→ See the live ingredient breakdown for Natural Balance
What's actually in Natural Balance?
We analyzed Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Chicken and Sweet Potato Formula. The ingredients are deliberately few: chicken, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, peas, potato protein, canola oil, and flaxseed. That's essentially the entire functional ingredient list before vitamins and minerals.
The minimalism is intentional. L.I.D. (Limited Ingredient Diet) formulas are designed to reduce the number of potential allergens in a food, making it easier to identify what a sensitive dog is reacting to. Fewer ingredients means fewer variables in an elimination protocol. That's a legitimate clinical use case. Shop on Amazon →
The good stuff
Chicken and chicken meal in the top two positions provide solid animal protein density. Sweet potato is one of the best carbohydrate sources in kibble — high in fiber, beta-carotene, and antioxidants, with a lower glycemic index than white potato or corn. Flaxseed provides plant-based omega-3s for skin and coat.
The limited ingredient count is genuinely useful for dogs with confirmed food sensitivities or during elimination diet protocols. If a vet has advised a limited ingredient diet to identify allergens, Natural Balance delivers on that premise cleanly. No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
The not-so-good stuff
Potato protein at position five is a filler. It's a plant-based protein concentrate extracted during starch production — present to boost the protein percentage cheaply, not because it adds nutritional value. This is the same function wheat gluten plays in lower-quality formulas, just from a different source.
Canola oil instead of fish oil or chicken fat is a meaningful gap. Canola oil provides omega-6 fatty acids but lacks the EPA and DHA of fish oil or the functional fat profile of chicken fat. For a formula targeting skin and coat health alongside digestive sensitivity, the fat source matters. There's no marine omega-3 here at all — only plant-based ALA from flaxseed, which has limited conversion to EPA/DHA in dogs.
No probiotics, no prebiotic, no vegetables beyond sweet potato, no fruits. The nutritional simplicity that makes L.I.D. useful for elimination diets also keeps it from the upper end of the B tier where probiotic + chelated-mineral formulas live. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach scores within 2 points (B/76) and offers a salmon-first protein and functional probiotic for cases where strict ingredient minimalism isn't the goal.
How it compares
At B/78, Natural Balance L.I.D. lands in the premium-mainstream tier. It scores above Purina ONE (C/58) and Royal Canin (C/58), in line with Hill's Science Diet (B/75), and ties NutriSource (B/78), which shares a similar rubric philosophy. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive (B/79) sits a point above; both target the same sensitive-dog use case.
If your goal is strict elimination dieting (single animal protein, single carb), Natural Balance L.I.D. is the cleaner option. If your goal is sensitivity management without protocol-strict ingredient counting, Pro Plan Sensitive's salmon-first protein, probiotic, and fish-oil fat profile carry more day-to-day functional value.
Read the full breakdown in our head-to-head comparison: NutriSource vs Natural Balance.
The bottom line
Natural Balance L.I.D. earns a B grade (78/100) from KibbleIQ. The limited-ingredient philosophy is sound for dogs with food sensitivities, and chicken plus sweet potato is a clean base. Potato protein and canola oil keep it from a higher within-tier score, but on rubric structure (named protein first, no corn/wheat/soy, single-protein discipline) it lands solidly in the B tier. The right choice for elimination diet protocols and sensitive-dog feeding generally. Shop on Amazon →