Halo might be best known for being co-owned by Ellen DeGeneres, but they make really high quality products as well.
Halo holistic is Halo’s line of vegan dog food, and is one of the best vegan dog foods you’ll find.
However, one big drawback is the price.
Does the quality of the food justify the price?
That’s what this review is for. We’ll look at the dry kibble version first, and then the canned one.
Table of Contents
Halo Holistic Garden Vegan Dry Food Review
Breed sizes: Any size (adult dogs only)
Main ingredients: Green peas, Chickpeas, Barley, Oat groats, Pea protein
Cost: $$$$$ (out of $$$$$)
Sizes: 4 lb, 10 lb, 25 lb
This food is particularly good if your dog any food sensitivities, since it avoids all the most common ones (meat, dairy, corn, wheat).
There are no “filler” ingredients, and the food is made in the U.S.
The biggest thing Halo promotes about this product is that it has a lower glycemic index than other vegan dog foods. This basically means it should help them with blood sugar control, which is important for overweight dogs (or people) with diabetes concerns.
If you look at reviews for this product, you’ll see that they are overwhelmingly positive.
Almost all dogs enjoy this food.
However, it’s quite expensive compared to other good options, and if price is a consideration, Halo Holistic likely isn’t the best option for you.
Full Ingredients List
Like all vegan dog foods, the ingredients list is fairly long. It mainly consists of plants and supplements to make sure all nutritional requirements are met:
Green peas, chickpeas, pearled barley, oat groats, pea protein, whole flaxseed, sunflower oil, dried plain beet pulp, potato, sweet potato, alfalfa meal, carrot, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, spinach, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dicalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, dried kelp, natural vegetable flavors, flaxseed oil, carrots, dried apple, dried blueberry, dried cranberry, chicory root, taurine, rosemary extract, l-carnitine, potassium chloride, dl methionine, salt, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, vitamins (vitamin B12 supplement, niacin, vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D2 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, biotin, folic acid), minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, zinc sulfate, iron sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganese sulfate, cobalt proteinate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, sodium selenite).
The ingredients are similar to other top vegan dog foods, with peas and chickpeas being the 2 main protein sources. These are good plant-based sources of protein, although not quite as digestible as meat.
Nutrient Breakdown
All you really need to know about this food is that it meets all the requirements that AAFCO recommends.
Here’s the nutritional profile:
| Crude protein | 20.0% (minimum) |
| Crude fat | 10.0% (minimum) |
| Crude fiber | 8.5% (maximum) |
| Moisture | 10.0% (maximum) |
Protein is the most important thing when it comes to vegan dog foods.
The minimum a healthy dog needs, according to AAFCO is 18% of the food by weight, so there’s nothing to worry about here.
As a side note, most vegan dog foods are somewhere between 18-24, so Halo Holistic is somewhere in the middle. Compare that to non-vegan foods, which are usually ~30% for high quality ones.
Product Recalls
Product recalls typically show that a company doesn’t have the most consistent or safest manufacturing process.
The good news is that this food has never been recalled.
Additionally, there’s only been 1 recall in Halo’s entire history (in 2015 for a specific turkey-based food), which should give you some peace of mind.
Halo is a pretty popular dog food maker, so you can find their foods in almost every pet store. Most will have the vegan line of foods, but smaller ones often don’t.
If you’re going to buy it online, Amazon is the easiest and cheapest option. Here’s a link to check current pricing:
Halo Holistic Garden Vegan Canned Food Review
Breed sizes: None specified
Main ingredients: Green peas, Chickpeas, Barley, Oat groats, Pea protein
Cost: $$$$$
Sizes: 13 oz (368 g) or 5 oz (156 g)
Again, most dogs love the wet food, and it’s a good choice if your dog eats dry food too quickly or doesn’t drink enough water.
But it’s still on the expensive side compared to other good vegan canned foods, so it really depends on your budget.
Full Ingredients List
The ingredients are almost identical as you’d expect, just with vegetable broth added in:
Vegetable broth, chickpeas, potatoes, pea protein, carrots, olive oil, peas, spinach, flaxseed, potato protein, tricalcium phosphate, natural flavor, agar-agar, salt, calcium carbonate, golden algae, choline chloride, potassium chloride, turmeric, sesame seeds, dandelion greens, rosemary, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, magnesium proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D2 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid.
Nutrient Breakdown
When it comes to wet food, the protein percent by weight goes down of course.
When you calculate an equivalent protein percent based on dry weight, Halo Holistic is still easily over the minimum recommended by AAFCO.
| Crude protein | 5.75% (minimum) |
| Crude fat | 3.5% (minimum) |
| Crude fiber | 2.0% (maximum) |
| Moisture | 78.0% (maximum) |
You can often find this food in stores alongside the dry version, but not always.
It’s also typically cheaper online on Amazon (although still relatively expensive).
If you’d like to see the current price, use the button below:
Summary of Halo Holistic Vegan Dog Food and Alternatives
The big strengths of this food is that it uses whole ingredients, and avoids common allergy triggers like wheat and corn. It’s also well-liked by the majority of dogs.
However, that comes with a literal cost. This food is more expensive than other comparable vegan dog foods.
If budget is an issue, consider the following alternatives:
- Nature’s Recipe (Cost: $, only dry food): Nature’s Recipe is the cheapest reputable vegan dog food you’ll find. However, a decent portion of dogs don’t like the taste, so you may have to return it. You can read more about it in my Nature’s Recipe Vegetarian Recipe review.
- Natural Balance (Cost: $$, wet and dry versions): This is your best option if you specifically want a cheaper wet food. Almost all dogs love it. The dry food is also much cheaper per gram than Halo Holistic is. See my Natural Balance Vegetarian Formula review for more.
- V-Dog Kinder Kibble (Cost: $$$, only dry food): V-Dog is a bit cheaper than Halo Holistic and has been making vegan dog food since 2005. It’s a great food that’s safe and most dogs love. You can find out more in my V-Dog Kinder Kibble review.
Halo is a great vegan dog food if you can afford it (wet or dry), but any of those above alternatives are also good options that dogs can thrive on.
If you have any questions about this review, leave them below!
