Ollie vs Nom Nom: which fresh dog food should you pick?

There are many reasons why pup parents are turning away from traditional dog food and considering fresh food that's delivered straight to your door.

It's convenient, more nutritious for your dog, tastier, and it doesn't contain any added nasties or preservatives.

But with so many fresh dog food subscription companies out there, which one should you choose for your dog? We've gone through two of the most popular fresh dog food companies, point by point, so you can make the right decision.

So, Ollie vs Nom Nom – which is better for you?

What is the fresh dog food trend and should you be taking part?

We're all becoming that little bit more aware of what we eat and whether it's good for us or not. So it's hardly surprising that we're starting to think about our dog's diet and how we could improve that too.

Traditional kibble and canned food isn't (generally) the highest quality meat and it often contains lots of preservatives and additives which aren't good for your pup. It certainly isn't fresh.

Fresh dog food, however, is made using the highest-quality ingredients in US kitchens. They use tasty cuts of meat, fresh fruits and veggies, a few natural supplements, and absolutely no added extras. It's then quickly frozen to lock in all the goodness and sent straight to your door.

Not only does it look (and certainly smell) better than traditional dog foods, many dog owners have noticed a huge improvement in their dog's health. They note that they have healthier-looking fur, fewer skin conditions, more energy, and a better poop schedule!

Healthy, nutritious food that's been created by experts does come at a cost though. Quite literally. Fresh food is more expensive than regular kibble. Many pet parents, however, think it's a good investment as dogs are healthier and that means fewer vet visits!

Ollie vs Nom Nom – the main differences

Both Ollie and Nom Nom (formally Nom Nom Now) are two really popular choices when it comes to fresh dog food delivery. Both companies want to change how we feed our dogs so that they can be as healthy as possible.

Both Ollie's and Nom Nom's recipes use high-quality, natural ingredients that your pup will wolf down.

But what are the main differences between them?

Meal Options

When you think about changing your dog's diet, knowing exactly what's in each meal is really important. Not only are all the ingredients listed (so you can decide which meals your pup is more likely to enjoy) you can also actually see chunks of food in each portion!

Ollie

Ollie offers 4 proteins for customers to choose from – beef, turkey, chicken, and lamb.

This makes choosing a meal quite easy if you have a pup that doesn't like a specific meat. Each meal is packed full of veggies, some organ meat, added goodies such as cod liver oil, and herbs and plants for taste and texture.

Every high-protein meal is carefully crafted by experts to give your dog a totally balanced meal. Every meal you serve up will contain a minimum crude protein of 9-11%.

Example recipes

Beef recipe: Beef, beef heart, sweet potato, peas, potato, beef kidney, carrot, beef liver, spinach, chia seeds, dicalcium phosphate, blueberries, fish oil

Turkey recipe: Turkey breast, turkey liver, kale, carrots, lentils, blueberries, coconut oil, pumpkin, chia seeds

Chicken recipe: Chicken, chicken gizzard, carrots, peas, chicken liver, rice, chia seeds, spinach, potatoes, whole dried eggs

Lamb recipe: Lamb, lamb liver, butternut squash, kale, chickpeas, cranberries, potato, chia seeds

Nom Nom

When it comes to Nom Nom vs Ollie, a key difference for many dog owners is the variety of meals and the options they offer.

Nom Nom also offers 4 different types of meat to choose from but rather than lamb they have pork. Each recipe is designed to be filling, nutritious, and yummy for your dog!

Ollie tends to use more organ meat as extra protein and Nom Nom likes to use eggs instead. Nom Nom's meals also include lots of fruits and veggies, healthy starch, and added vitamins and minerals. Each meal maintains a minimum of 8-11% crude protein.

Whilst Nom Nom dog food is made in US kitchens, they're not USDA-approved, which Ollie kitchens are.

Example recipes

Beef Mash: Ground beef, russet potatoes, eggs, carrots, peas

Chicken Cuisine: Diced chicken, sweet potatoes, yellow squash, spinach, sunflower oil

Pork Potluck: Ground pork, russet potatoes, green beans, yellow squash, kale, brown mushrooms

Turkey Fare: Ground turkey, brown rice, eggs, carrots, spinach

Customizability and variety

The process of ordering fresh food is an important factor for many who are thinking of making the change. As is the variety of the meals and how you can customize them to your dog's specific needs.

Ollie

The first step when ordering Ollie dog food is to create an online pup profile. You'll be asked about your dog's breed, weight, age, energy level, sex, whether they're spayed or not, body shape, and any allergies your pooch has.

Ollie will then recommend which of their meals would best suit your pup (taking into account allergies etc). The veterinary experts will also advise on how much you should feed your dog based on their body shape and whether they need to lose or gain weight.

More on this in a moment, but Nom Nom focuses quite a lot on your dog's digestive health. Ollie is less accommodating when it comes to specific health concerns.

Topper plan/supplementary meals

Ollie is arguably one of the best fresh food subscription companies if you're looking for tasty treats for your pup. They offer four flavors – Savory Beef Strips, Sweet Potato Slices, Tasty Chicken Strips, and Trusty Turkey Strips. All of them use human-grade ingredients and have been designed as a healthy snack for your pooch.

Topper plans are a great way of slowly changing your pup over from dry dog food to fresh. It can be a bit of a shock for them at the beginning and may take some getting used to.

