Put Your Paws Up: Rachael Ray Rolls Out Food Truck for Dogs in NYC
Just when you thought Rachael Ray had done it all, Food Network’s own 30-minute maven and the host of Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off unleashed a “pup-up” food truck for dogs in New York City last week. This mobile canine caterer dishes out not your everyday kibble but human-quality meals like Chicken Muttballs, Beef Stroganwoof and Tail Waggin’ Turkey to packs of pooches across Manhattan. These “wet” dishes are part of the Nutrish Naturally Delish line of dog foods from Nutrish, Rachael’s own brand of dog food. We were on hand at the unveiling of this never-before-seen food truck and caught up with Rachael to find out why this truck is so important to her and learn the trick to preparing dog food from scratch at home.
A passionate dog owner herself, Rachael noticed that, in recent years, animal shelters have accumulated many unwanted dogs, so she took it upon herself to support them by donating all of her proceeds from Nutrish. “This is a way to raise a lot of money to help shelters large and small get the animals adopted,” she explained. She worked with Nutrish to create recipes similar to those she feeds her own dog, Isaboo, and makes sure that all of the food produced is wholesome and safe for pets.
Rachael’s line of dog food is so harmless, in fact, that it’s even approved for humans. “The factories that this food is made in are kept to the standard of preparing human food,” Rachael told us. “There are no additives. It’s not an import. It’s made in America, and we have literally — as a rite of passage — all tried the kibble.” As for the taste? Rachael admits it’s “pretty good.”
If you want to begin fixing food for your four-legged friend, Rachael suggests you first speak with your dog’s veterinarian. “Make sure that it has the correct nutritional balance when it comes to grain versus protein.” She also added that it’s important to “be aware of what your animal is telling you they want and need in their diets.” She was first inspired to make Isaboo fresh food at home after she saw Izzy eating the houseplants. Rachael realized that Isaboo must have needed herbs and began incorporating parsley into her dishes thereafter.