What Human Food Can Dogs Eat? Safe and Toxic Foods List

Key takeaways:

Plenty of human food is safe for dogs when it's plain: cooked lean meat, cooked eggs, most fruits without seeds or pits, many vegetables, and plain rice or oatmeal.
Grapes, raisins, chocolate, onions, garlic, macadamia nuts, alcohol, raw yeast dough and anything with xylitol are on the ASPCA's list of foods to keep away from pets.
All treats and extras together should stay under 10% of daily calories. For a 10-pound dog, that's about 35 calories, or roughly 10 baby carrots.
Xylitol can drop a dog's blood sugar within 10 to 60 minutes, according to the FDA.
If your dog eats something toxic, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away.

What human food can dogs eat? Quite a lot, as long as it's plain, cooked where needed and served in small portions. Carrots, green beans, blueberries, apples without the core, plain cooked chicken or turkey, cooked eggs and plain rice are all safe people food for most dogs.

The short list of truly dangerous foods matters more than the long list of safe ones, so learn that first.

Human foods that are good for dogs to eat

Every food below assumes plain preparation: no butter, oil, salt, sauce or seasoning.

Food:	How To Serve It:	Watch Out For:
Chicken, turkey, lamb	Cooked, boneless, skinless, trimmed of fat	Cooked bones; chicken is a common allergen
Eggs	Fully cooked, scrambled or boiled	Raw eggs (bacteria)
Fish (salmon, sardines)	Cooked and boneless	Small bones
Plain yogurt, cheese	A spoonful or a cube	Lactose, fat, artificial sweeteners
Apples, pears	Sliced, core and seeds removed	Cores and stems
Bananas, mango	Peeled; mango pit removed	Sugar; peels and pits
Blueberries, strawberries	Whole or sliced	Very little
Watermelon, pineapple	Seedless chunks, no rind or skin	Rind, seeds, core
Carrots, green beans, cucumber	Raw or cooked, cut to size	Choking on big chunks
Pumpkin, sweet potato	Cooked or plain canned	Pie filling (sugar, spices)
Rice, oatmeal, quinoa	Cooked, plain	Calories add up fast
Peanut butter	Small amounts	Xylitol in some brands

Protein is the easiest place to start. Plain cooked turkey for dogs and lamb work well, and scrambled or boiled eggs are an easy protein treat. The ASPCA warns that raw meat and raw eggs can carry Salmonella and E. coli, so cook them. Cooked salmon adds omega-3 fats.

Fruit makes a good small treat. Blueberries and strawberries are low in calories, and apple slices without the core are crunchy. Sweeter fruit like bananas and mango needs smaller portions. Plain cranberries are fine too.

Vegetables give the most crunch for the fewest calories. Our guide to what vegetables dogs can eat goes through the full list; carrots and green beans are the classics. Plain canned pumpkin and cooked sweet potato suit most dogs, and plain white rice is gentle on an upset stomach. Only give peanut butter after checking the label for xylitol.

What human foods are toxic to dogs?

These foods are on the ASPCA's list of people foods to avoid. Don't share them in any amount.

Food:	What It Can Do To A Dog:
Grapes, raisins, currants	Kidney damage
Chocolate, coffee, caffeine	Vomiting, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures
Onions, garlic, chives	Stomach upset, red blood cell damage and anemia
Xylitol (sugar-free gum, candy, some peanut butters)	Low blood sugar, possible liver damage
Macadamia nuts	Weakness, vomiting, tremors, overheating
Alcohol	Vomiting, incoordination, breathing trouble, coma
Raw yeast dough	Painful bloating; produces alcohol in the stomach
Very salty foods	Thirst, vomiting, tremors, seizures
Bones	Mouth and gut injury or blockage

In a 2022 paper, ASPCA Animal Poison Control toxicologists pointed to tartaric acid as the likely cause of the kidney damage. We still can't name a safe number of grapes, so treat one as an emergency; see our guide to grapes and dogs.

Chocolate is dose-dependent, and darker is worse. The Merck Veterinary Manual puts mild signs at about 20 mg of methylxanthines per kilogram, heart effects at 40 to 50 mg/kg and seizures at 60 mg/kg or more. Signs usually show up 6 to 12 hours later, so a dog who seems fine after an hour isn't in the clear.

Onions and garlic hide in leftovers, gravy and seasoning blends. Xylitol hides in gum, baked goods and even toothpaste, and the FDA says it can trigger a dangerous blood sugar drop within 10 to 60 minutes.

How much human food can a dog eat?