With a topper, you can slowly add more and more of the meal to your dog's existing food for a smooth transition.

Unfortunately, Ollie no longer offers a topper plan (well, not to new customers anyway).

Nom Nom

As with Ollie, Nom Nom will also ask you to fill out your dog's profile so they can understand how best to feed them. You'll be asked for your dog's age, size, activity level, breed, sex, allergies, and whether they have any health problems. They'll then recommend meals accordingly.

Something great about Nom Nom is that they really concentrate on gut health and offer microbiome gut testing kits so you can know exactly what's going on with your dog's digestion.

If their weight is fluctuating, they have sickness or diarrhea, are very itchy, or are acting in an unusual way, it's worth taking a test to make sure their gut health is good. The experts at Nom Nom will then advise on probiotic support which can really improve your dog's health.

Treats and partial meals

Nom Nom offers a topper plan for big dogs (which can help to keep the cost of fresh meals down) and they have two treats available. You can choose either beef or chicken jerky which your dog is sure to love!

It's also worth mentioning that Nom Nom offers a subscription-free tasting pack. You can order all 4 meals and find out which your dog likes best before ordering any more.

How customizable are they really?

Both fresh pet food companies definitely keep your dog's specific requirements in mind but they're limited to how customizable they can actually be.

For instance with Nom Nom, if your dog particularly likes turkey but you'd prefer them to be on a grain-free diet, you can't simply order the turkey without rice. In that case, you'd have to order one of the other proteins.

If your dog isn't a particularly fussy eater, they definitely should find at least one (or probably multiple) meals they'll love.

Ollie vs Nom Nom: pricing

Of course, human-grade ingredients and a great delivery system are going to cost more than other commercial dog food brands. There are no artificial flavors, however, and you know your dog is getting the best dog food possible!

The price will depend on how big your dog is and what the recommended serving size is. A Great Dane is hardly going to be eating the same as a Chihuahua!

Ollie

The price of Ollie fresh dog food is between $2-$12 per day.

Nom Nom

Nom Nom will cost you between $2-$11 per day depending on your dog.

Portions/storage

When it comes to Nom Nom vs Ollie, actually how you serve and store the food is an important factor for many pet owners. The fresh dog meals arrived frozen and need to stay that way until you thaw them before serving. This process keeps them fresh for a long time!

Ollie

A big plus for Ollie is that it's easy to store and serve (which isn't always the case with fresh dog food subscriptions). They come in daily packages (2 servings) and you get a free scoop and re-sealable container with your first order. This makes mealtimes way easier and you don't have open dog food stinking out the fridge!

The packaged meals are flat and you can stack them in the freezer without too much trouble.

Nom Nom

Unlike Ollie, there's no scooping involved with Nom Nom dog . They come in easy to squeeze pouches which are normally (unless you have a tiny pup) one meal. There's no need to measure out portion size, which is nice!

What do you need to think about?

Ordering fresh takes the hassle out of remembering to buy dog food at the store but you still need to make sure you thaw the correct amount of food the day before. You'll have one unhappy and hungry pup if you don't!

Sustainability

For many potential customers, how environmentally friendly a dog food delivery service is is really important.

Ollie

Ollie takes sustainability seriously – but there are a few things they could be doing better.

All the packaging that the food arrives in is either made from recycled materials or is recyclable. They use recycled cotton to insulate the food (to keep it frozen whilst it's on its way to you) which is a nice surprise when you open the box.

However, because the meals are portioned daily (rather than being bigger and for more days) there's more plastic waste at the end of the day.

Nom Nom

Nom Nom is also conscious about doing its part for the environment. On their website, they give you different ideas about how to reuse the packaging and how it can be recycled. Once rinsed out, the packaging can be recycled and the cool liner (if brown) is biodegradable.

Depending on your freezer space, you could also order more of your dog's food to reduce the number of times you need to get a delivery and the amount of packaging the deliveries would need.

Shipping

It's really important you stay on top of your shipments so you don't end up with hungry dogs or an overly-full kitchen! Both Ollie and Nom Nom have free shipping to anywhere in the US (excluding Hawaii and Alaska).

You'll also want to think about flexibility around orders, especially if you travel a lot.

Ollie

Ollie dog food is automatically delivered every 2 weeks and you get enough food for that time. If you'd like to, you can change your deliveries up to every 6 weeks. It's also easy to change an address (in case you are away for a longer period) or pause a shipment altogether.

Any adjustments to your order need to be done before it's processed.

Nom Nom

Nom Nom also delivers every 2 weeks. You can change this to every week or every 3 weeks, depending on what works best for you. You also need to make sure any adjustments are done before the order is processed.

Verdict and final thoughts

Both Ollie and Nom Nom are great fresh dog food options. As far as delivery companies go, they don't really differ massively. Both use top-quality ingredients to create yummy, nutritious meals that get the seal of approval from veterinary nutritionists around the country.

Both companies also give back to the doggie community. Ollie donates 1% of all proceeds to various animal charities and Nom Nom has a great adoption scheme in which you can help pups in your local area via them.

Both are roughly the same price (although that may change depending on your pup) and they both have room for improvement when it comes to sustainability.

It really comes down to the different ingredients used in the food, which meals your dog is likely to enjoy more, and whether you prefer to scoop or squeeze your pet's food!

Have you got any experience with either of these dog food delivery companies? What was your four-legged friend's experience?