American Journey Dog Food Reviews & Top Picks

Here is a complete American Journey dry dog food review, one of the most popular dry dog foods on the market. This brand is focused on creating high-quality products that are well-balanced, show proper nutritional values, and have first-meat formulas making every food a great choice.

American Journey offers many different formulas and a wide range of dry and wet food, making the life of pet parents much easier.

American Journey comes with a certain reputation in the dog food industry, which is why this brand is commonly the first option among dog owners.

Most of American Journey’s food is made in the States, in Kansas to be precise, while their famous and trusted grain-free formula is made under the Californian sun.

American Journey takes great pride in getting its ingredients only from reputable suppliers that deliver high-quality ingredients not only from the States but also around the world.

In this review, we will focus on American Journey’s dry food for dogs, including their best grain-free food, the best food for seniors, the best food for overweight dogs, and much more.

A quick look at the best American Journey formulas

• Best for all life stages: American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free
• Best for adults: American Journey Active Life Formula Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Best for large breed puppies: American Journey Active Life Formula Large Breed Puppy Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Best for small breed puppies: American Journey Active Life Formula Puppy Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Best for seniors: American Journey Active Life Formula Senior Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Best grain-free: American Journey Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free
• Best for overweight dogs: American Journey Healthy Weight Chicken & Sweet Potato
• Best for skin & stomach: American Journey Limited Ingredient Salmon & Sweet

How we chose

Because choosing the right food for your dog can be confusing and overwhelming, we reviewed all American Journey dog foods.

Every product on our list has been vetted to ensure that it aligns with Barking Royalty’s brand integrity standards and approach to well-being. Each product in this article:

• adheres to allowable health claims and labeling requirements
• is manufactured in facilities that adhere to current good manufacturing practices (CGMPs)
• is produced by a medically credible company that follows ethical, legal, and industry best standards
• is made by a company that provides objective measures of trust

Additional factors we considered included:

• Ingredients. We looked for supplements that are free of unnecessary ingredients such as fillers and artificial
• sweeteners and colors.
• AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile. We checked if the food meets the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO.
• Price. We included products to suit a range of budgets.

Barking Royalty’s picks for the best American Journey dry foods

Best for all life stages

American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free

• Price: $$
• Energy: 3,330 kcal/kg, 327 kcal/cup
• AAFCO Profile: Dog Dry Food
• Grain-free: Yes

The first ingredient in this formula is deboned salmon as a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, followed by a salmon meal, peas, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes.

For extra flavor, this formula is enchanted with dried beet pulp, canola meal, and pea starch.

To support the dog’s gut and a strong stomach, this formula comes with sunflower oil, canola oil, and dried plain beet pulp – these ingredients are great in fibers and help with digestion.

Sunflower oil is rich in vitamins and antioxidants that dogs can benefit from.

As oil that is rich in vitamin E, sunflower oil helps to regulate hair growth, while vitamin A prevents dry skin by promoting new skin cell growth. This formula is grain-free making it a great choice for dogs who might have itchy skin or have a sensitive stomach.

Thanks to high-quality animal proteins, this formula helps maintain lean muscles, while easily digestible carbohydrates like peas and sweet potatoes are easily absorbed.

American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free is complete and balanced nutrition of high-quality ingredients, which thanks to omega fatty acids nurture dog’s skin and coat.

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Best for adults

American Journey Active Life Formula Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables

• Price: $$
• Energy: 3,506 kcal/kg or 345 kcal/cup
• AAFCO Profile: Adult Dog Food
• Grain-free: No

Deboned salmon is the first ingredient in this formula making it a great source of fatty acids, followed by menhaden fish meal, brown rice, peas, and rice bran.

Chicken fat, next to dried tomato pomace and dried egg product is added to enrich the flavor and make bites more interesting.

Adult dogs can benefit from fresh fruits and vegetables, which is why this formula contains carrots and sweet potatoes.

Up to 25% of the high-quality protein comes from deboned salmon as the first ingredient, while a balanced blend of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids supports healthy skin and affluent coats.

This formula comes with no wheat, no soy, no corn, or any kind of artificial colors, artificial flavors, or any sort of artificial preservatives.

Adults dogs of any small breeds, medium breeds, large and giant breeds, with American Journey Active Life Formula Salmon, Brown Rice & vegetable formula get to enjoy digestible, and fiber-rich grains that are easy to digest.

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Best for large breed puppies

American Journey Active Life Formula Large Breed Puppy Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables

• Price: $$
• Energy: 3,506 kcal/kg, 345 kcal/cup
• AAFCO Profile: Large Breeds Puppy Food
• Grain-free: No

The best dry dog food comes with deboned salmon as the first ingredient.

To deliver a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which support the immune system, this formula comes with deboned chicken as the first ingredient, followed by menhaden fish meal (a source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), brown rice, peas, and rice bran.

Large breed puppies need proper nutrition to keep their bodies and bones strong, which is why this formula is specially crafted to support the proper development in large breed puppies.

Real salmon of this formula perfectly supports growing muscles in large breed puppies, while a balance of calcium and phosphorus helps support proper bone development in puppies.

