Both brands are air-dried, both skip fillers, and both command prices well above standard kibble. But they make meaningfully different choices on ingredients, processing philosophy, and what it actually costs to feed your dog. We put both bags on the scale, fed both to dogs in our care, and broke down every variable that matters before you commit to a monthly subscription.
Key Takeaways — Critical Questions, Short Answers
Before comparing ingredient panels line by line, these are the questions that come up most from dog owners weighing these two brands. We answered each one directly from verified product data and hands-on testing.
Sundays for Dogs has the cleaner ingredient panel by one meaningful measure: it contains zero synthetic vitamins or minerals — a genuinely rare distinction in commercial pet food, even among premium brands. All nutrients come from whole-food sources: beef, organs, seeds, vegetables, and fruits. Badlands Ranch uses high-quality whole meats as its base — beef, beef liver, chicken heart, salmon — but it supplements with added synthetic vitamins to achieve AAFCO completeness. Neither approach is unsafe; added synthetics are standard in pet food. But for dog owners specifically avoiding synthetics, Sundays is one of only two U.S. brands currently meeting AAFCO standards without any artificial supplementation.
Human-grade in federal regulatory terms means every ingredient meets FDA standards for food intended for human consumption, and the food is produced in a facility that is also certified for human food production under USDA and FDA oversight. Sundays for Dogs satisfies both conditions: all ingredients are sourced from human-grade suppliers, and production happens in USDA-monitored facilities in Ohio that operate under the same regulatory classification as facilities making jerky for people. Badlands Ranch uses what it describes as “USDA-quality meat standards” and “humanely raised” sourcing — language that signals premium sourcing practices but does not carry the same FDA/USDA certification standard that Sundays holds. In our testing, this distinction matters most for owners with immunocompromised dogs or households with young children, where minimizing potential pathogen exposure through pet food handling is a real concern.
Yes, Badlands Ranch Superfood Complete is grain-free. It uses sweet potato, pumpkin, and flaxseed as its carbohydrate sources — and notably avoids legumes (peas, lentils, chickpeas) and potatoes, the ingredients currently under ongoing FDA investigation for a possible link to canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This is a genuine differentiator among grain-free dog foods. Sundays for Dogs is grain-inclusive — beef and turkey recipes contain quinoa, and the chicken recipe includes millet and oats. Whether that matters depends on your dog. For most healthy dogs, grains are a fine carbohydrate source. For dogs with confirmed grain sensitivities or dogs requiring a grain-free diet per veterinary recommendation, Badlands Ranch is the appropriate choice between these two brands.
Sundays for Dogs prices by your dog’s weight, age, and activity level and does not publish flat per-bag prices upfront. In practice, subscriber accounts and independent reviews put a 20-pound adult dog at roughly $90–$138/month on Sundays with subscription pricing. Badlands Ranch runs approximately $1.67 per ounce — a 24-oz bag of Superfood Complete runs around $40 at retail, and a 20-pound dog requires roughly 1.5 cups (about 2.4 oz) per day as a primary diet, putting monthly cost at approximately $200–$280+ per month for that same dog. Sundays is consistently cheaper per month for the same dog on the same diet across the accounts we tracked. The calorie density on both brands is about twice that of standard kibble — this means you serve less volume per meal, but the per-ounce cost of both is still significantly higher than premium kibble.
As of August 2026, neither Sundays for Dogs nor Badlands Ranch has ever been recalled, based on Dog Food Advisor’s automated recall tracking system and the FDA’s animal food recall database. Both brands were founded after 2018 — Badlands Ranch launched in 2022, Sundays in 2017 — giving them relatively short recall histories compared to brands operating for decades. Sundays additionally tests every finished batch for salmonella, E. coli, and other foodborne pathogens, with results consistently below maximum tolerable levels set by both the NRC and AAFCO. Badlands Ranch’s testing protocols are less publicly documented, though the brand has maintained a clean safety record since launch.
Both are formulated as complete and balanced foods meeting AAFCO standards for all life stages (beef and turkey recipes on Sundays; all Badlands Ranch Superfood Complete formulas) — meaning either can serve as your dog’s sole diet. Both are also regularly used as toppers: the air-dried format makes them easy to crumble over any existing food to boost palatability and nutrition without changing the base diet. In our testing with three BestiePaws rescue dogs — including two picky small-breed eaters — both foods worked well as toppers. One important note: both are calorie-dense at around 600–650 kcal per cup. If you’re using either as a topper on top of a full kibble portion, you’ll need to reduce the kibble amount proportionally to avoid unintentional weight gain.
