Farmer's Dog vs. Nom Nom: Which Fresh Dog Food Costs Less, and Which Fits Your Dog?

The short, honest answer: Nom Nom usually comes out cheaper per day for small and medium dogs, while The Farmer’s Dog tends to cost more once you’re feeding a medium or large breed a full diet. Both companies price every plan individually based on your dog’s age, weight, activity level, and recipe choice — and Nom Nom also factors in your zip code — so the ranges below are illustrative anchors, not a quote for your dog. The only way to know your real number is to run both quotes side by side before you subscribe to either.

The short answer: which costs less for most dogs?

Both brands are direct-to-consumer subscriptions built around personalized portions, which is exactly why neither publishes one universal price. The Farmer’s Dog has said pricing depends on your dog’s age, weight, activity level, and recipe, and it has shared example pricing for sample dogs on its own blog — useful for a sense of scale, but explicitly not a quote for every dog. Nom Nom has said pricing depends on age, current and ideal weight, activity level, zip code, and recipe, and has advertised meal plans starting at a low per-meal price along with retail messaging about getting started for roughly $40 a week for some dogs. Treat every number here as an anchor for comparison, then confirm your dog’s actual price on each brand’s site — pricing changes and these figures should be verified before you subscribe.

Notice the ranges overlap in the middle. That’s the honest picture: at small sizes Nom Nom’s starting-price messaging tends to look better, at large sizes The Farmer’s Dog’s example pricing tends to climb faster, and in the middle it often comes down to which recipe you pick and, for Nom Nom, your zip code. Get a live quote from both brands for your specific dog before deciding.

What you actually get from each brand

The Farmer’s Dog positions itself around whole-ingredient, human-grade meats and vegetables, with recipes it says are formulated by on-staff board-certified veterinary nutritionists to meet AAFCO nutrient standards. It is direct-to-consumer only — you subscribe through the brand’s own site, and portions and delivery are set up around your dog’s profile.

Nom Nom, now part of Purina’s fresh-food and veterinary portfolio, says its recipes are formulated by veterinary nutritionists and a PhD food-science team using what it calls a Nutrient Mix, and are prepared in facilities in Nashville and the San Francisco Bay Area. Nom Nom currently lists at least six recipes and has expanded beyond its own subscription into retail availability through partners like PetSmart, Amazon, and Chewy, which adds purchase flexibility that a pure-subscription model doesn’t offer.

Ingredient philosophy and sourcing differences

Both brands lean on similar language — whole ingredients, gentle cooking, veterinary-nutritionist formulation — and both say their complete diets are built to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for healthy dogs. That’s a brand claim, not independent proof of superiority. Veterinary nutrition bodies like WSAVA recommend evaluating a food by its actual complete nutrient analysis and feeding trial or formulation method, not by marketing terms like "human-grade" or "gently cooked." Those terms describe process and ingredient sourcing; they are not, on their own, evidence of a health outcome.

On the science side, some controlled research has found that fresh, gently cooked diets can differ from extruded kibble in measures like digestibility and metabolizable energy. That’s a real, evidence-tier difference worth knowing about — but it is not the same as proof that fresh food produces better long-term health outcomes than a well-formulated kibble. The honest summary: fresh food is a legitimate nutrition option with some supportive digestibility data, not a settled "better than kibble" verdict.

What Nom Nom becoming part of Purina means in practice

Nom Nom’s move into the Purina veterinary and fresh-food family mainly shows up as expanded distribution — you can now find Nom Nom through retail partners in addition to its own subscription, which matters if you want the option to buy off a shelf or through a marketplace account rather than manage a recurring plan. It does not appear to have changed Nom Nom’s stated formulation approach or its list of who should check with a vet first. If you’re choosing between the two brands mainly on values around independent ownership versus a larger corporate parent, that’s a legitimate personal factor — just keep it separate from the cost and formula comparison, since neither factor tells you which food fits your dog’s health needs.

