The First Batch

Safely transition your dog to balanced homemade food in 3 weeks

Work directly with me (Bryce) to take control of what's in your dog's bowl.

Vet nutritionist balanced recipes and a simple weekly routine, taught live, step by step. The same recipes 2k+ dogs already eat.

I hired 2 nutritionist/dietitians that each costs over $1000... I got the Fairbowl membership and tried both Salmon & Tilapia, & it was the first time I've seen her lick the bowl! She loves both and her stools are perfect... It's been a lifesaver for both of us!

Amaya has had many stomach issues over the years, her vet and Internal Medicine doctor could not figure out. After thousands of dollars with tests and procedures they determined it was her food. I hired 2 nutritionist/dietitians that each costs over $1000... I saw your posts and got the Fairbowl membership and tried both Salmon & Tilapia, & it was the first time I've seen her lick the bowl! She loves both and her stools are perfect, and also no fuss, throwing up, or need to use toppers! It's been a lifesaver for both of us!... I'll tell anyone please try it! It's not hard, more nutritious and your dog will love it!

Ricky, Amaya★★★★★

Join the waitlist

15 spots · Closes Tuesday, August 11 at 11:59pm MT

Does this sound like you?

✓You want to cook for your dog, but you're scared you'll get it wrong and hurt them.

✓You've read a hundred conflicting recipes and articles, and you don't trust any of them.

✓Maybe you've already tried homemade, but you're not sure it's actually balanced.

✓You're not sure your homemade recipe is actually balanced, so you're stuck guessing.

✓You've wanted to do this for ages, but it feels overwhelming, so you keep putting it off.

If any of that sounds like you, here's the truth: it was never your fault. Nobody ever walked you through it step by step, with recipes you can actually trust.

That's the whole reason The First Batch exists.

What pet parents say about our recipes

Real messages from people who cook them, in their words.

Video

Jamie, Cosmo

"He's such a happy dog who loves his food."

I was tired of Cosmo always straining and wanted to know what he was eating. And he's such a happy dog who loves his food. It's going well, he loves the food, and after a few goes it's pretty easy to make and store. I'd tell someone who's thinking of cooking for their dog that it gets easier as time goes on, that the dog will appreciate it and that if you portion it when you cook it it's really not much more work than the usual.

Ricky, Amaya

"It was the first time I've seen her lick the bowl."

Amaya has had many stomach issues over the years, her vet and Internal Medicine doctor could not figure out. After thousands of dollars with tests and procedures they determined it was her food. I hired 2 nutritionist/dietitians that each costs over $1000... I saw your posts and got the Fairbowl membership and tried both Salmon & Tilapia, & it was the first time I've seen her lick the bowl! She loves both and her stools are perfect, and also no fuss, throwing up, or need to use toppers! It's been a lifesaver for both of us!... I'll tell anyone please try it! It's not hard, more nutritious and your dog will love it!

Danielle, Luna, Finn & Bane

"I love knowing they're getting fresh, wholesome ingredients while still keeping it affordable."

When I found your veterinary formulated recipes, they felt like the perfect middle ground. Feeding 100% homemade food just isn't realistic for our budget, so we've found a balance that works really well... Since switching... and adding your recipe to their meals, we've noticed they're much less itchy and spend far less time licking their paws. I also love knowing they're getting fresh, wholesome ingredients while still keeping it affordable. For anyone who's considering cooking for their dog, I'd say you don't have to do an all or nothing approach. Even adding fresh, balanced homemade food alongside a quality kibble has been a great option for our family, and mealtime has become something we all look forward to.

Kassia, Socrates

"It's worth it to see my boy feeling so much better."

I switched from Farmer's Dog to homemade a little over a year ago because Soc was having weird off and on stomach issues. I knew I wanted to at least give homemade food a try before just going to kibble, but once I started I never looked back. I won't lie, it's definitely a time commitment! But I've gotten so much faster over time and it's worth it to see my boy feeling so much better!... My advice is to do a little research on where things are priced lowest in your area, and if you find something on sale, stock up.

