The holidays are all about family, sharing joy, and indulging a little. Of course, your dog is part of your family, so there’s always temptation around the holidays to share a little joy and culinary indulgence with them, too.
Most prepared human food is high in fat and too rich for dogs to digest without problems such as diarrhea and vomiting. There are even some human foods that are toxic to dogs. The safest bet is never to give table scraps to your dog and instead let them enjoy an extra special dog treat.
However, if you can’t resist, there are some human foods you can share with your dog as a treat in small quantities. We’ll cover what table scraps and human foods in general your dog can handle and which should be avoided. This will help your whole family enjoy the holidays, pup included!
What Human Food Is Good for Dogs?
There is some human food dogs can eat, and some of it is actually good for their overall health. In general, healthy human food for dogs is unprocessed and not cooked as a dish for humans. When we prepare dishes for ourselves, we include things such as olive oil and seasonings. These little extras add major flavor, but they’re not great for your dog’s stomach.
Instead, you can choose healthy human food such as sweet potato and cook it without adding anything extra. In small quantities, sweet potatoes provide dogs with important nutrients and make a great occasional addition to their regular dog food.
The list below will give you more ideas about which human foods dogs can eat.
Fruits
Many fruits make tasty, healthy snacks for your dog. However, it’s important to remember that fruits are high in sugar, so they should be fed to your dog as a once-in-awhile treat.
- Apples
- Cucumbers
- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Watermelon, seeds, and rind removed
- Cantaloupe, seeds, and pulp removed
- Pears
- Raspberries
Vegetables
You can give your dog a variety of vegetables, provided they’re cooked simply without oil and seasonings. Vegetables are packed with healthy nutrients and are low in calories and fat, so they’re a great option for your pup.
- Green peas
- Peeled sweet potatoes (Tip: You can give your dog a few tablespoons of steamed, mashed sweet potato to help with diarrhea.)
- Pumpkin
- Carrots
- Green beans
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Celery
- Beets
- Butternut squash
Proteins
When you think about feeding your dog human food, proteins such as chicken and fish probably spring to mind. Many protein options are safe to give your dog in small portions. Be sure to fully cook the protein and check that there are no bones or shells in it before giving it to your furry friend.