For food sensitivities or allergies, the answer depends on which protein triggers the reaction. Badlands Ranch has the broader novel protein selection: its lamb & venison and wild fish & turkey recipes offer genuine protein rotation for dogs that have developed reactions to chicken or beef. Sundays for Dogs has a fish recipe (limited distribution) and a turkey recipe for dogs reacting to beef, but its chicken recipe is formulated for adults only and may not work for puppies or nursing females. Both brands exclude the most common dietary irritants — no corn, wheat, soy, potato, or legumes in either lineup. For dogs with a known grain sensitivity, Badlands Ranch is the straightforward choice. For dogs whose issue is more about highly processed food than specific ingredients, Sundays’ whole-food approach and zero-synthetic formulation may produce better digestive outcomes.
Katherine Heigl co-founded Badlands Ranch in 2022 and is genuinely involved in the brand’s advocacy direction — she has been an active animal rescue and welfare advocate for over a decade. The ingredient and manufacturing decisions, however, are made by the nutrition team, not by celebrity involvement. In practice, we found that Badlands Ranch’s formula stands on its own merits: 87% animal ingredients, multiple novel protein options, no fillers or legumes, and a clean air-drying process. The celebrity founder matters for marketing reach but has no bearing on whether the food is right for your dog. We evaluated both brands purely on ingredient quality, nutritional density, safety record, and value — and the honest answer is Badlands Ranch is a strong product regardless of who founded it.
Ingredient Deep-Dive — What’s Actually in Each Bag
Air-dried food lives or dies on what goes in before the drying process. Here is what each brand puts in its primary beef recipe — the most comparable like-for-like between the two brands — along with the key differences that aren’t obvious from the marketing.
Beef · Beef Liver · Beef Bone Meal · Sunflower Meal · Flaxseed Meal · Quinoa Seed · Pumpkin · Parsley · Zucchini · Salt
The full ingredient list continues with dried kelp, ginger, kale, turmeric, mixed tocopherols (the only preservative), selenium yeast, and a nutrient-rich fruit and vegetable blend including carrots, apples, shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, beets, cherries, strawberries, and blueberries. No synthetic vitamins, no meat meals, no added mineral supplements beyond selenium yeast and tocopherols. The quinoa (a grain) provides natural plant protein and fiber alongside animal-sourced nutrients — this is why Sundays is grain-inclusive, not grain-free.
Beef · Beef Liver · Beef Heart · Salmon · Flaxseed · Sweet Potato · Pumpkin · Blueberries · Chia Seeds · Turmeric
Badlands Ranch adds a targeted superfood blend — lion’s mane mushroom, ginger, and additional antioxidant-rich vegetables — and rounds out AAFCO compliance with a synthetic vitamin and mineral supplement blend. The multi-protein approach (beef plus salmon in the same formula) delivers a broader amino acid and omega fatty acid profile without requiring a separate fish oil addition. Grain-free, legume-free, and potato-free — a rare triple exclusion in the grain-free market that avoids the FDA’s current DCM investigation ingredients.
The clearest head-to-head differentiator between these two brands isn’t price, protein percentage, or grain status — it’s synthetic supplementation. Sundays for Dogs is one of a very small number of U.S. pet food brands whose beef, turkey, and fish recipes achieve AAFCO completeness entirely from whole-food nutrient density, with no added synthetic vitamins or chelated minerals. Badlands Ranch uses added vitamins to reach the same AAFCO compliance threshold. Neither approach is unsafe — synthetic vitamins in pet food are standard practice and FDA-permitted. But for owners whose primary motivation is “as close to whole food as possible,” Sundays takes that position more completely than Badlands Ranch does. Badlands Ranch’s counter-argument is that its multi-protein formula (beef and salmon together) delivers a broader natural nutrient spectrum than single-protein formulas require — a valid nutritional position.
Nutritional Profile — What the Numbers Look Like Side by Side
These guaranteed analysis figures come from official product labels and third-party analysis on a dry matter basis (removing moisture to create an apples-to-apples comparison). Both brands are calorie-dense — plan your serving size accordingly or unintentional weight gain is the most common complaint we hear from new customers on either brand.
