NYC Doggies
Shrimp Scampi & Green Beans
by Jennifer Wheeler
Sounds fancy, right? This family-friendly version of a classic Italian favorite is not only easy to make, but healthy and affordable. We love preparing shrimp for family dinners (they are often on sale) because the shells are incredibly nutritious and delicious for the pups. With the addition of whole grain pasta and a side veg the meal is perfectly balanced.
Ingredients: Shrimp (deveined but with the shells on is best), whole grain pasta, garlic (not for the pups), lemon, parsley, green beans, plus wine or broth for cooking.
Budget: Pick a week to make this dish when your local grocery store has shrimp on sale. We get them for $6.99/pound. They are less expensive when you buy them with the shells on, which works perfectly for us because the shells go to the dogs.
Nutrition: Guess where expensive pet supplements source their glucosamine from? Shrimp shells! We take out the middleman, go straight to the source, and give our pups the stuff they need for lifelong healthy joints. Paired with whole grain pasta and green beans we tick all the boxes for protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Waste Not: In addition to using every bit of those succulent shrimp, we avoid waste with the vegetables as well. When trimming the green beans, save any parts that are a little ugly for the dogs – they won’t know, and the imperfect beans are just as nutritious (maybe even more so).
The Humans Get:
Garlicky, brothy shrimp scampi over whole grain spaghetti and steamed green beans. I’m a fan of Melissa Clark’s easy scampi recipe found here in the NY Times. Add extra broth for a heartier sauce.
The Big Guy Gets:
A bowlful of shrimp shells and whole grain pasta with a side of green beans. The green beans are raw because our pups like them crunchy. No sauce on anything because we avoid giving our pups garlic and most dogs are naturally averse to lemons (and all citrus). He gets a few whole shrimp too because, well, he’s a big guy!
The Little Guy Gets:
A pile of shrimp shells, a little bit of whole grain pasta, and one or two beans. When we peel the shrimp we make sure to leave a little bit of the tail meat in the shell so that the dogs are getting enough protein. No sauce.
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About the author
Jennifer is a writer and graduate of NYU School of Law. Jennifer researches and writes original, science-based articles for the NYC Doggies blog, and her writing on other topics can be found in the Huffington Post. Jennifer and Ovidiu have co-authored the upcoming book, WHOLE DOG PARENTING: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO RAISE AND TRAIN AN URBAN PUP