Elena, Cayde & Winnie

"My only regret is not finding your recipes earlier."

Then I found your site and it had everything I was looking for. Since switching not only has it saved us money it has saved our dog's teeth, coat, and skin... Even when I've had questions, I've emailed and you replied within the same day... My only regret is not finding your recipes earlier, there hasn't been a single bad thing that came out of our option to switch. If I had to tell someone about the switch I'd say do it now, not only is it better for the dogs and your wallet, it's easy and makes me feel better as a pet owner.

Violet

"First recipe passed the picky dog test."

First recipe passed the picky dog test. I made the Beef, eggs and grain. We had an empty bowl being pushed around.

Kristen, Daphne & Carl

"She will actually clean her plate now."

I grabbed the recipes because I wanted a healthier alternative to soft food that had everything Daphne needed in it. Being a rescue, her teeth were in bad shape, she had 7 pulled before I even took her home... she's the pickiest dog in the world (I swear)... she will actually clean her plate now that I've found recipes without fish/salmon oil in them! Now, 4 years later, I have Carl... I love these recipes for him because he's prone to weight gain and also now has no teeth at all, I can control his calorie intake easier and blend the food up so he can easily eat!

Michele, Jazzmine, Melanie & Bria

"You know what they are eating and the cost is reasonable. What more can you ask for?"

I bought both your Walmart meals and the single protein meals. I got these because I want a balanced meal for my dogs and the commercial meals are expensive and I don't know if they are balanced or not. I don't want to chance my fur babies health on question marks... the single protein meals are much faster and easier to make... She LOVES her homemade food!... These recipes are so worth the time for your fur babies! They get faster each time you make them, you know what they are eating and the cost is reasonable. What more can you ask for?

Rebecca, Mozart & Zena

"They circle the kitchen when they know we are making the weekly batch."

We tried the recipes because one of our dogs has food allergies and we wanted him to have healthy ingredients to stabilize his health. Our dog with allergies is doing much better with the homemade food. And both dogs LOVE the food!! They circle the kitchen when they know we are making the weekly batch. Making their food definitely takes more time, but it's worth it! And after a few times, we've got a system down so it doesn't feel inconvenient.

Dawn, her fur babies

"You guys helped so much and took all of the guilt away."

I have been following for years and can't get enough of the research and honesty. I went down the raw food rabbit hole and got so lost. You guys helped so much and took all of the guilt away and replaced it with hard based research and evidence. I now cook your vet approved and nutritional homemade food recipes and use as toppers over a good quality kibble. Thanks to you I can now relax and enjoy my fur babies without the constant worry about their food! My wish would be that every pet owner would follow you and gain the confidence that you guys have given me.

I did everything right, and it still wasn't enough

Five years ago, my wife and I decided we were going to start cooking for Harper ourselves. And we were going to do it right.

We found a recipe online. We drove an hour to Denver for the good ingredients. We spent half the day in the kitchen.

Then we set that bowl down in front of her, and she took one sniff and walked away.

I just stood there. Exhausted, out two hundred bucks, and honestly, a little crushed.

But that wasn't the worst part.

Even if she'd eaten every bite, I had no idea if it was actually good for her.

I'd poured an entire day and everything I had into that bowl, and I still couldn't tell you if I was helping her or slowly hurting her.

I was doing everything I thought I was supposed to. The time. The effort. The expensive ingredients. The love.

And it still wasn't enough.

The people writing the recipes I'd been following weren't lazy or careless. They cared exactly as much as I did.

Which meant effort was never the difference. Something else was.

This isn't my opinion. It's what the research shows

UC Davis analyzed 200 homemade dog food recipes. From books, from websites, even ones written by veterinarians.

Not complete and balanced · 190 Complete and balanced · 10

Only four were written by a veterinary nutritionist.
All four passed.

Stockman et al., JAVMA 2013. Texas A&M found the same thing a decade later.

