What's actually in Wholehearted?
We analyzed Wholehearted Grain-Free All Life Stages Chicken & Pea Recipe, the brand's flagship product sold exclusively at Petco. The first five ingredients are chicken, chicken meal, peas, pea starch, and pea protein.
The first two slots are strong — chicken provides quality whole protein, and chicken meal is a concentrated source with roughly 3x the protein of whole chicken since the water has been removed. But positions 3, 4, and 5 all come from the same plant: peas. That's a pattern worth understanding before you celebrate the chicken-first label. Shop on Amazon →
The good stuff
The double chicken protein base is genuinely good. Having both whole chicken and chicken meal in the first two positions means animal protein is doing most of the heavy lifting here, not plants. That's a meaningful advantage over brands that rely on a single animal protein padded with grain fillers.
Flaxseed provides plant-based omega-3 fatty acids for coat and skin health — an ingredient you often see in premium formulas but not always in store brands. The inclusion of blueberries, raspberries, and tomatoes adds antioxidants, though the amounts this far down the ingredient list are small. Dried chicory root is a source of inulin, a prebiotic fiber that supports healthy gut bacteria — a nice touch that brands like Blue Buffalo also include.
Taurine is added as a supplement, which is worth noting for a grain-free formula given the ongoing research into grain-free diets and heart health. The fact that Wholehearted adds it proactively is a responsible move.
The not-so-good stuff
The triple pea loading is the biggest issue. Peas, pea starch, and pea protein occupy positions 3, 4, and 5. Ingredients are listed by weight, so splitting peas into three separate forms lets each one appear lower on the list than if they were combined. Add them together and total pea content likely exceeds any single ingredient in the formula — possibly even the chicken. This is a common industry tactic, but it's especially pronounced here.
This is also a grain-free formula, which means it's worth mentioning the FDA's ongoing investigation into a potential link between grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. The research isn't conclusive, but the concern centers on diets heavy in peas and legumes — which is exactly what this formula delivers in positions 3 through 5.
There are no chelated minerals on the ingredient list. Chelated minerals (you'll see them listed as "zinc proteinate" or "iron amino acid chelate") are more bioavailable than the standard mineral salts used here. Premium brands like Canidae include them; Wholehearted doesn't.
How it compares
Wholehearted's B/77 ties it with Canidae and Nutro in our rankings. It sits just one point below Diamond Naturals and Kirkland Signature, both at B/78 — strong company for a Petco house brand.
Where Wholehearted really shines is the price-to-quality ratio. It meaningfully outperforms vet-clinic staples like Purina Pro Plan (C/62) while typically costing less per pound. The difference comes down to the protein base: Wholehearted leads with real chicken and chicken meal, while Purina Pro Plan leads with chicken followed by rice and wheat.
The main thing holding it back from the upper B tier is that pea saturation and the lack of chelated minerals. Fix those two issues and this would be an 80+ formula.
Read the full breakdowns in our head-to-head comparisons: Wholehearted vs Blue Buffalo and Nutro vs Wholehearted.
The bottom line
Wholehearted Grain-Free Chicken & Pea earns a B grade (77/100) from KibbleIQ. The double chicken protein, flaxseed omega-3s, and prebiotic chicory root make it one of the better store-brand options available. The triple pea loading and grain-free DCM question keep it from ranking higher. If you're shopping at Petco and want solid nutrition without premium-brand prices, Wholehearted delivers — just know that there's more pea in the bag than the label wants you to notice. Shop on Amazon →