The scores
Ol’ Roy: F (20/100) — Failing. Walmart’s house brand. Corn first, corn syrup at position four, BHA-preserved animal fat.
Kibbles ’n Bits: F (15/100) — Failing. Colorful multi-shape kibble loaded with artificial colors and BHA/BHT preservatives.
A 5-point difference at the bottom of the scale. Both foods are in the F range (0–34), and neither is anywhere close to climbing out. For context, the lowest D-grade food on our scale starts at 35, which means both of these foods would need fundamental reformulations — not minor tweaks — to even reach “below average.”
How the ingredients compare
Here are the first five ingredients side by side:
Ol’ Roy: Ground Yellow Corn, Meat and Bone Meal, Soybean Meal, Corn Syrup, Animal Fat (preserved with BHA)
Kibbles ’n Bits: Corn, Soybean Meal, Beef & Bone Meal, Ground Wheat, Animal Fat (preserved with BHA/BHT)
Both formulas lead with corn — the single cheapest ingredient a manufacturer can put in a bag. After that, the patterns are similar: rendered meat/bone meal, soybean meal for cheap plant protein, and unnamed animal fat preserved with artificial preservatives. The specific order shifts between the two brands, but the message is the same — these are formulas built to hit the lowest possible price point.
The most alarming ingredient on either list is Ol’ Roy’s corn syrup at position four. Corn syrup is a concentrated sweetener that has absolutely no place in dog food. It’s there to make dogs eat more and to act as a binding agent in the kibble. Dogs don’t need added sugars of any kind, and corn syrup contributes to obesity, dental decay, and blood sugar instability.
Kibbles ’n Bits doesn’t have corn syrup, but it compensates with its own set of problems. Its animal fat is preserved with both BHA and BHT — two synthetic antioxidants that have been flagged by the National Toxicology Program as “reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens.” Ol’ Roy uses BHA alone, which is one fewer questionable preservative, though neither is ideal.
Where Ol’ Roy pulls ahead
Protein position: Ol’ Roy places its meat and bone meal at position two, immediately after corn. Kibbles ’n Bits pushes its protein source (beef & bone meal) to position three, behind both corn and soybean meal. This means Ol’ Roy likely has a slightly higher proportion of animal-derived protein relative to plant fillers, even though “meat and bone meal” is itself a low-quality, unnamed source.
No artificial colors: Ol’ Roy keeps its kibble a uniform brown color. Kibbles ’n Bits, as the name implies, uses multiple shapes and colors to create visual variety in the bowl. That visual appeal comes from artificial dyes — including Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Blue 2 — that serve no nutritional function whatsoever. These are cosmetic additives designed to catch a pet owner’s eye in the store aisle. Your dog genuinely does not care what color or shape their food is.
Fewer artificial preservatives: Ol’ Roy’s animal fat is preserved with BHA. Kibbles ’n Bits uses both BHA and BHT. Neither preservative is something you want in your dog’s food long-term, but having one questionable preservative is marginally better than having two. Natural alternatives like mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) exist and are used by most B-grade and above foods. Shop on Amazon →
Where Kibbles ’n Bits holds its own
Lower protein positioning: When soybean meal appears at position two (as it does in Kibbles ’n Bits), it signals that a significant portion of the protein percentage on the label is coming from plants rather than animals. Dogs need animal-based protein for complete amino acid profiles. Soybean meal can cause digestive issues in some dogs and is widely regarded as a low-cost protein booster rather than a quality nutrition source.
Artificial colors throughout: The colorful kibble pieces in Kibbles ’n Bits are its defining visual feature and its most unnecessary flaw. Each artificial dye adds a synthetic chemical to your dog’s daily diet with zero benefit. At least Ol’ Roy acknowledges that dogs eat with their noses, not their eyes, and skips the cosmetic dyes entirely.
BHA plus BHT: Both BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are synthetic preservatives that prevent fats from going rancid. Both have been the subject of health concerns in research studies. While the amounts in pet food are within regulatory limits, the combination of both preservatives in a single food is an unnecessary chemical load when natural preservation methods are readily available and affordable.
To be clear, pointing out where Kibbles ’n Bits is worse than Ol’ Roy is not an endorsement of Ol’ Roy. Both foods fail on the fundamentals: named protein sources, quality fats, whole grains, and the absence of unnecessary additives. The differences between them are marginal at best. Shop on Amazon →
The bottom line
Ol’ Roy and Kibbles ’n Bits represent the floor of commercial dog food. Both earn F grades, both start with corn, both use unnamed rendered proteins, and both rely on artificial preservatives to keep their cheap fats from spoiling. Ol’ Roy is marginally less bad because it skips the artificial colors and uses one fewer synthetic preservative, but recommending it over Kibbles ’n Bits feels like recommending the less-bumpy road through a minefield.
If you’re feeding either of these foods and budget is the driving constraint, we understand — pet food costs are real, and feeding your dog something is always better than feeding them nothing. But the gap between these F-grade foods and a decent C-grade option is smaller than you might think. Iams (C/63) and Purina ONE (C/58) both cost modestly more per bag and score three to four times higher. That’s not a marginal upgrade — it’s a fundamentally different level of nutrition.
Read our full reviews of Ol’ Roy and Kibbles ’n Bits for the complete ingredient breakdowns.