Every recipe in The First Batch is formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. You are not guessing at anything. You are following a recipe that was already built right.

But a recipe doesn't cook itself

So the recipe problem is solved. The nutrition math is done, and it was never something you or I were going to crack on our own.

But a recipe doesn't cook itself.

You get it. You're excited. You make your first batch.

And somewhere around week two, something small goes sideways.

•The chicken comes out overcooked and you don't know if you ruined it.

•The supplements at your store don't quite match the ones in the recipe.

•You can't find 84% lean pork anywhere in your town.

•Your dog sniffs the bowl and walks away on day one and you panic.

Every one of those is a five minute fix if there's someone to ask.

Every one of those is why people quit if there isn't.

None of it is written in the recipe.

That's what the three weeks are for.

Here's exactly what happens, week by week

Three live sessions, one a week, starting Wednesday, August 12 at 4pm Mountain. Plus daily support in the community in between. You're not formulating anything or counting nutrients, you're just following a recipe that's already built right.

It's a private stream, so you're never on camera and you never have to speak. Questions go in the chat. Every session is recorded and yours to keep, so missing one live isn't a problem.

Week 1

Get set up

Live, we find your dog's recipe together, learn how to read it, and build your exact grocery and supplement list. You leave knowing precisely what to buy. There's no cooking this week and nothing to prepare beforehand.

Week 2

Cook your first batch

A live cook-along. We make your first balanced batch together, step by step. Then you start the slow, 10-day transition so your dog's stomach has time to adjust and nothing gets rushed.

Week 3

Lock in your routine and troubleshoot

By now your dog's well into the transition. We add a second recipe for variety and lock in the batch-prep and storage routine that gets you cooking about an hour a week instead of every day. Then we troubleshoot whatever you're stuck on, picky eater, sensitive stomach, keeping the cost down, and set you up to keep this going long after the cohort ends.

First recipe passed the picky dog test. We had an empty bowl being pushed around.

First recipe passed the picky dog test. I made the Beef, eggs and grain. We had an empty bowl being pushed around.

Violet★★★★★

Here's everything you get

Three weeks of live coaching

Three live sessions with me, one a week. Cook-alongs, walk-throughs, and real-time Q&A about your dog and your situation.

Value: $200

19 recipes formulated by a veterinary nutritionist

Every recipe a veterinary nutritionist has built, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, fish, and lamb, grain-free and grain-inclusive, plus specialty recipes. Each one balanced to meet established canine nutrition standards.

Value: $250

A private community with daily support

A members-only space where I'm in every day, plus a cohort board where your questions get answered within 48 hours.

Lifetime access to the recordings

Miss a session, or want to rewatch a step? Every call is recorded and yours to keep.

The coaching and recipes add up to $450, plus $228 in free bonuses.

You know what they are eating and the cost is reasonable. What more can you ask for?

I bought both your Walmart meals and the single protein meals. I got these because I want a balanced meal for my dogs and the commercial meals are expensive and I don't know if they are balanced or not. I don't want to chance my fur babies health on question marks... the single protein meals are much faster and easier to make... She LOVES her homemade food!... These recipes are so worth the time for your fur babies! They get faster each time you make them, you know what they are eating and the cost is reasonable. What more can you ask for?

Michele, Jazzmine, Melanie & Bria★★★★★

Included free

Free bonus

A full year of Fairbowl+$228 value

The three weeks get you cooking. Fairbowl+ is the toolkit that keeps it going after, and it's yours free for a full year.

Everything that's inside

✓

19 recipes built by a veterinary nutritionist

Beef, chicken, turkey, pork, salmon, and lamb. Grain-free and grain-inclusive, puppy and adult. Every one formulated by a veterinary nutritionist.

✓

The 10-day transition tool

Switch foods too fast and you get the diarrhea, the throwing up, the 2am worry that you've done something wrong. This walks you through the change one day at a time, so it's slow and gentle on their stomach.