Sundays’ beef recipe has a notably high dry matter fat content of approximately 29%. This is intentional — dietary fat is one of the most bioavailable energy sources for dogs, supporting coat condition, skin health, and sustained energy. For healthy, active dogs, this is a feature. For dogs with pancreatitis, hyperlipidemia, or any condition requiring fat restriction, this is a meaningful risk. We specifically flag this because air-dried foods are frequently recommended as a “healthier” alternative without regard for macronutrient profiles, and dogs with fat-sensitive conditions have been harmed by switching to high-fat premium foods without veterinary guidance. If your dog has any diagnosis involving fat metabolism, consult your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist before switching to either brand.
Full Head-to-Head — Every Variable That Matters
| Category | ☀️ Sundays for Dogs | 🦬 Badlands Ranch |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 · Dr. Tory Waxman (DVM) & Michael Waxman | 2022 · Katherine Heigl (actress/advocate) |
| Food type | Air-dried (low & slow) | Air-dried (low temperature) |
| Human-grade certified | Yes — USDA-monitored, FDA human-grade facility (Ohio) | USDA-quality sourcing — not same certification level |
| Synthetic vitamins/minerals | None — whole-food nutrients only | Added synthetic vitamins for AAFCO compliance |
| Animal ingredient % | 91% (beef recipe) | 87% (all recipes) |
| Grain-free? | No — beef/turkey contain quinoa; chicken has millet & oats | Yes — all recipes grain-free |
| Legumes / potatoes? | None | None |
| Number of recipes | 4 (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Fish) | 4 (Beef, Chicken, Lamb & Venison, Wild Fish & Turkey) |
| Novel protein options | Turkey, Fish (limited rotation) | Lamb & Venison, Wild Fish & Turkey |
| AAFCO life stage | All life stages (beef & turkey) · Adults only (chicken) | All life stages (all recipes) |
| Recall history | Zero recalls (FDA + Dog Food Advisor, Aug 2026) | Zero recalls (FDA + Dog Food Advisor, Aug 2026) |
| Price per ounce | ~$0.77/oz (subscription) | ~$1.67/oz |
| Monthly cost (20-lb dog) | ~$90–$138/mo (subscription) | ~$200–$280+/mo |
| Subscription required? | Subscription model — auto-ship; can pause/cancel | Subscription + retail availability |
| Where to buy | Sundaysfordogs.com only (direct-to-consumer) | Badlandsranch.com + Chewy + Amazon |
| Free sample offered? | Yes — free sample before subscribing | 90-day money-back guarantee; no sample |
| Ingredient sourcing | No ingredients from China; USA-produced | USA-produced; specific sourcing less publicly detailed |
| Calories per cup | ~620–650 kcal (2× typical kibble) | ~326–458 kcal depending on recipe |
The Real Cost — What You’ll Actually Spend Each Month
Both brands cost more than standard kibble. The question is how much more — and whether the per-nutrient value justifies it. These estimates are based on verified subscriber accounts, published serving size guidelines, and price data current as of the date of this review.
Sundays doesn’t publish flat bag prices. Your plan price is calculated from your dog’s weight, age, activity level, and recipe selection. Based on accounts tracked by BestiePaws readers and third-party review data: a 10-lb dog runs approximately $56–$80/month; a 20-lb dog runs approximately $90–$138/month; a 50-lb dog reaches $200+ per month. A one-time trial order is available before full subscription, and Sundays offers a free sample. The subscription can be paused or cancelled — something worth confirming explicitly at signup, since air-dried food subscriptions vary in cancellation flexibility.
A 24-oz bag of Badlands Ranch Superfood Complete runs approximately $39.99 at retail, and a 64-oz bag runs around $129.95. At roughly $1.67/oz, a 20-pound dog eating 1.5 cups (approximately 2.4 oz) per day as a primary diet burns through roughly 72 oz per month — putting monthly spend at approximately $120–$200 at the 64-oz bag rate, and higher on smaller bags. For larger dogs this climbs quickly: a 50-lb dog at 3 cups/day reaches $350+ per month as a sole diet. Badlands Ranch is available on Chewy with Autoship discount and on Amazon, which adds purchasing flexibility Sundays doesn’t offer.
In our testing across multiple dog households, using either brand as a topper — approximately 20–30% of the daily meal volume — rather than a sole diet keeps monthly spend well below $60 for most dogs while still delivering the palatability and micronutrient benefits both brands provide. A single 24-oz bag of either brand lasts a 20-pound dog 3–4 weeks as a daily topper at a quarter-cup per meal. Both brands are calorie-dense enough that even a small amount meaningfully elevates the nutritional profile of a quality kibble base. If budget is the constraint keeping you from trying either brand, starting as a topper is the lowest-risk, lowest-cost way to test whether your dog tolerates and benefits from air-dried whole food.
