This story originally appeared on Rodale’s Organic Life in August 2017.

If you own a dog and are into holistic living, you’ve probably considered making your own pet food.

After all, even natural or organic kibbles are considerably more processed than the mostly-meat diets that dogs evolved to eat. DIY food lets you control the ingredients, too. Does your pup have an allergy, or does he need an extra high-protein diet to support his activity? Cooking your own food makes it easy to give him exactly what he needs.

Plus, there’s a good chance that your dog will just love mealtime more. When I started feeding homemade food to my seven-year-old terrier mix Charlie earlier this year, she began licking her bowl clean for the first time in her life. And seeing her happy makes me feel good.

Best of all, making your own dog food isn’t as complicated or time-consuming as you think. Once you get the hang of it, it’s actually pretty easy. Ready to give it a try? Here’s what you should know.

There are lots of good resources for recipes

Want to get cooking—but don’t know where to begin? Cookbooks are usually a better bet than random recipes you can find online, says Julia Hansen, DVM, Program Chair of the Veterinary Technology Program at Argosy University. The recipes are more likely to have been formulated to meet a dog’s nutritional needs. They’ll also be more likely to be free of ingredients that dogs shouldn’t eat—including raisins, grapes, onions, garlic, and avocado. (And of course, chocolate.) One reputable dog cookbook, which includes veterinarian-reviewed recipes for cooked and raw meals as well as treats is Home Cooking for Your Dog: 75 Holistic Recipes for a Healthier Dog.

Or, try the online nutritional tool BalanceIT. It offers free, vet-created recipes for dogs (as well as cats). You can also enter your own recipe to see how it stacks up, nutritionally. (While you're at it, consider making one of these 5 homemade dog treat recipes that are healthier, safer and cheaper than store-bought.)

But you should talk to your vet first

Packaged dog food is formulated to meet the essential nutritional guidelines that your pup needs to be healthy and maintain the right weight. So before you start whipping up homemade food, talk to your vet to make sure that what you’re serving will meet your dog’s needs. (Check out what these 4 holistic vets feed their own dogs.)

“You want to make sure that your food has the appropriate protein to carb balance. And that depends on the size and age of your pet,” says Hansen. Getting the right mix of vitamins and minerals matters, too, especially for nutrients like calcium and phosphorus. Low calcium can make your dog’s bones more fragile and put him at risk for fractures, Hansen says. And too much phosphorus can have a negative impact on kidney function.

raw dog food
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You might want to add a supplement

Especially if you plan to stick with just one or two recipes, where your dog eats the same ingredients every day. A multivitamin supplement can help cover your pup’s nutritional bases and fill any gaps, Hansen says. She likes BalanceIT canine, a powdered supplement that you can sprinkle over your dog’s food.

Your vet can help you decide whether it’s worth adding other supplements, too. Probiotics could help promote healthy digestion and support your dog’s immune system, while omega-3s might be a good option for dogs that don’t eat fatty fish. And if your dog is older and has hip or joint issues, he might benefit from glucosamine and chondroitin. (Here are 3 supplements holistic vets give their own pets every single day.)

Homemade food will probably be pricier

The cost of homemade chow depends on many factors, including how much your dog eats, the ingredients you use, and whether you opt to use organic or free-range meat.

Regardless, since you’re buying fresh ingredients, you’re almost guaranteed to spend more than you would on bagged food. A 15-pound bag of Charlie’s old kibble cost $35, and lasted for about six weeks. But eight days’ worth of Charlie’s chicken, oatmeal, and veggie food costs around $23.

So once you have an idea of what you plan to feed your dog, run the numbers and see how it fits into your budget. If the homemade recipe you had in mind ends up costing more than you want to spend, you might be able to make adjustments to bring the cost down. For instance, choosing less expensive protein (like chicken instead of beef), or tweaking the ratio of protein to carbs.

Making food is more time-consuming—but there are time-saving tricks

Some highly admirable, organized people cook fresh food for their dogs several times a week, or even every day. Some even buy whole cuts of meat and grind it themselves in a meat grinder.

But I have no desire to do that, and I don’t beat myself up over it. Usually, I’ll buy two or three weeks’ worth of ground chicken or turkey at once, and store it in the freezer. Then once a week, I batch-cook Charlie’s food and portion it into individual glass containers. I store all of the containers in the freezer, and let the next day’s meal defrost in the refrigerator overnight. The whole process—from cooking, to packing, to cleanup—takes less than an hour.

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Once you go homemade, you won't go back

Make sure you’re fully committed to cooking for your dog before you start feeding her homemade fare. Once she’s had a taste of the fresh stuff, there’s a good chance that she’ll have zero interest in eating kibble, says Christine Filardi, holistic pet chef and author of Home Cooking for Your Dog: 75 Holistic Recipes for a Healthier Dog. Even if you haven’t had time to go shopping and cook a new batch of food. (Plus, switching back and forth could irritate your dog’s stomach, Filardi says.)

Make an effort to plan ahead, or put a system into place so you always have a batch of food on hand. For instance, try prepping your dog’s food for the week on Sunday, just like you’d meal prep for yourself. And if you know that you have a crazy week coming up and won’t have time to cook, make a double batch and stick it in the freezer.

And if all else fails? Keep your kitchen stocked with a few non-perishable ingredients for fast, easy meals when you’re in a pinch, Filardi recommends. Think canned fish (like mackerel or sardines), canned pumpkin, and frozen berries or greens. “This isn’t rocket science, so don’t put pressure on yourself,” she says. “If you have to whip up a box of instant rice and throw in a can of fish once in a while, it’s fine.”