Turnip Greens

Turnip greens are the leafy tops of the turnip plant, a member of the cabbage family. A few dry cat foods add them in small amounts. They contain vitamin K and fiber. We found no FDA or Merck guidance specific to turnip greens in cat food. If your cat has a thyroid or other medical condition, ask your veterinarian about leafy greens in its diet.

Turnip greens are added as a leafy vegetable, often alongside other greens, for fiber and plant compounds. They make the recipe look closer to whole food. The amount is small, and cats have no dietary need for leafy greens, since Cornell's Feline Health Center describes them as obligate carnivores.

Source: vet.cornell.edu

Turnip greens are the leaves of the plant, while turnips are the white and purple root. The leaves are a leafy green with vitamin K, and the root is a starchy vegetable. On a cat food label the two are separate ingredients, and turnip greens means only the leaves.

Vegetables in dry cat food are cooked. Kibble is made by extrusion, which mixes ingredients and cooks them under heat and pressure before drying. Turnip greens and other plants in the dough go through that same process. Some brands add a raw coating, but that coating is usually freeze-dried meat, not greens.

Pettings gives turnip greens 3 out of 5 and lists it as a fruit or vegetable ingredient. It appears on 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. The page groups them with other leafy greens such as kale that contain vitamin K and fiber. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.