Which Brand Is Right for Your Dog’s Specific Situation
If your primary goal is switching to the cleanest, most minimally processed commercial dog food available and budget is a real factor, Sundays for Dogs is the more defensible choice. It is one of a tiny number of U.S. brands meeting AAFCO completeness without a single synthetic additive. It is produced in USDA-monitored human-grade facilities. It has a zero-recall safety record going back to 2017. The beef and turkey recipes are approved for all life stages — puppies through seniors. And at roughly $0.77/oz, it is less than half the per-ounce cost of Badlands Ranch. The grain-inclusive formulation (quinoa, millet, oats depending on recipe) is not a drawback for the majority of dogs — and the whole grains contribute fiber and naturally occurring B vitamins that complement the meat-heavy nutrition base.
If your veterinarian has recommended grain-free feeding, or your dog has a documented grain sensitivity, Badlands Ranch is the appropriate choice between these two brands. Its four-recipe lineup includes two genuine novel protein options — lamb & venison and wild fish & turkey — which are relevant for dogs that have developed reactions to the chicken or beef found in most premium pet food lines. The fact that it excludes both grains and legumes (the ingredients under FDA investigation for DCM) in every recipe is a meaningful distinction. If your household can absorb the higher per-ounce cost, Badlands Ranch is a quality product with strong ingredient sourcing, zero recalls, and a multi-protein formulation that delivers a naturally broad nutrient spectrum.
Both Sundays for Dogs and Badlands Ranch carry high-fat profiles relative to most commercial kibbles. Sundays’ beef recipe runs approximately 29% fat on a dry matter basis. Badlands Ranch’s lamb & venison recipe runs approximately 30% fat. Dogs with any condition requiring fat restriction — pancreatitis history, hyperlipidemia, hepatic lipidosis, or obesity management — are not appropriate candidates for either brand as a primary diet without explicit veterinary clearance. We see this mismatch regularly in our reader community: well-intentioned owners switching a heavy or medically complex dog to premium air-dried food because it “sounds healthier,” without recognizing that the fat content is the exact wrong direction for that dog’s specific diagnosis. For weight management, a lower-fat fresh food brand or a prescription diet is usually the appropriate path.
We run two rescue dogs on different protocols in our BestiePaws testing household — a 12-lb Chihuahua mix and a 28-lb terrier blend. In our testing, the Chihuahua does better on Sundays’ turkey recipe (gentler fat profile, smaller kibble-like texture that suits a small mouth), while the terrier does better on Badlands Ranch chicken (responds well to the higher protein density and multi-protein formula for a more active body condition). Nothing requires you to pick one brand for all your dogs. If your household has dogs with different dietary needs, mixing brands by individual dog profile is a rational approach — and both brands offer sufficient recipe variety to customize by animal.
Ingredient information for Sundays for Dogs sourced from Sundays for Dogs official ingredient pages (April–May 2026), Dog Food Advisor (updated June 2025), A-Z Animals, Dogster, and Hepper. Badlands Ranch ingredient information sourced from badlandsranch.com, Dog Food Advisor, Canine Journal, and PetFoodRatings. Guaranteed analysis data (Sundays Beef: 41% protein, 29% fat DM basis) from Dog Food Advisor. Badlands Ranch Chicken: 38% protein, 22% fat as fed per product label. Recall status confirmed via Dog Food Advisor automated recall tracker and FDA Animal & Veterinary recall database — both brands show zero recalls through August 2026. Pricing: Sundays pricing ($90–$138/mo for 20-lb dog) sourced from subscriber accounts and published estimates; Badlands Ranch per-oz price ($1.67/oz) calculated from published 24-oz bag retail price of $39.99. Calorie density (Sundays Beef: 650 kcal/cup; Badlands Ranch Chicken: 370 kcal/cup) sourced from official product pages. FDA DCM investigation into grain-free legume-heavy foods: ongoing as of August 2026; neither brand uses legumes. Sundays’ USDA facility and FDA human-grade certification status confirmed via Sundays for Dogs FAQ (April 2026). Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified veterinary nutritionist before changing your dog’s diet, especially for animals with existing health conditions.
Key sources: Sundays for Dogs (sundaysfordogs.com) · Badlands Ranch (badlandsranch.com) · Dog Food Advisor (dogfoodadvisor.com) · FDA Animal & Veterinary (fda.gov/animal-veterinary) · AAFCO (aafco.org) · BestiePaws.com testing & reader account data