Kibbles ‘n Bits Reviews

Everyone has heard of Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food. The brand has been around for more than 40 years and is available in just about any store, making it one of the best-selling pet food manufacturers in the world. But does this dog food brand’s affordability and popularity mean it’s a quality product line for your dog? Let’s take a closer look at everything you need to know about the dog food brand before you decide that it’s the right choice for your pet.

About the Brand

Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food claims to be the first dog food with two textures on the market, featuring a blend of crunchy kibble and soft, chewy bits. This brand first came onto the market in 1981. The J. Heinz Company bought the brand in 1995, which later sold it to Del Monte.

When it comes to dog food brands, this one is widely recognized and sold in just about every online retailer and big box store in the country. It’s affordable food, but some customer reviews and a quick look at any of the dog food brand’s ingredient labels on each bag show that it’s not necessarily known for quality. More on that later.

Dog Food Review

Before we dig into an analysis about this dog food, let’s take a quick look at the recipes Kibbles ‘n Bits has to offer and whether they’re of acceptable quality. We’ll start with its dry dog food recipes then touch briefly on the wet recipes.

Dry Dog Food Review

First up in our dog food review, we’re going to look at the dry dog food recipes offered by Kibbles ‘n Bits, starting with the original.

Original Savory Beef & Chicken Flavors

The original Beef and Chicken flavors dog food recipe is advertised as being formulated for all life stages. It’s available in multiple-sized bags, ranging from a 3.5 lb bag to a 50-pound bag, so you can buy in bulk and save more money. True to the brand’s name, it contains crunchy kibble and soft, chewy bits. According to the brand, this and all its recipes are antioxidant-rich and made using high-quality ingredients.

This dry dog food has 375 kcal/cup and includes 19 percent crude protein content, 8 percent crude fat, and 12 percent crude fiber.

Ingredients: Corn, Soybean Meal, Beef and Bone meal, Ground Wheat, Animal Fat (BHA Used as Preservative), Corn Syrup, Wheat Middlings, Water Sufficient for Processing, Animal Digest (Source of Chicken Flavor), Propylene Glycol, Salt, Hydrochloric Acid, Potassium Chloride, Caramel Color, Sorbic Acid (Used as a Preservative), Sodium Carbonate, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Titanium Dioxide (Color), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Choline Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, BHA (Used as a Preservative), Wheat Flour, DL-Methionine.

Beefy Bits Beef Flavor

Beefy Bits is similar to the Beef and Chicken flavor dog food product but without the chicken flavors.

This dry dog food has 380 kcal/cup and includes 19 percent crude protein, 8 percent crude fat, and 4 percent crude fiber.

Ingredients: Corn, Soybean Meal, Beef & Bone Meal, Ground Wheat, Animal Fats (BHA Used As Preservative), Corn Syrup, Wheat Middlings, Beef, Water Sufficient For Processing, Animal Digest, Propylene Glycol, Salt, Hydrochloric Acid, Caramel Color, Potassium Chloride, Sorbic Acid (Used As A Preservative), Sodium Carbonate, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins, Choline Chloride, Titanium Dioxide (Color), Calcium Sulfate, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, BHA (Used As A Preservative), DL-Methionine, Wheat Flour.

Bacon & Steak Flavors

The Kibbles ‘n Bits bacon and steak flavors Kibbles ‘n Bits dry dog food is one that many pet owners said their dogs love the taste of.

This dog food product contains 365 kcal/cup, and 19 percent crude protein, 8 percent crude fat, and 4 crude fiber.

Top Ingredients: Corn, Soybean Meal, Beef And Bone Meal, Ground Wheat, Animal Fats (BHA Used As Preservative), Corn Syrup, Wheat Middlings, Water Sufficient For Processing, Animal Digest, Propylene Glycol, Salt.

Mini Bits Bacon & Steak Flavor

This mini Kibbles ‘n bits bacon dog food recipe contains 360 kcal/cup, and 21 percent crude protein, 8 percent crude fat, and 4 crude fiber.

Top Ingredients include Corn, Soybean Meal, Beef and Bone Meal, Ground Wheat, Animal Fat (Bha Used As Preservative), Middlings (Wheat), Water Sufficient for Processing, Animal Digest.

