The scores
Zuke’s Mini Naturals Chicken Recipe: B/78 — Above average. Chicken-led panel, mixed tocopherol preservation, 3 kcal per treat.
Fruitables Skinny Minis Pumpkin & Berry: B/78 — Above average. Pumpkin-led panel with chickpea and pea fiber, mixed tocopherol preservation, 3 kcal per treat.
How the ingredients compare
Both panels use vegetable glycerin and tapioca starch as soft-treat texturizing agents, but the leading ingredients diverge:
Zuke’s Mini Naturals: Chicken, Ground Rice, Vegetable Glycerin, Tapioca Starch, Gelatin, Malted Barley, Chickpeas, Water, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Vinegar, Citric Acid, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract
Fruitables Skinny Minis: Pumpkin, Chickpeas, Peas, Vegetable Glycerin, Tapioca Starch, Flaxseed Meal, Honey, Sunflower Oil, Blueberries, Pork Stock, Citric Acid, Vinegar, Natural Blueberry Flavor, Cinnamon, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract
Zuke’s opens with chicken (whole muscle meat), backed by ground rice for carbohydrate structure and gelatin for chew texture. The animal-protein contribution is the design lever — this is a treat built around protein motivation. Fruitables opens with pumpkin (a low-calorie fiber-and-beta-carotene source), backed by chickpeas and peas (legume protein and fiber), with pork stock providing flavor rather than primary protein content. Honey supplies palatability sweetness; flaxseed adds plant-based omega-3. Both use mixed tocopherols and rosemary extract as natural preservation. Neither uses BHA, BHT, artificial colors, or by-products.
Where Zuke’s Mini Naturals pulls ahead
Named animal protein first: Chicken is the leading ingredient. For dogs whose training motivation is dialed up by meaty smell and taste, Zuke’s acceptance profile is high. The treats rubric awards a moderate ingredient-quality bonus for whole named protein in position one that Fruitables forfeits.
Shorter ingredient list: 14 ingredients vs Fruitables’ 19. The simpler panel is easier to evaluate against allergen-exclusion criteria. For dogs with diagnosed sensitivities to peas or legumes, Zuke’s chickpea inclusion is at position seven (small inclusion); Fruitables has chickpeas at position two and peas at position three (much larger combined legume load).
Single-flavor discipline: The Chicken Recipe is just chicken — no honey, no fruit additives. For dogs on simplified-diet protocols (veterinary-prescribed for pancreatitis recovery, IBD management, or food-trial elimination per AAVDC dermatology protocol), Zuke’s narrower flavor profile is easier to fit into the protocol. Shop Zuke’s Mini Naturals on Amazon →
Where Fruitables Skinny Minis pulls ahead
Weight-management formulation: Pumpkin and chickpea-led panels deliver soluble fiber that supports satiety per the AAHA 2014 Weight Management Guidelines. For dogs on calorie-restricted weight-loss protocols, Fruitables’ lower fat content (the panel does not include rendered animal fat) is the meaningful differentiator at the same 3 kcal-per-treat load. The product positioning “Skinny Minis” is a real reflection of the formulation, not just marketing.
Multi-source antioxidant profile: Pumpkin (beta-carotene), blueberries (anthocyanins), cinnamon (polyphenols), and green tea extract (catechins) all contribute distinct antioxidant compound classes. This polyphenol diversity is meaningfully different from Zuke’s simpler protein-and-rice profile.
Suitable for protein-restricted diets: For dogs with diagnosed kidney disease or liver disease where animal-protein restriction is part of veterinary management, Fruitables’ plant-based panel allows treat-time without adding to the animal-protein load. Veterinary consultation required — this is a protocol decision, not a recommendation. Shop Fruitables Skinny Minis on Amazon →
The bottom line
Both score B/78 because both achieve the soft-training-treat brief: 3 kcal per piece, named ingredients, natural preservation, no BHA or BHT, no artificial colors, and AAFCO-supplemental status. The choice is whether your training context calls for a protein-motivated treat (Zuke’s) or a fiber-forward, weight-management-friendly treat (Fruitables). For high-volume training of a healthy adult dog at maintenance weight, Zuke’s is the higher-acceptance pick. For weight-loss protocols or dogs on protein-restricted veterinary diets, Fruitables is the practical choice. Either is meaningfully cleaner than the wheat-flour-and-glycerin biscuit treats that dominate the category by sales volume.
Read our full reviews of Zuke’s Mini Naturals and Fruitables Skinny Minis for the complete ingredient-by-ingredient breakdown.