What's actually in Nutro?
We analyzed Nutro Wholesome Essentials Indoor Adult Chicken & Brown Rice, their core indoor cat formula sold at PetSmart and other retailers. The first ingredients are chicken, chicken meal, rice, fish oil, and mixed tocopherols for preservation.
Chicken at #1 and chicken meal at #2 is a strong double-protein opening. Chicken provides whole-meat protein, and chicken meal is concentrated with the water removed — meaning it contributes more actual protein per pound. Rice at #3 is a clean, easily digestible grain. Fish oil provides marine-sourced omega-3s. Natural preservation with mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) is the gold standard. Shop on Amazon →
The good stuff
The double chicken protein base ensures animal protein is the dominant macronutrient — critical for cats as obligate carnivores. Having both whole chicken and chicken meal means the protein isn't just a label trick from one moisture-heavy ingredient.
Fish oil earns Nutro extra points. It provides EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids — the marine-sourced forms that are directly bioavailable for skin, coat, brain, and joint health. Many cat foods at this price point skip fish oil entirely or rely on flaxseed, which cats convert very inefficiently to usable omega-3s.
Natural preservation throughout — no BHA, no BHT, no artificial colors, no artificial flavors. For a Mars brand (the same company that makes Iams, Royal Canin, and Pedigree), this is a notable step up in ingredient philosophy. Nutro proves Mars can make quality cat food when they choose to.
The not-so-good stuff
Rice as the third ingredient means a significant portion of the formula is grain-based carbohydrate. Cats have no biological requirement for grains, and while rice is among the better grain choices (easily digestible, low allergenicity), the ideal cat food would minimize all plant content. The protein content could be higher for optimal feline nutrition.
Protein diversity is limited — chicken is the only named animal protein source. Cats benefit from varied protein sources, and formulas like Wellness (B/80) that include multiple animal proteins provide broader amino acid coverage.
Some Nutro formulas may include less ideal plant proteins that boost the guaranteed analysis numbers without providing the amino acid profile cats need. The price point is higher than the nutritional value strictly justifies when compared to competitors like Taste of the Wild (B/76), which delivers similar quality at a lower cost.
How it compares
Nutro's B/78 places it near the top of the B tier — just below Wellness (B/80) and above Taste of the Wild (B/76) and Blue Buffalo (B/76). For a brand sold at mainstream pet stores, that's a strong showing.
The most striking comparison is within the Mars corporate family. Nutro scores 20 points above Iams (C/62) and 33 points above Royal Canin (D/45) — proving that the same parent company can produce dramatically different quality levels when they choose to invest in ingredients over marketing. If you're currently feeding a Mars brand, Nutro is the best option in the family.
Against the top-tier brands, Nutro trails Orijen (A/91) by 13 points and Nulo (B/88) by 10. The gap comes from protein density and diversity — the A-tier brands pack more animal protein from more species into every serving.
Read the full breakdown in our head-to-head comparison: Halo vs Nutro.
The bottom line
Nutro Wholesome Essentials earns a B grade (78/100) from KibbleIQ. The double chicken protein base, fish oil omega-3s, and natural preservation make it one of the better mainstream cat food options. Rice content and limited protein diversity keep it from climbing higher. If you shop at PetSmart and want solid nutrition without premium-brand prices, Nutro is the strongest choice on the shelf — and dramatically better than its Mars siblings that cost the same or more. Shop on Amazon →