIGH-GLYCEMIC CEREAL GRAINS LIKE RICE OR CORN, ORIJEN FEATURES A FULL 20% COMPLEMENT OF REGIONAL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Dogs and cats have eaten fruits and vegetables the entire period of their evolution. Fruit is thought to provide vitamins for wolves in summer, with seeds from raspberries and blueberries apples, figs, pears, plums all reported in wolf stool. Wild canids including wolves, coyotes and fox also eat grass, which is thought to clean the digestive tract and purge the intestines.

In addition to providing soluble and insoluble fiber, fruits and vegetables contain many important health promoting nutrients including vitamins, masses of enzymes, and various anti-aging factors including antioxidants and phytochemicals.

While conventional dog and cat foods feature a small fraction of fruit and vegetables (and a correspondingly high content of cereal grains), ORIJEN features a full 20-25% of healthful fruits and vegetables. As with our fresh meats, our focus is upon fruits and vegetables produced within our region.

RUSSET POTATO  |  Southern Manitoba
Harvested from Manitoba’s prairie farms, russet potatoes are a highly nutritious, nutrient-dense food. Low-temperature cooked at 90c/195F, russet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamins B and C and are naturally rich in potassium, copper, magnesium and iron.

SWEET POTATO  |  Idaho
The sweet potato is one of the most nutritious vegetables known to man. An important source of Vitamin B6, iron, potassium and fiber, sweet potatoes are an important source of beta-carotene, vitamin B6, iron, potassium and fiber.

RED DELICIOUS APPLES  |  Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Harvested from British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, red delicious apples are a source of healthy fiber, which aids digestion, stool formation and elimination. Apples are rich in phytonutrients, or naturally occurring compounds that act as antioxidants and help to protect cells from free radical damage within the body.

SUN-CURED ALFALFA  |  Southern Alberta prairies
Leaves of the alfalfa plant are rich in minerals and nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, potassium and carotene as well as Vitamins E and K. In Chinese medicine, physicians even use alfalfa leaves to treat disorders related to the digestive tract and the kidneys.

CRANBERRIES  |  Fraser Valley, British Columbia
Native to Canada, cranberries have long been valued for their role in treating urinary tract infections. Loaded with potent antioxidant properties, cranberries are a rich source of flavonoids — natural compounds that help fight aging, heart disease and even cancer.

ORGANIC KELP  |  Vancouver Island, British Columbia
A high source of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, enzymes and phytochemicals, kelp helps remove toxins from the bowel, increase and enhance metabolism, and restore and nourish the entire body.

GREEN PEAS  |  Southern Saskatchewan
As Canada's largest pulse crop, green peas are grown over a significant portion of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Their nutritional composition includes complex (low-glycemic) carbohydrates and important antioxidant vitamins and minerals, including folate and iron.

WHOLE CARROTS  |  British Columbia and Alberta
Whole carrots provide an excellent source of beta-carotene, which converts to Vitamin A and rhodopsin in the body to improve night vision and combat free radicals.

TOMATOES   |  British Columbia and Alberta
Tomatoes are packed with healthy phytochemicals, including beta-carotene and lycopene, the latter being the predominant carotenoid in tomatoes and one of nature's most powerful antioxidants.

PUMPKIN   |  Eastern Canada
Not only is pumpkin loaded with vitamin A and antioxidant carotenoids, particularly alpha- and beta-carotenes, it’s also a good source of Vitamins C, K and E -- as well as minerals such as magnesium, potassium and iron.

TURNIP GREENS  |  British Columbia and Saskatchewan
Cultivated for over 4000 years, turnip greens are loaded with Vitamins K, A and C and glucosinolates — phytonutrients that can be converted into isothiocyanates (ITCs) with cancer-preventing properties.

SPINACH  |  British Columbia and Saskatchewan
Spinach is at the top of many super food lists and its health benefits are numerous. Its abundance of folic acid, Vitamin K, iron, carotenoids, lutein and bioflavanoids make spinach a nutritional powerhouse.