Ingredient file // Legume
Peas
Useful starch and protein, with an open heart question
Dried peas are half starch and about a quarter protein, which is why grain-free kibble leans on them. They are not filler. Whether heavy pea recipes play a part in heart disease in dogs is unproven, and not settled.
- What it is
- Dried field pea seeds, usually ground, used as a starch and plant protein source.
- Made from
- Dried field peas
- Main job
- Starch plus plant protein
- Typical amount
- Varies widely; one trial fed up to 45% pulses
- Watch for
- Several pea ingredients split across one list
- Not the same as
- Pea protein or pea starch
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 3 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
31%
779 of the 2,508 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 61 brands. 625 dry dog food, 128 wet dog food, 26 dog food topper.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 4. In the top five of 496 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.
Above the salt
Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.
Price per lb
Median of the cheapest bag price across 496 priced foods, about level with the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.
Who leans on it
15%
of the foods that list it are from Blue. 61 brands use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Field peas are harvested dry, like beans. Kibble makers use them whole and ground, or split the same crop into protein, starch and fiber fractions that each get their own line on the label.1
- 01 // Source Dry field peas Mature seeds, about 24% protein and 51% starch on a dry basis.
- 02 // Process Dehulled or not The hull is 7 to 14% of the seed. Removing it cuts fiber and raises the protein and starch share.
- 03 // Process Ground to flour Milled fine so the starch cooks evenly in the extruder.
- 04 // Process Air sorted Optional. Air separates the flour into a protein-rich fraction and a starch-rich one.
- 05 // Output Peas and fractions Ground peas, or pea protein and pea starch, each listed as its own ingredient.
What is in it
Composition, dry matter
51
% starch
Half of a dry pea is starch. That is why peas replace grain in grain-free recipes, not meat.
Why it is in the bag
What the manufacturer gets
-
01
Starch without grain
Kibble needs starch to expand and hold its shape in the extruder. Peas supply it without grain, which is the whole point of a grain-free label.1
-
02
Protein that counts
At about 24% protein, peas lift the crude protein figure. The guaranteed analysis does not say whether that protein came from meat or peas.1,10
-
03
A slower glucose rise
In small dog trials, pea and lentil diets gave a later or lower blood glucose rise than rice or corn diets.6,7
-
04
Supply at scale
Peas are the largest specialty crop in US dog food: about 95,700 tons in a year, more than twice the beet pulp.11
How much A 20-week trial fed up to 45% whole pulses in a complete diet with no change in heart function.5
Our read // The claims
What the evidence supports
Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.
-
Critics say
Peas raise the protein figure without meat
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Crude protein counts protein from any source. Peas are about 24% protein and pea protein concentrate much more, and both run short on methionine, so the number rises without meat's amino acid profile.1,8
-
Brands say
Low glycemic, slow-release energy
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Two small dog trials found pea or lentil diets gave a later or smaller glucose rise than rice or corn. Neither showed a benefit for a healthy dog, and the pea diets were the least digestible.6,7
-
Brands say
A good plant protein
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Pea amino acids were 80 to 90% digestible in the standard bird assay, but methionine runs short. It works as a partner to animal protein, not a replacement.8
-
Vets say
Peas cause heart disease (DCM)
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
FDA found peas in 89% of foods named in DCM reports but says reports cannot show cause. A 28-day trial saw subtle heart changes on a wrinkled pea flour not sold commercially; a 20-week trial at up to 45% pulses saw none.2,4,5
-
Critics say
Peas are just filler
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Filler has no defined meaning, and peas supply both energy and protein. The fair criticism is digestibility: pea diets digested less well than rice or corn diets in two dog trials.1,6,7
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Should I avoid peas because of DCM?
Not by defaultFor a healthy dog the cause is unknown and the trials disagree. If your dog has DCM, Tufts cardiologists point to pulses in the top ten ingredients as the pattern to avoid.3
-
Q02
Why are there three pea ingredients?
