Research shows that vegan diets often have lower fat content and fewer calories compared to meat-based diets, which aids in reducing excess weight and obesity in dogs. A study from the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, published in the ‘Journal of Animal Science’, shows that at least two human-grade, lightly-cooked vegan diets provide adequate nutrition for dogs. Researchers compared veterinary nutritionist-formulated mixtures of whole foods like lentils, garbanzo beans, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, apples, blueberries, peas, and carrots with chicken-based diet and confirmed that both vegan diets and the chicken-based diet met the international standards for complete and balanced nutrition.