Can bearded dragons eat baby food? Is human food healthy for them? These are some of the most common questions I get from new bearded dragon owners.
The truth is, most foods that are healthy for us are not good for bearded dragons. In fact, some fruits and vegetables are toxic to them.
So, can bearded dragons eat baby food at all?
Yes, bearded dragons can eat baby food on an occasional basis. But you should not do it unless you have a very good reason. When the beardie is sick and does not eat fresh food, that’s the only time you can give a small amount of baby food.
Always remember that all processed or cooked foods are not healthy for bearded dragons. Cooked foods, including baby foods, have lost most of their essential nutrients. As a result, beardies may not benefit from what they eat.
Further, bearded dragons’ digestive systems are not accustomed to processed foods. This is the reason why, in captivity, bearded dragons’ foods should resemble their original diet in the wild.
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How to Prepare Baby Food For Bearded Dragons?
Although I don’t recommend baby food for beardies, this does not mean that beardies cannot eat it at all. In fact, there are many bearded dragon owners who feed their beardies with baby food on a regular basis.
But I don’t suggest you do the same unless you have a good reason. In most cases, beardie owners feed baby food when the reptile is sick. Or, if the beardies get too picky.
Just a quick note here. If your bearded dragon is sick, I recommend seeking advice from or bring the beardie to a vet. Do not experiment because it could only worsen the problem.
If you really want to give it a try (under normal condition), make sure that you give it as a treat. Remember that baby food is a processed one. You don’t know how your beardies’ digestive system to react to it. So be careful.
But how will you prepare baby food for your beardies? You can offer it using a dropper. This is the easiest way to control how much your beardy should eat.
You can give pure baby food but you can also try blending vegetables and fruit smoothie together with some water. But you need to be very careful in this case.
Bearded dragons may like watery foods but their digestive systems don’t. So if you offer too much of this food, beardies may only suffer from diarrhea and other digestive issues.
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What Foods Can Be Offered to Bearded Dragons?
Although baby food is not totally toxic to bearded dragons, it is not healthy as a staple food. If you want to keep your beardies safe from digestive issues. Just stay away from cooked or processed foods. Feed them with raw and natural foods instead.
Fortunately, there are many natural and healthy foods you can offer to your beardies. These foods are raw and resemble their diet in the wild.
Below is the list of food you can feed to your bearded dragons.
Foods that Can Be Fed Regularly
There are a variety of foods that bearded dragons can eat on a regular basis. These foods are safe and healthy for them. The list below contains some of the safe foods you can choose from:
- Acorn Squash
- Butternut Squash
- Cactus Pad/Leaf
- Collard Greens
- Dandelion Greens
- Endive
- Escarole
- Figs
- Hubbard Squash
- Mustard Greens
- Mango
- Papaya
- Parsnips
- Raspberries
- Scallop Squash
- Silkworm
- Spaghetti Squash
- Summer Squash
- Sweet potato
- Turnip Greens
- Turnips
Foods that Can Be Fed Occasionally
As mentioned, not all foods are safe for beardies. There is some variety that is not good as staple foods but can be fed to beardies occasionally.
Here are some of the examples:
- Arugula
- Apples
- Apricots
- Basil
- Beans, garbanzo
- Beans, kidney
- Beans, lima
- Beans, pinto
- Bell Peppers, red & green
- Bell Peppers, yellow
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Bok Choy
- Cantaloupe
- Celery
- Cherries
- Cilantro
- Cranberries
- Dandelions
- Dahlias
- Grapefruit
- Grapes
- Guava
- Hibiscus
- Honeydew
- Kale
- Kiwi
- Nectarines
- Nasturtiums
- Okra
- Orange, naval
- Orange, mandarin
- Peaches
- Pear
- Peppermint leaves
- Pineapple
- Potato
- Pumpkin, raw
- Plums
- Radish
- Rose petals
- Strawberries
- Silkworms
- Spearmint
- Superworms
- Watercress
- Watermelon
- Waxworms
- Wheat grass
- Yams, raw
- Zucchini, raw
Foods that Can Be Fed Rarely
There are foods that can only be fed rarely. Feeding too much of these foods may cause potential problems in bearded dragons.
Below are the examples of foods that can only be offered rarely:
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Green peas raw
- Tomatoes
- Star fruit
- Bananas
- Soybeans
Foods that SHOULD NEVER Feed to Bearded Dragons
There are foods that you SHOULD NOT offer to your bearded dragons. Eating even a small amount will detriment the health of your beardies.
Here are the examples of foods that you should never feed to your beardie:
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Avocado
- Eggplant
- Mushrooms
- Rhubarb
- Chicken
- Ground beef
- Pork chops
As you can see, not all foods are safe and healthy for bearded dragons. While many foods can be fed on a regular basis, many should be in rare cases. There are also a few that should never be fed to beardies at all.
For years of caring for bearded dragons, I found out that beardies are pretty prone to many potential health problems when given unhealthy foods.
Fruits, for instance, should be minimized. This is because most fruits are too watery for beardies. If consumed in large amounts, they can suffer from diarrhea.
Also, avoid feeding beardies with hard vegetables or greens. Bearded dragons can suffer from choking and impaction.
If you offer greens that are rich in fiber, make sure that you chop them finely. This will help your beardies eat the salad easily without having digestive issues.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Chicken?
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Baby Food? (Vet’s Suggestion)
Baby food is not totally harmful to beardies. In fact, some vets recommend it for feeding bearded dragons. Some vets recommend it for picky beardies.
I think the key here is moderation. Just give the right amount and not make it as a staple food. It is also important to mix baby food with veggies and fruit smoothies.
This is a good way to make sure that your beardie will somehow still get the essential nutrients they need.
As soon as your picky bearded dragons learn to eat other foods, give them live bugs or worms. Fruits and vegetables are just part of the beardies’ diet. But another important component of it is live animals.
Insects consumption depends on the age of the bearded dragons. Young beardies tend to eat more insects than greens. In fact, their diet normally composed of 80% insects and only 20% greens.
Young bearded dragons need more insects for their protein needs. They need more live insects for their speedy growth.
The adults, on the other hand, tend to eat fewer insects and more greens such as fruits and vegetables. Their diet usually composed of 80% greens and only 20% of live insects.
Final Thoughts on Can Bearded Dragons Eat Baby Food
Baby food is not totally toxic to bearded dragons. As long as you offer it in moderation, your beardies should be fine.
However, I don’t personally feed it to my beardies unless they need to. This is good for picky and sick bearded dragons.
If you go on this route, I recommend that you mix baby food with greens and fruit smoothies. This way, beardies will still get the essential nutrients they need.
Lastly, I recommend that you seek advice from a vet to make everything safe for your pet. Feeding bearded dragons with baby food may be only possible under normal conditions.
I hope this helps. Thank you for reading.