Full-plan vs. partial-plan: the budget lever most owners miss

The single biggest cost lever isn’t which brand you pick — it’s whether you feed a full plan or a partial (topper) plan. Both brands let you mix fresh food with a base kibble or existing diet at a percentage of your dog’s calories, which meaningfully lowers the daily cost compared with a full switch. If your main goal is better mealtime enthusiasm or an easier way to add fresh ingredients, a partial plan can deliver a lot of that benefit at a fraction of the full-plan price. If you do go partial, keep an eye on total daily calories so you’re not layering extra food on top of a full ration; that’s a body-condition and weight question worth mentioning to your vet at your next visit.

Which one fits your dog? Activity, age, and health goals

For a healthy adult dog with a normal appetite and no diagnosed conditions, either brand’s complete recipes are reasonable candidates to compare on cost, recipe variety, and your dog’s taste preferences. For a growing puppy, discuss life-stage nutrition needs with your vet before starting either brand’s puppy-appropriate recipes, since growth-stage formulation matters more than brand loyalty. For a senior dog, fresh food can be easier to chew and more appealing at the bowl for some dogs, but it does not replace routine senior wellness care or bloodwork monitoring. For an overweight dog on a structured weight-loss plan, run any new food, fresh or otherwise, past your vet so calorie targets stay accurate.

Who should skip fresh food or ask the vet first

How fresh food fits the bigger picture

Dog health is not one product. It is a system — nutrition, weight and body condition, mobility, preventive care, and everyday attention working together. Fresh food, whichever brand you pick, is one nutrition lever inside that system, not a stand-alone health strategy. If you switch, give it a few weeks and watch body condition and stool quality trend over time rather than reacting to day one. Pair the decision with routine preventive care and weight tracking, and if you want help mapping how nutrition fits alongside supplements, mobility support, and tracking for your specific dog, the Dog Health Stack Builder is a useful next step. You can also see how fresh food stacks up against traditional kibble in our fresh food vs. kibble comparison.

FAQ

Which is cheaper, The Farmer’s Dog or Nom Nom?

Based on each brand’s own pricing structure, Nom Nom tends to run cheaper per day for small and medium dogs, while The Farmer’s Dog often costs more for medium and large dogs, since portions scale with weight. Get a personalized quote from each to know for certain.

How much does The Farmer’s Dog cost per day?

There’s no flat rate — cost depends on your dog’s age, weight, activity, and recipe. The brand has shared example pricing on its own blog, but treat those as illustrations, not quotes, and verify current pricing before subscribing.

How much does Nom Nom cost per day?

Nom Nom personalizes pricing by age, weight, activity, recipe, and zip code. The brand has advertised meal plans starting at a low per-meal price and retail messaging around $40 a week to start for some dogs; confirm your current number directly with Nom Nom.

Is Nom Nom now owned by Purina?

Nom Nom is now part of Purina’s fresh-food and veterinary portfolio, which has expanded where you can buy it, including retail partners like PetSmart, Amazon, and Chewy, alongside its own subscription.

What’s the difference between fresh and gently cooked dog food?

Both generally describe food cooked at lower temperatures than kibble extrusion, then refrigerated or frozen. Both The Farmer’s Dog and Nom Nom use this general approach, but exact methods and sourcing differ, and the terms are not strictly regulated.

Can I use fresh food as a topper instead of a full meal?

Yes, many owners feed a partial plan mixed with an existing diet, which costs less than a full switch. Keep total daily calories in mind and mention any change to your vet, especially for dogs on a weight or medical plan.

Which fresh food is better for large dogs?

Neither is inherently better health-wise for large dogs; cost is the bigger practical factor since both scale with body weight. Compare full quotes against a partial topper plan if budget is tight.

Is either brand good for dogs with medical conditions?

Nom Nom has said it does not offer prescription, low-fat, low-sodium, or hydrolyzed recipes and recommends a vet check for kidney disease, liver disease, pancreatitis, or urinary stones. The Farmer’s Dog’s complete recipes are framed for healthy dogs, not as a therapeutic-diet substitute. Let your vet guide any medical-diet decision.

Do I need to ask my vet before switching foods?

For a healthy adult dog, many owners transition without issue, but mention the change at your next checkup. For a puppy, a senior dog, a dog with a chronic condition, or a weight-management plan, check with your vet before switching.

Is this article veterinary advice?

No. This is educational information to help you compare cost and formula philosophy, not a substitute for a veterinary exam or individualized advice. Talk with your veterinarian before making a significant diet change.