We feed our own dogs (Dora and Prudence) a home-prepared diet.  A single meal (twice daily feeding) for these five- and ten-pound dogs comprises four ounces of equal portions of a protein, a legume, a carbohydrate, and a vegetable.  The protein (1 oz) usually consists of broiled chicken breast, but chicken is sometimes replaced by hamburger, steak, or fish.  The legume (1 oz) is either split peas, garbanzo beans, or kidney beans.  The legumes are purchased dry and cooked in large lots and stored frozen.  Canned beans usually contain sugar or oils and therefore are not used.  The carbohydrate (1 oz) is either potato or rice, sometimes corn.  The vegetable consists of cauliflower, broccoli, or steamed baby carrots.  The diet is supplemented with a Pet-Form tablet daily for vitamins and calcium.  Essential fatty acids are supplemented with Gold Caps.  Fish oil capsules from Costco are a quality, affordable source of essential fatty acids.

Home-cooked meals properly prepared from unprocessed, fresh ingredients are more healthful for pets.  In designing a menu for your dog you must know his/her approximate caloric requirements.  This information is best obtained through consultation with your veterinarian.  The book by Adelle Davis, Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit, is an excellent resource for the caloric content of common dietary ingredients, as is the website, NutritionData.com.  Home-prepared diets should be supplemented with vitamins, essential fatty acids, and, in some cases, calcium.

Here is an alternative recipe, suitable for a 40-pound dog:

Carbohydrate, cooked (potato, pasta, etc) - 240 grams
Protein, cooked (beef, poultry, fish, etc) - 120 grams
Fat (chicken fat, beef fat, etc) - 10 grams
Fiber (high-fiber cereal, veggies, etc) - 30 grams
bone meal (or dicalcium phosphate) - 4 grams
Potassium chloride (salt substitute) - 1 gram

This formula, as is, provides 820 kcal per day with 21% protein (DM), 20% fat (DM), 6.5% fiber (DM)

Here is a generic formula for a 10-pound adult cat:

This gives a diet of about (dry matter basis): 30% protein, 28% fat, 2% fiber with 250 kcal (as fed).