Homestyle Grilled Beef & Vegetable Flavors

This beef flavor dog food product contains 375 kcal/cup, and 19 percent crude protein, 8 percent crude fat, and 12 crude fiber. It is recommended only for adult dogs and is not suitable for puppies or those pets that are lactating or pregnant.

Top Ingredients: Corn, soybean meal, beef and bone meal, ground wheat, animal fat (BHA used as a preservative), corn syrup, wheat middlings, water sufficient for processing, animal digest (source of chicken flavor), propylene glycol, salt.

Bistro Oven Roasted Beef Flavor

This Bistro Oven Roasted Beef Flavor dog food recipe contains 375 kcal/cup, and 21 percent crude protein, 8 percent crude fat, and 4 crude fiber. It is recommended only for adult dogs and is not suitable for puppies or dogs that are lactating or pregnant.

Top Ingredients: Corn, Soybean Meal, Bone & Beef Meal, Ground Wheat, Animal Fat (BHA Used as Preservative), Middlings (Wheat), Corn Syrup, Water Sufficient for Processing, Animal Digest (Source of Roasted Flavor), Propylene Glycol, Salt, Apple, Hydrochloric Acid.

Bistro Small Breed Mini Bits Oven Roasted Beef Flavor

This dog food recipe contains 412 kcal/cup, and 21 percent crude protein, 8 percent crude fat, and 4 crude fiber. It is recommended only for adults and is not suitable for puppies or dogs that are lactating or pregnant.

Top Ingredients: Corn, Soybeans (Meal), Beef & Bone Meal, Ground Wheat, Wheat Middlings, Animal Fat (BHA Used as Preservative).

Small Breed Mini Bits Savory Beef & Chicken Flavors

This dog food recipe contains 360 kcal/cup, and 19 percent crude protein, 21 percent crude fat, and 4 crude fiber. It is recommended only for adults and is not suitable for puppies or dogs that are lactating or pregnant.

Top Ingredients: Corn, Soybeans (Meal), Bone & Beef Meal, Ground Wheat, Wheat Middlings, Animal Fat (BHA Used As Preservative).

Meaty Middles Prime Rib Flavor

This pet food product contains 320 kcal/cup, and 19 percent crude protein, 8 percent crude fat, and 4 crude fiber. It is recommended only for adult dogs and is not suitable for puppies or pets that are lactating or pregnant.

Top Ingredients: Corn, Soybeans (Meal), Bone & Beef Meal, Fat (Bha Used As A Preservative), Middlings (Wheat), Water Sufficient for Processing, Ground Wheat, Beef.

Wet Dog Food Review

Kibbles ‘n Bits also has a few wet dog food recipes to choose from. These recipes are not as nutritionally dense as the dry dog food recipes, but they make great treats and toppers.

American Grill Burger Dinner With Real Bacon & Cheese Bits in Gravy

This Grill Burger Dinner With Real Bacon & Cheese Bits in Gravy recipe contains 356 kcal/can and 8 percent crude protein, 3 percent crude fat, and 1.5 crude fiber.

Ingredients in this product. include Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken, Beef, Meat By Product, Wheat Flour, Soy Flour, Modified Food Starch, Bacon, Soy Protein Concentrate, Steamed Meal (bone), Salt, Artificial And Natural Flavor, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Caramel Color, Titanium Dioxide (Color), Iron Oxide (Color), Cheese Powder, Vitamins, Minerals, Potassium Sorbate (A Preservative), Glycerol Monostearate, Beta Carotene (Color), Canthaxanthin (Color), Garlic Extract, and Red 3.

Bistro Hearty Cuts With Real Beef, Chicken & Vegetables in Gravy

This recipe contains 344 kcal/can and 8 percent crude protein, 3 percent crude fat, and 1.5 crude fiber.

Homestyle Meatballs & Pasta Dinner With Real Beef in Tomato Sauce

This recipe contains 356 kcal/can and 8 percent crude protein, 3 percent crude fat, and 1.5 crude fiber.

Bistro Tender Cuts With Real Beef & Vegetables in Gravy

This recipe contains 292 kcal/can and 8 percent crude protein, 3 percent crude fat, and 1.5 crude fiber.

Bistro Tender Cuts With Real Turkey, Bacon & Vegetables in Gravy

This recipe contains 299 kcal/can and 8 percent crude protein, 3 percent crude fat, and 1.5 crude fiber.