✓

The members community

So you're never stuck guessing alone. Post a photo of the bowl, ask the question you think is silly, and hear from me and people doing the exact same thing.

✓

Everything we add all year

New recipes and tools land throughout the year, all included, nothing extra to buy.

✓

The recipe calculator

Scales any recipe to your exact dog and builds your grocery and supplement list, so you're never doing the math.

That last one is the tool you'll touch every week. So instead of describing it, here it is, go ahead and try it.

Pork, Quinoa & ApplesExample recipe · 50 lb dog

This is the recipe calculator inside Fairbowl+. Slide to see how one cook session scales, so you prep once and feed for days.

Prep for 7 days1–14 days

Ingredients

Supplements

Cooking instructions

Prep tip: finely chop or food process all fruits and vegetables before cooking.

1. Add pork, eggs, quinoa, apple, and brussels sprouts to your slow cooker, stovetop pot with lid, or Instant Pot. Add enough water to create a stew-like consistency and to ensure the quinoa cooks properly. a. Slow cooker: low for 2-4 hours b. Stovetop with lid: medium-low for 30-60 minutes c. Instant Pot: low pressure for 45-60 minutes 2. Cook until pork reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and quinoa is fully cooked. 3. Mix thoroughly. 4. Save AND feed any cooking liquid leftover at the bottom. 5. Let the food cool completely. 6. Add all supplements (empty capsules & crush tablets) and mix again. 7. Portion into equal containers based on how many days you’re prepping (e.g., 7-day batch = 7 containers). For multi-dog households, weigh each dog’s portion using a kitchen scale and the feeding guide above. 8. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for 2-3 months.

+ 18 more recipes where that came from, so there's a fit for every dog.

I love knowing they're getting fresh, wholesome ingredients while still keeping it affordable.

When I found your veterinary formulated recipes, they felt like the perfect middle ground. Feeding 100% homemade food just isn't realistic for our budget, so we've found a balance that works really well... Since switching... and adding your recipe to their meals, we've noticed they're much less itchy and spend far less time licking their paws. I also love knowing they're getting fresh, wholesome ingredients while still keeping it affordable. For anyone who's considering cooking for their dog, I'd say you don't have to do an all or nothing approach.

Danielle, Luna, Finn & Bane★★★★★

Is The First Batch right for you?

This is for you if

✓You've wanted to cook for your dog but you're scared of getting it wrong.

✓You want recipes you can trust were built right, not another one off a blog.

✓You're willing to put in a little time each week to feed your dog right.

✓You'd rather be walked through it once than spend years getting it wrong on your own.

This isn't for you if

✕Your dog has a medical condition and your vet hasn't signed off. We're not vets, so we'd need their written okay first.

✕You want hands-off meal delivery. This is you cooking, with guidance.

✕You're already confident cooking balanced meals and just want more recipes. Fairbowl+ alone is probably the better fit.

What this would cost to put together on your own

If you did it à la carte

$1,200+

even more for multiple dogs

Vet nutritionist recipe$300–$575

Nutritionist consult$370–$900

Fairbowl+~$228

3 weeks of live coaching$300–$600+

Total$1,200+

Enrollment closed

The First Batch

$199

One price. Covers every dog you have.

15 spots this time. We have a baby due at the end of September, so this is one of the last cohorts I'll run for a while, and a small group means I can actually be there for every person in it.

✓ 19 vet-formulated recipes
✓ A full year of Fairbowl+
✓ 3 weeks of live coaching with me
✓ A private community with daily support
✓ Lifetime access to all the recordings

Join the waitlist

15 spots · Closes Tuesday, August 11 at 11:59pm MT

If your dog has a medical condition, a one-on-one veterinary nutritionist is still the right call. The First Batch is for healthy dogs whose owners want to cook balanced meals with confidence.

My only regret is not finding your recipes earlier.