SplittingPeas, pea protein and pea starch each get their own place, ranked by weight. Added together, they can outweigh the meat listed first. The label does not have to say so.9
-
Q03
Do peas give dogs gas?
Some dogsPeas carry sugars dogs cannot digest, and colon bacteria ferment them into gas. No controlled dog trial has measured it, but the mechanism is well understood.12
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Plus 51 more brands.
Amazon best sellers that list it
- #1 Blue Life Protection Formula Adult Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
- #6 Blue Life Protection Formula Adult Small Breed Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
- #8 Diamond Naturals Skin & Coat Formula All Life Stages Salmon & Potato Formula Dry Dog Food
- #12 Iams Proactive Health MiniChunks Chicken & Whole Grains Dry Dog Food
- #16 Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Recipe with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison Dry Dog Food
- #24 Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Easy to Digest Salmon, Sweet Potato, & Pumpkin Recipe Dry Dog Food
- #26 Blue Life Protection Formula Senior Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
- #28 Blue Life Protection Formula Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
Rank on Amazon's dog food best seller list, checked October 2026.
Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it
- Chicken Fat 37%
- Flaxseed 37%
- Chicken 36%
- Natural Flavor 36%
- Chicken Meal 34%
- Potatoes 30%
- Sweet Potatoes 25%
- Pea Protein 21%
- Lentils 21%
- Chickpeas 20%
- Brown Rice 17%
- Turkey Meal 17%
On the shelf
Foods that list it
779 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.
Show 58 more
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Recipe with Bison in Gravy Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinHalo Holistic Cage-Free Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Puppy Dry Dog Food31.9% proteinNutro Natural Choice Adult Small Bites , Salmon & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinDiamond>Naturals Diamond Naturals Skin & Coat All Life Stages Dog Salmon & Potato Formula Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinDiamond>Care Diamond Care Weight Management Formula Dry Dog Food24.4% proteinDiamond>Care Diamond Care Sensitive Skin Formula Dry Dog Food24.4% proteinGo! Solutions Weight Management + Joint Care Salmon Grain-Free Dry Dog Food24.4% proteinZignature Original Trout & Salmon Formula with Probiotics Dry Dog Food34.4% proteinKirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Turkey and Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinBlue Life Protection Formula Homestyle Recipe Grain-Free Senior - Chicken & Garden Vegetables Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinBlue Natural Veterinary Diet WM Wet Dog Food31.8% proteinHalo Holistic Cage-Free Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food29.7% proteinHalo Holistic Grain Free Cage-Free Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food29.7% proteinHalo Holistic Vegan Plant-Based with Kelp Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food29.7% proteinWellness Core Protein Bowls Beef, Potato & Green Beans Wet Dog Food33.3% proteinWellness Core Protein Bowls Lamb, Red Rice & Peas Wet Dog Food33.3% proteinVictor Select Grain Free Cuts Gravy | Beef and Vegetables Stew Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinEvanger’s Roasted Chicken Drummet Dinner - packed by hand! Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinEvanger’s Grain Free Braised Beef Chunks with Gravy - packed by hand! Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinCanidae Pure , Lamb, Turkey & Chicken Grain Free Recipe Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinArtemis Osopure Grain Free Lamb Formula Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinMerrick Backcountry Bone Broth Coated Beef & Bison Dry Dog Food38.2% proteinArtemis Osopure Grain Free Duck Formula Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinSimply Nourish Grain Free Adult Wet Dog Food58.8% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Beef Coated in Bone Broth Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinKirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Beef and Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinArtemis Osopure Grain Free Chicken Formula Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinEukanuba Puppy Mixed Grill Chicken & Beef Dinner in Gravy , case of 12 Wet Dog Food43.4% proteinEukanuba Adult Chicken & Vegetable Stew , case of 12 Wet Dog Food42.1% proteinPure Balance Pro+ Chicken & Brown Rice Stew for Puppy Can Wet Dog Food38.9% proteinPure Balance Pro+ Mature Cup Wet Dog Food41.7% proteinRayne Nutrition Plant-Based Chunky Stew Wet Dog Food27.1% proteinNatural Balance Platefulls Harvest Chicken & Rice Recipe Wet Dog Food38.9% proteinFromm Four-Star Diner Favorites Bella’s Beef Barkundy Stew Wet Dog Food38.9% proteinFromm Pâté Chicken & Duck Pâté Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinFromm Four-Star Diner Classics Charlie’s Chicken Pot Pie Pâté Wet Dog Food31.8% proteinBlue’s Stew Country Chicken Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinBlue Life Protection Formula Homestyle Recipe Puppy Food - Chicken & Garden Vegetables Wet Dog Food34.6% proteinPurina Beneful Freshly Prepared Classics Chicken Dinner with Carrots and Peas Pate Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinPurina Beneful Freshly Prepared Blends with Beef, Carrots, Peas and Barley Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinNulo FreeStyle Paté Adult Trim Turkey & Cod Recipe Wet Dog Food45.5% proteinCesar Home Delights Slow Cooked Chicken & Vegetables Dinner in Sauce Wet Dog Food44.4% proteinFirstMate Kasiks Free Run Chicken Meal Formula Dry Dog Food33.3% proteinRachael Ray Nutrish Big Life Savory Chicken, Veggies & Barley Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinRachael Ray Nutrish Big Life Hearty Beef, Veggies & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food27.8% proteinFromm Pâté Lamb & Sweet Potato Pâté Wet Dog Food34.1% proteinFromm Four-Star Pâté Turkey, Duck, & Sweet Potato Pâté Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinFromm Four-Star Shredded Pork in Gravy Entrée Wet Dog Food43.8% proteinFromm Pâté Beef & Barley Pâté Wet Dog Food40.9% proteinSolid Gold Leaping Waters Grain Free Fish Wet Dog Food36.4% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Premium Quality Salmon Recipe Dog Food Topper28.9% proteinEvanger’s Complements Grain Free All Fresh Vegetarian Dinner Wet Dog Food29.2% proteinWholeHearted Healthy Benefits Weight Control Lamb and Pea Recipe Dry Dog Food29.5% proteinNow Fresh Large Breed Turkey, Salmon & Duck Grain-Free Dry Dog Food30.0% proteinNow Fresh Small Breed Puppy Turkey, Salmon & Duck Grain-Free Dry Dog Food31.1% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Large Breed Adult Beef Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinNow Fresh Lamb & Pork Grain-Free Dry Dog Food26.7% proteinNow Fresh Good Gravy Salmon Small Breed Dry Dog Food28.9% proteinOur read // On the bag
Count the pea ingredients before the meat
Add up every pea line (peas, pea protein, pea starch, pea fiber) and ask where the total would sit against the meat. One pea ingredient mid-list is ordinary. Three near the top means the recipe runs on peas, and its protein figure is partly pea.
On labels as
Other names for this
Manufacturers do not all use the same wording. These all mean the same thing.
Sources
What we read
Checked September 29, 2026.
- 1 Pea seeds
- 2 FDA Investigation into Potential Link between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy
- 3 Diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy: the cause is not yet known but it hasn't gone away
- 4 Effects of a 28-day feeding trial of grain-containing versus pulse-based diets on cardiac function, taurine levels and digestibility in domestic dogs
- 5 The pulse of it: dietary inclusion of up to 45% whole pulse ingredients with chicken meal and pea starch in a complete and balanced diet does not affect cardiac function, fasted sulfur amino acid status, or other gross measures of health in adult dogs
- 6 The effects of 7 days of feeding pulse-based diets on digestibility, glycemic response and taurine levels in domestic dogs
- 7 Effects of six carbohydrate sources on dog diet digestibility and post-prandial glucose and insulin response
- 8 Macronutrient composition, true metabolizable energy and amino acid digestibility, and indispensable amino acid scoring of pulse ingredients for use in canine and feline diets
- 9 Reading Labels
- 10 Animal Food Labeling and Pet Food Claims
- 11 Pet Food Production and Ingredient Analysis
- 12 Raffinose family oligosaccharides: friend or foe for human and plant health?