For extra flavor, the American Journey Active Life Formula Large Breed Puppy Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables formula contains dried plain beet pulp, oatmeal, dried egg product, and carrots.

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Best for small breed puppies

American Journey Active Life Formula Puppy Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables

• Price: $$
• Energy: 3,500 kcal/kg or 365 kcal/cup
• AAFCO Profile: Small Breeds Puppy Food
• Grain-free: No

The first ingredient in this formula is deboned chicken for easier digestion, great taste, and balanced nutrition, followed by a chicken meal (a source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), turkey meal, brown rice, and peas.

For a richer taste, this formula is enriched with rice bran, brewers rice, natural flavor, and chicken fat.

Since fibers are recommended in dog food, this formula offers a certain percentage of fiber from barley, turkey meal, fish oil, and dried plain beet pulp.

Besides these great ingredients, this formula contains fresh fruit and vegetables, including sweet potatoes and carrots.

Real chicken supports growing muscles in puppies, while arachidonic (ARA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid supports healthy brain and vision development.

American Journey Active Life Formula Puppy Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables is specially crafted to support overall bone development in puppies.

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Best for seniors

American Journey Active Life Formula Senior Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables

• Price: $$
• Energy: 3,251 kcal/kg or 319 kcal/cup
• AAFCO Profile: Senior Dogs Food
• Grain-free: No

Deboned chicken is the first ingredient here for easier digestion and balanced nutrition, followed by a chicken meal (a source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), brown rice, peas, and rice bran.

Senior dogs need a special diet that will provide proper hydration, keep calories in balance, and provide a proper mix of fat, protein, sodium, and phosphorus.

This formula offers just that and much more. For richer flavor, this formula contains dried plain beet pulp, chicken fat, and fish oil mixed with dried tomato pomace.

Besides these ingredients, American Journey Active Life Formula Senior Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables formula offers fresh fruit such as blueberries and cranberries, while fiber presence is achieved with dried kelp, sunflower oil, oatmeal, and carrots.

American Journey Active Life Formula Senior Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables formula supports healthy aging with real chicken and a perfectly balanced mix of targeted nutrients.

Antioxidants that are present in this formula are great brain support and easily encourage cognitive wellness.

Other ingredients are specially placed to support certain development or normal body function, which is why vitamin A supports healthy vision, while omega-3 and 6 fatty acids strongly support skin and coat health.

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Best grain-free

American Journey Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free

• Price: $$
• Energy: 3,212 kcal/kg, 337 kcal/cup
• AAFCO Profile: Grain-free Dog Food
• Grain-free: Yes

The first ingredient in this formula is deboned chicken, for easier digestion, great taste, and balanced nutrition, followed by a chicken meal (a source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), turkey meal, sweet potatoes, and peas.

For extra taste, this formula offers chickpeas, chicken fat, and blueberries.

American Journey Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free formula is carefully crafted to contain only nutrient-dense ingredients and without any artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.

This grain-free formula keeps the dog’s calories in balance and supports normal fat metabolism as well as lean muscle mass.

Thanks to glucosamine and chondroitin, this formula supports joint health and overall mobility.

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Best for overweight dogs

American Journey Healthy Weight Chicken & Sweet Potato

• Price: $$
• Energy: 3,212 kcal/kg, 337 kcal/cup
• AAFCO Profile: Overweight Dogs Food
• Grain-free: Yes

The first ingredient in this formula is deboned chicken for better taste and more balanced nutrition, followed by a chicken meal (a source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), turkey meal, sweet potatoes, and peas.

This grain-free formula is carefully designed to help dogs achieve a well-balanced and healthy diet.

With real chicken as the first ingredient, this formula is protein-based and enriched with additional flavors for better taste and richer flavor, such as chickpeas, chicken fat, and rosemary extract.

American Journey Healthy Weight Chicken & Sweet Potato formula contains natural fibers that come from fresh fruits and vegetables including fibers from carrots, blueberries, and pumpkin.

To keep a balanced weight in dogs, this formula contains L-carnitine to support normal fat metabolism and lean muscle mass, which at the same time supports an active lifestyle.

Thanks to glucosamine and chondroitin this formula supports joint health and overall mobility, making daily exercise and movement easy and light.

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Best for skin & stomach

American Journey Limited Ingredient Salmon & Sweet

• Price: $$
• Energy: 3,330 kcal/kg, 327 kcal/cup
• AAFCO Profile: Dog Food For Sensitive Skin and Stomach
• Grain-free: Yes

Deboned salmon is the first ingredient of this carefully designed formula for sensitive skin and stomach, followed by the salmon meal, peas, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes.

American Journey Limited Ingredient Salmon & Sweet formula has a single animal protein source, next to being grain-free, which makes it a great option for dogs that may have some skin-related issues or have a very sensitive stomach.

Deboned salmon is easy to digest, and great to combine with other ingredients.

At the same time, deboned salmon is a great source of omega-3fatty acids which are great for the immune system, while at the same time keeping the dog’s coat healthy and shiny.

This formula is enriched with dried plain beet pulp and canola oil that offer fiber making digestion easier.

American Journey Limited Ingredient Salmon & Sweet formula has no artificial flavors, preservatives, or any sort of artificial colors.

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