I started looking for homemade recipes back in 2024 for our dog Cayde. He had previously been on homemade food but ended up gaining so much weight he was put on a kibble only diet for a full year until his weight was under control... I started searching for recipes that were actually nutritionist and veterinary approved... Then I found your site and it had everything I was looking for. Since switching not only has it saved us money it has saved our dog's teeth, coat, and skin... My only regret is not finding your recipes earlier, there hasn't been a single bad thing that came out of our option to switch.

Elena, Cayde & Winnie★★★★★

✓

Try it without the risk

Come to the first two weeks. Cook with us, ask your questions, see how it feels. If it's not what you hoped, email me by the end of week two and I'll refund you in full. No hoops, no hard feelings.

Questions pet parents ask

I have more than one dog. Do I pay for each one?

No. One purchase covers every dog in your household, whether you've got one or five. The whole system is built for multi-dog homes: you add each dog with their own weight, age, and recipe, and each one gets their own portions, grocery list, and feeding schedule. With 19 vet-formulated recipes to choose from (different proteins, grain-free or grain-inclusive, puppy or adult), it's easy to land on the right fit for each dog. One price, all your dogs, no per-dog upcharge.

I already have your recipes, or I'm in Fairbowl+. Is this for me?

If you're already confident cooking balanced meals, Fairbowl+ on its own is probably enough. The First Batch is for being walked through it live if doing it alone hasn't stuck, and a year of Fairbowl+ is included, so you're not paying twice.

Can I feed homemade alongside kibble?

Absolutely. You don't have to go all-in. We'll show you how to do a 50/50 split or a topper if that fits your life and budget better. Any amount of balanced homemade is a win.

What if I can't make the live sessions?

Every session is recorded and yours to keep. You can also submit questions ahead of time and we'll answer them on the call or the community board.

Do I have to be on camera or talk?

No. It's a private stream, so you're never on camera and you never have to speak. You watch, and anything you want to ask goes in the chat. Plenty of people go through the whole three weeks without saying a word out loud.

When are the sessions?

Three Wednesdays at 4pm Mountain: August 12, August 19, and August 26. Each one is recorded and yours to keep.

How much does this actually cost to feed?

It depends on your dog's size and how much homemade you want to feed. Here's the real monthly cost using one of our everyday recipes, and you don't have to go all-in:

Dog weight	Homemade	50/50	Topper
25 lb	$66	$46	$29
50 lb	$131	$87	$51
75 lb	$195	$126	$71
100 lb	$260	$165	$89
125 lb	$325	$204	$107
150 lb	$391	$243	$125

My dog's a picky eater, or has a sensitive stomach.

That's exactly what the live coaching and the slow transition are for. We troubleshoot picky eaters and touchy stomachs together, in real time.

Do I have to feed homemade forever after this?

Not at all. You'll walk away with the skills and a year of Fairbowl+ to keep going however you want, full meals, toppers, or just when you feel like it.

It's worth it to see my boy feeling so much better.

I switched from Farmer's Dog to homemade a little over a year ago because Soc was having weird off and on stomach issues. I knew I wanted to at least give homemade food a try before just going to kibble, but once I started I never looked back. I won't lie, it's definitely a time commitment! But I've gotten so much faster over time and it's worth it to see my boy feeling so much better!... My advice is to do a little research on where things are priced lowest in your area, and if you find something on sale, stock up.

Kassia, Socrates★★★★★

Stop wondering if you're getting it right

You can keep going the way you have been. More guessing, more worry, more hoping the bowl you put down is enough.

Or you can spend three weeks with me, get it right, and never carry that doubt again.

Join the waitlist

15 spots · Closes Tuesday, August 11 at 11:59pm MT

You guys helped so much and took all of the guilt away.

I have been following for years and can't get enough of the research and honesty. I went down the raw food rabbit hole and got so lost. You guys helped so much and took all of the guilt away and replaced it with hard based research and evidence. I now cook your vet approved and nutritional homemade food recipes and use as toppers over a good quality kibble. Thanks to you I can now relax and enjoy my fur babies without the constant worry about their food!

Dawn★★★★★