Can bearded dragons eat peas? I received this question from my readers over and over again, especially from new reptile owners. I believe this is because, as you might already know, not all veggies are safe and healthy for beardies.
If you are new to caring bearded dragons, you want to make sure that all the foods you are offering are safe.
So, can bearded dragons eat peas at all?
Yes, bearded dragons can eat peas but only in moderation and on an occasional basis. I don’t offer peas to my bearded dragons more than a treat.
Bearded dragons seem to love peas especially fresh snap peas. As long as you feed occasionally, beardies can eat a variety of peas.
But why do peas cannot be fed to bearded dragons regularly? The table below summarizes the nutritional value of peas.
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Table of Contents
The Nutritional Facts of Peas
Look at the table below and you’ll see why peas are not good as a staple food for bearded dragons.
Per 100g serving
| Name | Amount | Unit |
| Protein | 4.71 | g |
| Carbohydrate | 14.12 | g |
| Sugar | 4.71 | g |
| Vitamin A | 38 | mg |
| Vitamin K | 24.8 | mg |
| Calcium | 25 | mg |
| Phosphorus | 108 | mg |
| Potassium | 244 | mg |
Source: USDA Nutrient Database
As you can see in the table, peas are good sources of calcium, Vitamin A, and K. These nutrients are essential for bearded dragons for their health. The calcium for instance is very important for bone development.
However, the ratio for calcium to phosphorus is out of proportion. The ideal ratio is 2:1. As you can see in the table, peas are rich in phosphorus than in calcium. So the ratio is disproportionate.
Foods like this are not as good as a staple food for bearded dragons. This is one of the reasons why peas can only be fed to beardies as a treat on an occasional basis.
There are many greens and fruits like peas that have a disproportionate ratio for calcium to phosphorus. Although they are not totally fatal to beardies, feeding beardies with those foods regularly could potentially cause health problems in them.
Aside from disproportionate calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, also avoid fruits and vegetables with oxalic acid. This substance will bind with calcium and therefore prevents the body to absorb calcium. This may result in calcium deficiency.
The worse health condition caused by calcium deficiency is a metabolic bone disease. This is a serious condition for bearded dragons wherein their bones become brittle and weak.
Bearded dragons with metabolic bone disease may lose appetite, have walking difficulties, and other behavioral problems.
As a bearded dragon owner, make sure to provide your reptiles with safe and healthy foods. If you are new to this, I recommend that you do some research online. Or, ask someone who has experience in caring for a bearded dragon.
As I mentioned in this site several times, I made a mistake before that killed my first bearded dragon. It was really an unfortunate experience for me. The lesson I learned is that never feed your beardies with food that you are not sure.
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Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mushy Peas?
Mushy peas are processed ones. Normally they are made from dried marrowfat peas. Throughout the process, marrowfat peas were soaked in water with soda.
After they are rinsed, the peas were simmered with salt and sugar. The result is a green and thick lumpy mash.
So, can bearded dragons eat mushy peas at all? Is it safe for them?
Well, as we all know, processed foods are not good for beardies. Bearded dragons’ diet in captivity should resemble their diet in the wild.
That said, everything they eat should be fresh. In this case, although no preservative added to the mushy peas, the process alone loses minerals and vitamins essential for beardies’ health.
Therefore, I don’t recommend feeding bearded dragons with mushy peas. I would rather choose other safe and healthy available foods for them.
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Can Bearded Dragons Eat Sweet Peas?
I don’t recommend feeding bearded dragons with sweet peas. This type of peace is harmful to beardies.
Instead of putting the health of your bearded dragons at stake, I would rather recommend to avoid it.
My painful experience before taught me a great lesson. Never feed beardies with food which I am not sure whether they are safe.
There are a variety of veggies and fruits you can offer to your beardies. Just avoid watery fruits and vegetables because they can cause diarrhea.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Snow Peas?
Bearded dragons can eat snow peas in moderation. But make sure it is not more than a treat.
Snow peas contain calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 1:2 and Vitamin A. as you can see, the ratio is not ideal. The best foods for bearded dragons are those that have a 2:1 ratio for calcium to phosphorus.
If you offer snow peas, I recommend that you mix it with other greens. This is to balance the nutrients and avoid the beardies from eating too much snow peas.
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Can Bearded Dragons Eat Frozen Peas?
There are times when finding fresh foods for your reptile is difficult. This usually happens during winter. As a result, one might end up offering frozen food to his/her beardies.
But, can bearded dragons eat frozen peas?
Well, I don’t recommend feeding your bearded dragons with frozen peas. This is because frozen greens and vegetables lose their nutrients throughout the process.
One of the vitamins that will be lost is Vitamin B1 which contains thiamine. Thiamine is very important for beardies to develop a stronger body. Without this constituent for a long period of time, beardies will develop a health problem commonly known as hypothiaminosis.
This condition is similar to metabolic bone disease (MBD). But they are two different conditions.
In the event that feeding frozen peas are inevitable, make sure to mix it with fresh greens. This is to make sure that your bearded dragons don’t solely eat frozen peas.
What is the Best Way to Serve Peas to Bearded Dragons?
If you really want to feed peas to your bearded dragons, I recommend to always stay with fresh peas. Do not feed your beardies with processed foods such as canned, cooked, or frozen.
It is very important to feed beardies with foods that resemble their natural diet in the wild. Beardies’ digestive systems are not accustomed to processed foods. So always stay with the fresh.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Canned Peas?
This is another question that I get from my readers. But the answer to this is obvious. As mentioned earlier in this post, I don’t recommend feeding beardies with processed foods.
Canned peas not only lost the essential minerals but also contain preservatives. This makes processed foods harmful to bearded dragons. The preservatives can potentially cause health problems.
Because peas are not totally good for bearded dragons as a staple food, I rather completely avoid feeding my reptile with canned peas.
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Final Thoughts on Can Bearded Dragons Eat Peas
Peas are healthy for us but NOT for bearded dragons. But this does not mean that beardies should not eat peas at all.
Bearded dragons can eat peas on an occasional basis. But it should not be more than a treat. Peas don’t have the right calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.
Also, avoid processed peas such as frozen and canned. Processed foods are harmful to bearded dragons. Even in captivity, beardies should eat fresh foods that resemble their natural diet in the wild.
I hope this helps.
Thank you for reading.
