A Healthy Parrot Diet
Parrots require a balance of various nutritional foods to maintain good health. Formulated feed pellets contain most of what a parrot needs in terms of nutrition, however, parrots can get bored if they don’t have enough variety. The parrot diet should contain fresh and cooked vegetables, cooked or sprouted grains and seeds, fruit, beans, seeds and other legumes, as well as treats like nuts and even peanut butter.
Formulated parrot foods contain a combination of seeds, fruit, vegetables and supplementary minerals and vitamins mixed into a pellet form. Pellets can be considered a base element to a parrot’s diet. To have a sufficiently nutritious and interesting diet other foods should be added to the daily meals.
Vegetables like broccoli and its greens, kale, turnip and beet tops, carrot tops, and green beans, carrots, squash, sweet corn, sweet potato, cauliflower and different colored sweet peppers, should be the major part of a parrot diet. Be willing to experiment with how you prepare vegetables. Whole or chopped, raw, cooked or warm mixes of vegetables will prevent pet parrots from picking out favorite foods or becoming bored with a repetitive meals.
Beans, seeds and legumes should are also an integral part of a parrot’s daily diet. Apart from giving your parrot legumes and seeds cooked, you can also try sprouting them for added nutritional benefits. The only beans which should not be given a raw sprout to parrots are lima, fava and navy beans, which should be cooked through.
It is recommended that parrots be given whole grains, either cooked or sprouted, whole wheat bread or sugar free whole wheat cereals at least 5 times a week. Grains to add to the parrot diet should include whole oats, brown rice, millet, and quinoa. Pastas can also supplement the parrot’s meals as a once a week treat.
Sprouted seeds and grains are not only tempting to fussy parrots, but are also packed full of enzymes, antioxidants and vitamins and minerals. Unhulled grains such as oats, spelt and millet are all suitable for sprouting. Good sprouting seeds include radish, unhulled sunflower, flax, mustard, adzuki beans, alfalfa, lentils, mung as well as kale and cabbage. Sprouted seeds should be used fresh and removed from the parrot’s cage after a few hours to prevent possible bacterial or fungal growths toxic to birds.
Als, fruit should be a big part of a parrot diet. Parrots should eat fruit two or three times a week. Tropical fruits may be a good choice as they are similar to what may be found in your parrot’s natural habitat. Berries, cranberries, mango, pineapple, peaches, banana, oranges, pears and apples, grapes and cherries are all good for parrots. Care should be taken not to have apple or other seeds, as they may be toxic to birds.
Nuts, preferably human grade, can be fed to birds on odd occasion during the week. Although parrots can’t tolerate much dairy, a little natural yogurt every now and then will provide calcium as well as the right intestinal flora to keep birds digesting well. Dry crackers spread with salt free or low salt peanut butter make good special parrot treats once in a while.
The parrot diet needs to be varied and balanced. Packaged pellet foods are a beginning point for a feeding parrots, but other foods should be included. It may take a little more work and some thought to prepare tempting and balanced meals, but the health of your parrot will be the benefit.