Keep all treats and table food under 10% of your dog's daily calories, the limit Tufts University's Petfoodology team recommends so the main diet stays balanced. Here's what that budget looks like:

Dog's Weight:	Approx. Daily Calories:	10% Treat Budget:	Equals About (if it's the only treat):
10 lb	~350	~35 kcal	10 baby carrots, 45 blueberries or 3/4 oz cooked chicken
20 lb	~585	~59 kcal	17 baby carrots, 75 blueberries or 1 1/4 oz chicken
30 lb	~795	~80 kcal	23 baby carrots, 100 blueberries or 1 3/4 oz chicken
50 lb	~1,165	~116 kcal	33 baby carrots or 2 1/2 oz chicken
70 lb	~1,500	~150 kcal	43 baby carrots or 3 oz chicken
90 lb	~1,810	~181 kcal	52 baby carrots or 4 oz chicken

Estimates calculated from the Merck Veterinary Manual RER formula for a neutered adult (1.6 x RER) and USDA FoodData Central values: baby carrots (FDC 168568), blueberries (FDC 171711), roasted chicken breast (FDC 171477).

The calorie column uses the Merck Veterinary Manual resting energy formula, and the food values come from USDA FoodData Central. Active dogs need more; couch potatoes need less.

"59% of U.S. dogs were classified as overweight or obese in the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's 2022 veterinary survey." - APOP

On a weight loss plan, count table food in the daily total.

What's the best human food for dogs to eat?

Plain vegetables and low-sugar fruit are the safest human food for most dogs: carrots, green beans, cucumber and blueberries are low in calories and rarely cause trouble. Introduce one new food at a time and watch for 24 hours, so you'll know what caused it if your dog gets an upset stomach.

Dogs with diabetes should skip sugary fruit unless the vet approves it, and dogs with a chicken allergy need a different protein.

What most human food guides for dogs miss

Avocado isn't the poison many lists make it. The ASPCA says avocado is mainly a danger to birds, rabbits, horses and ruminants. For dogs, the real risks are the large pit, which can cause a blockage, and the fat. Our avocado guide has the details.

The seasoning causes more trouble than the food. Plain chicken is fine. Chicken roasted with garlic, onion powder and butter isn't, and the same goes for potatoes, bread and rice.

Our take: dogs don't need human food at all. A complete diet already covers their nutrients, so think of a carrot or a blueberry as a small, fun extra.

What to do if your dog ate something toxic

Note what and how much. Keep the package and know your dog's weight.
Call right away. Phone your vet, an emergency clinic or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Don't make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to. Some substances do more damage coming back up.
Watch closely. Tremors, weakness or collapse mean an emergency visit.

Frequently asked questions

What human food can puppies eat?

Once weaned, puppies can have the same plain, dog-safe foods as adults, in much smaller amounts and one at a time. Puppies need almost all their calories from a complete diet made for growth, so keep extras tiny. Our guide on fresh food for puppies covers the main meals.

Can dogs eat human food every day?

Yes, if it's dog-safe and stays inside the 10% treat budget. A few green beans or blueberries a day is fine. Sharing beyond that leads to weight gain, begging and picky eating.

Can dogs eat human food instead of dog food?

Not unless the meals are complete and balanced for dogs. Leftovers and home-cooked meals won't cover every mineral and vitamin a dog needs without a tested recipe, so ask a board-certified veterinary nutritionist if you want to cook.

Can dogs eat scrambled eggs?

Yes. Plain scrambled eggs cooked without butter, oil or salt are a well-tolerated protein treat.

Is yogurt good for dogs? What about milk or cheese?

In small amounts, plain dairy is fine for most dogs. The ASPCA notes pets make little lactase, the enzyme that digests milk sugar, so milk can cause diarrhea. A spoonful of plain, unsweetened yogurt or a small cube of cheese is usually tolerated; skip anything with xylitol.

The bottom line: What human food can dogs eat? Plenty of plain, simple foods, as long as you keep them under 10% of the day's calories and keep the toxic list out of reach. For the other 90%, Spot & Tango's Fresh and UnKibble recipes are formulated with pet nutritionists to meet AAFCO standards and portioned to your dog. Take the recipe quiz to build a plan.

Questions about human food and treats? Our customer care team is happy to help.

About this article

Written by the Spot & Tango editorial team, which covers canine nutrition and health for dog owners. Reviewed by a licensed veterinarian; facts and figures checked.

References & Sources:

ASPCA Animal Poison Control, People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, (888) 426-4435. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control
ASPCApro, Toxic Component in Grapes and Raisins Identified (2022). https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/toxic-component-grapes-and-raisins-identified
Merck Veterinary Manual, Chocolate Toxicosis in Animals. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/toxicology/food-hazards/chocolate-toxicosis-in-animals
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Paws Off Xylitol; It's Dangerous for Dogs. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/paws-xylitol-its-dangerous-dogs
Tufts University Cummings School, Petfoodology: Treat Options for Dogs and Cats Without Unbalancing Their Diet (2021). https://sites.tufts.edu/petfoodology/2021/10/21/treat-options-for-dogs-and-cats-without-unbalancing-their-diet/
Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-small-animals/nutritional-requirements-of-small-animals
U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central: Carrots, baby, raw (FDC 168568); Blueberries, raw (FDC 171711); Chicken breast, roasted (FDC 171477). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 2022 Pet Obesity Prevalence Survey. https://www.petobesityprevention.org/2022