Homestyle Tender Slices With Real Beef, Chicken & Vegetables in Gravy

This recipe contains 311 kcal/can and 8 percent crude protein, 3 percent crude fat, and 1.5 crude fiber.

What Dogs is Kibbles ‘n Bits Dog Food suitable for?

What types of dogs do Kibbles ‘ n Bits have a good dog food recipe for and where is it lacking? Let’s take a look at what we learned from our dog food review.

Life Stages

A few of these dog food recipes are formulated for all life stages, but most of them are not. Kibbles ‘n Bits does not have a specific recipe for puppies or senior dogs, which is honestly quite disappointing from a brand that’s been around for so long.

Allergies

This is not good dog food for a dog with food allergies or sensitivities. Each of the dry pet food flavors uses corn as the number one ingredient, which is known to cause sensitivities.

Picky Eaters

From the customer comments for most of these recipes, it seems that dog owners claim that their dogs love the taste of this dog food brand. There are several wet dog foods that you can add as a topper if your dog doesn’t like the dry dog food, but the taste doesn’t seem to be an issue with these dog foods.

Small Breeds

There are small breed or mini bits options for little dogs.

Large Breeds

Kibbles ‘n Bits does not have a recipe specifically formulated for large breed dogs.

Senior Dogs

Although some of the recipes are formulated for all life stages, these types of dog foods aren’t necessarily the best for senior dogs. Mature dogs need special nutritional support for their bones, joints, and immune system, and a recipe tailored to senior dogs is a much better choice.

Overweight Dogs

There are no weight control of healthy weight recipes in the Kibbles n’ Bits dog food product line. In fact, some of their recipes are quite high in fat and are not a good option for inactive dogs or those that need to lose weight.

How Does Kibbles ‘n Bits Dog Food Measure Up?

There are a lot of red flags to consider when it comes to Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food recipes, as you may have picked up on from our dog food review.

The first is that the recipes are advertised as Beef and Chicken Flavors or Prime Rib Flavor, which means that there isn’t anything regulating how much real meat is it required to maintain. For example, the Original Beef and Chicken Flavors recipe doesn’t actually include any chicken on the ingredient list. Instead, animal digest is used as the source of chicken flavor, and it’s the ninth ingredient.

For most of the recipes, the main protein is the third ingredient and is a bone and beef meal. It’s not as high-quality a protein source as, say, beef meal or real beef, but it does pack a fair amount of protein and calcium.

Another thing to consider is the first two ingredients in all of the brand’s dry pet foods are corn and soybeans. Some people consider these fillers, and many pet owners try to avoid corn altogether. Corn is not necessarily the horrible ingredient that most people think it is, but it should not be the number one ingredient in a quality dog food.

There are many other questionable ingredients, too, including ground wheat, corn syrup, propylene glycol, caramel color, wheat flour, and artificial coloring.

The bottom line is that Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food is not a particularly good choice, as you can see from the ingredients listed in our dog food review. It uses poor-quality protein sources, multiple grains, and contains added sugars and artificial coloring. That said, a lot of customers mention in their review that they like this food because it’s so affordable, and their dogs seem to love the taste.

Ultimately, it depends on what you’re looking for. This is a budget dog food for a reason. It’s made using sub-par ingredients, which is why Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food is so affordable. Will your dog eat it? Most likely. But as a pet parent, it’s up to you to choose the healthiest diet for your dog. There are many other brands out there with a product line that are much better for your dog.

Mary Nielsen

I grew up in a household that was filled with animals. I believe that my fate as a dog-loving person was sealed in early childhood since my parents owned several dogs of varying sizes and breeds. There was no choice but to take care of and learn about dog habits and the best animal care practices — otherwise, I’d be clueless about how to go about the creatures I was surrounded by day and night.

As a life-long puppy lover, I know a thing or two about dogs and how to go about caring for them in the best way possible. Although I’m not a professionally trained dog behaviorist, trainer, or veterinarian, all of my knowledge and experience with canines comes from a place of love and a deep-rooted passion for dogs and animals in general.

Seeing as dogs kept me company throughout every stage of my life, I decided to follow a different path in my academic life and obtained a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Marketing Management and Digital Advertising, which ultimately allowed me to combine my professional training and personal experience by creating the ultimate dog lover’s resource website! Along with my husband, Dave, I run MySweetPuppy for like-minded dog lovers who want to have a single, clear, and reliable information source about anything and everything related to dogs and their well-being.