A process for preparing a glutamine-supplemented food product by contacting water and a nutritive base that pre-dominantly comprises meat and carbohydrate with a peptide source of glutamine to form a wet mixture and heating the wet mixture at a temperature of from about 50.degree. C. to about 105.degree. C. for a time sufficient to cook the nutritive base. The process forms a cooked food composition comprising from about 60% to about 85% by weight water. The product is useful for feeding to an animal to increase glutamine absorption or to strengthen immune function.