9 Grain-Free Foods You Can Feel Confident About Feeding to Your Pets

It's become a huge trend in recent years to feed your pets the highest-quality food. While cheaper and perhaps lower-quality foods are still staples in pet stores and many homes, the health benefits of feeding grain-free or organic foods to your dogs and cats are becoming more widely publicized, and people are taking note. One company that specializes in these high-quality foods is The Honest Kitchen. CEO Lucy Postins said there's a direct link between what animals eat and how healthy they are, which is why she developed this human-grade food in her kitchen that is now part of The Honest Kitchen.

Grain-free foods are exactly what they sound like. They're a food blend that contains all the nutrients your pet needs, with no added fillers. When I asked Dr. Leilani Alvarez, who works at New York City's Animal Medical Center, about this new food trend, she said the most important part of alternative foods (like grain free) is finding something complete and balanced that your pet will eat.

"You want something less processed and with few allergens, which is a common problem with grains," she said of the fillers commonly used in foods. While allergies in pets can run the gamut, cutting out processed foods with a large list of ingredients is a good method of alleviating your pet's issues. She also pointed out that you want the first ingredient or two on a bag of food to be a real food like meat to ensure it's chock-full of protein and goodness.

As with anything related to your pet's diet, it's wise to consult your veterinarian before making any changes. As a trained professional who also knows about your specific pet, he or she can make the best judgment call. If you've done your homework and talked to your vet and decided to go grain free, we suggest trying one of the foods in this gallery, as they've come highly recommended. We pulled one option from each brand, but all the brands offer other varieties. Scroll through to see them all.