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It seems like the entire interwebs are all abuzz with diet plans this week. We’re all going to get fit and eat better and all that jazz. Not here at Casa de Kolchak. Kol’s resolved to eat more treats.

Don’t tell him that I have a sneaky little trick up my sleeve.

Dogs love to eat meaty treats, but jerky and cookies can carry a whopping calorie count and they aren’t great for pups who are watching their waistline.

These easy to make dehydrator dog treats combine the low-calorie health benefits of veggies with a taste of meat, to create a green bean chicken dog treat that your pup will love. 

My puggle, Kolchak is a food hound. (Actually, I usually call him a food something else, with some 18A rated language.) He will cut you and step over your limp body if he thinks it will get him closer to a snack.

When something smells super delicious, there is no way to keep him from losing his head. What can say? He’s part beagle. These dogs are slaves to the snouts.

Snacks: All the cool dogs are doing it.

Actually, all the cool dogs are over-doing it. It’s estimated that almost HALF the pet population is overweight. Time to lay off the Snausages (they are smelly and gross and full of junk anyway.) Still, I totally get it. Dogs love treats and we, as their people, love giving them treats. The secret is learning to give treats that they will love and you can feel good about.

Lean, Mean & Green

I know we have professed our bean-love before, but let me just say it again. Beans are delish. We love fresh steamed green beans as a treat or green bean pupsicles as a cool treat on a hot day. Beans are full of awesome. Full. Beans are a great source of carotenoids and antioxidants. They are also awesome for your waistline.

At only  34 calories per cup (*fresh) you can easily eat a bunch without packing on the pounds.

The only catch? They are just beans. My dogs really love meaty treats and getting them to eat dehydrated green beans without a kick of flavour can be a real challenge. That’s why I decided to combine the power of chicken and green beans to make these easy dehydrator dog treats.

Meaty, Green Bean Dehydrator Dog Treats

These crunchy green beans treats can be made in the oven or in a countertop dehydrator. We like to make ours in our dehydrator because it is so easy to just pop them in there and forget about them. I always worry about leaving the oven on for this long. That said, if you’re going to make these in the oven, preheat to the lowest setting (usually 150F), arrange beans on parchment-lined trays and turn every few hours.

How do you get your dog to eat more vegetables?