The scores
Honest Kitchen Embark Grain-Free Turkey: B (78/100) — Turkey, organic flaxseed, potatoes, celery, spinach, then eggs at position ten.
Sundays Air-Dried Beef Recipe: A (90/100) — Beef, beef heart, beef liver, beef bone, quinoa, pumpkin — four animal ingredients in the top four.
Both are dehydrated (technically Sundays is air-dried, which is a specific sub-process within the dehydration category) human-grade products scored under the Fresh Food Rubric v1.0.
How the ingredients compare
Embark (Grain-Free Turkey): Turkey, organic flaxseed, potatoes, celery, spinach, carrots, organic coconut, apples, organic kelp, eggs, bananas, cranberries.
Sundays (Air-Dried Beef): Beef, beef heart, beef liver, beef bone, quinoa, pumpkin, fish oil, sunflower oil, zucchini, kale, flaxseed, parsley, dried kelp, turmeric, selenium yeast, blueberries, carrots, apples, tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, oranges, cranberries, spinach, beets, cherries, strawberries.
The structural difference is stark: Sundays leads with four named beef ingredients, while Embark has only turkey at position one before shifting to carbohydrates and vegetables. Sundays also runs a much wider produce layer (shiitake mushrooms, blueberries, pumpkin, zucchini, kale, plus more) and uses quinoa as a single complete-protein pseudo-grain.
Where Sundays pulls ahead
Multi-animal-ingredient stack: The four-deep "beef, beef heart, beef liver, beef bone" structure is the single biggest driver of the 12-point grade gap. Under our Fresh Food Rubric, multiple named animal ingredients in the top five earn a structural credit that single-protein formulations can’t match. Heart and liver are both nutrient-dense organ meats; bone contributes natural calcium and phosphorus at the ratio dogs evolved to consume.
Broader phytonutrient matrix: Shiitake mushrooms, blueberries, pumpkin, zucchini, kale, broccoli, oranges, cherries, strawberries, beets, tomatoes — Sundays runs a ten-plus produce layer vs. Embark’s more modest six-vegetable-fruit lineup. The wider matrix delivers more phytonutrient variety, more diversified fiber, and more natural antioxidants.
Zero synthetic supplements: Sundays uses whole-food nutrition as its core philosophy — selenium yeast for selenium, turmeric for curcuminoids, shiitake for B-vitamins, and avoids the synthetic vitamin and mineral tail that Embark uses (tricalcium phosphate, choline chloride, zinc amino acid chelate, etc.). For owners who prioritize food-first nutrition over chemical supplementation, this is a major differentiator. Shop on Amazon →
Where Honest Kitchen Embark holds its own
Grain-free formulation: Dogs with documented grain allergies or sensitivities do well on Embark’s flaxseed-plus-potato base. Sundays uses quinoa (a pseudo-grain that’s actually a seed, technically grain-free) — some grain-sensitive dogs tolerate quinoa fine, others don’t.
Turkey protein choice: For dogs with beef sensitivities or owners who prefer poultry-based feeding for other reasons (environmental, palatability rotation), Embark offers a turkey-based option that Sundays doesn’t. Sundays is beef-only in our catalog.
Price: Embark is meaningfully less expensive per pound than Sundays, landing in the $3–5/day range for a medium dog vs. Sundays’ $5–7/day range. For budget-constrained households, Embark is the accessible pantry-stable pick. Shop on Amazon →
The bottom line
Sundays wins by 12 points on measurable rubric-scored ingredient quality — driven almost entirely by the multi-animal-ingredient top-four stack that Embark can’t match on a single-protein formulation. For nutritional-density maximizers with budget flexibility, Sundays (A/90) is clearly the stronger pick. For grain-sensitive dogs, poultry-preferring dogs, or budget-conscious households, Embark (B/78) is the practical alternative. Both are pantry-stable (rehydrate with warm water before feeding), both use human-grade ingredients, both avoid synthetic preservatives.