Have you seen a bearded dragon that eats vegetables? Well, if not yet, this is the time for you to know that there are also vegetables that can be eaten by a bearded dragon. If you have a bearded dragon as your pet, you need to pay attention to the food they eat every day. In this way, you can be more educated regarding the food that works the best to them and also those that are not recommended for them to consume.
As an omnivore, bearded dragons can eat both meat and fruits or vegetables. There are certain types of these food types that work the best for them. Aside from the fruits and protein from the meat, bearded dragons also need other essential nutrients and vitamins that can be found in vegetables. Several vegetables must be provided to the bearded dragons to keep them healthy and prolong their life.
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Why Vegetables for Bearded Dragons?
Vegetables are known as power food, packed with different nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and other elements that are needed by the body. For a bearded dragon, several vegetables are recommended to support their continuous growth. These vegetables will work well and support their growth across time.
Positive Aspects
- Vegetables are cheap: Bearded dragons eat vegetables, and some of them are cheap. It can be either purchased from the nearest supermarket or organically be grown at your backyard garden. Vegetables for your bearded dragon can also be found at your kitchen or refrigerator, just make sure that it is safe and fresh.
- Vegetables are packed with nutrients: Vegetables are great alternatives to meat or fruits. Aside from its taste, vegetables are packed with nutrients that are good for supporting the growth of your bearded dragon. These nutrients will help prolong the life of your bearded dragon, as well as keeping it safer from any type of disease.
- Vegetables are safe: Feeding your bearded dragons with meat all the time can harm their health. That’s why it is recommended that you give them vegetables too. Vegetables do not contain any chemical or harmful toxins that harm their health. Aside from meat or insects that they commonly eat, these can sometimes be infected with toxins or other viruses that can affect their health. It can also lead to further complications or worse. So, it is recommended that you give your bearded dragons vegetables and also fruits to keep them healthy.
Negative Aspects
- Some vegetables might not be available at your place: If you’re only relying on the supermarket for the vegetables of your bearded dragon, the only thing that can be your problem is the lack of stock. Due to other people consuming vegetables every day, there can be a lack of stock which is a problem. So, better make sure that you keep stock of their favorite vegetables, but when it already rots, throw it away.
Now, let us move forward to the vegetables that are good for the diet of your bearded dragon.
What Vegetables Can Bearded Dragons eat?
Of course you can’t feed your beardie every single vegetable. Some are poisoneous for them and can harm their health. Some of the bearded dragons can be really picky when it comes to vegetables. That’s why it’s good to know which ones they can eat so you can try feeding them different ones.
Staple Greens
Arugula | Bok choy | Cactus pads | Collard greens |
Dandelion greens | Endive | Escarole | Kale |
Mustard greens | Turnip greens | Swiss chard | Watercress |
Staple Vegetables
Acorn squash | Butternut squash | Green beans | Okra |
Parsnips | Snap peas | Sweet potato | Yellow squash |
Feed Occasionally
Artichoke heart | Asparagus | Basil | Beets |
Bell peppers | Broccoli | Cauliflower | Carrot (raw) + greens |
Celery leaves + stalks | Cilantro | Cucumber (peeled) | Clover |
Kohlrabi leaves | Mint leaves | Parsley | Zucchini |
Poisoneous
NEVER feed them the following vegetables/greens. Those are poisoneous for your bearded dragon and may risk it’s health.
Avocados | Lettuce | Onions | Rhubarb |
You have to completely avoid feeding your beardie either avocados or rhubarb. Lettuce also shouldn’t fed to them because it has barely any nutrition value and contains lots of water. If you feed it to them it may cause diarrhea.
You can only feed them small amounts of lettuce when your bearded dragon is suffering from dehydration but peeled cucumbers are a better option for that.
Vegetables good for their diet
To help keep your bearded dragons healthy all the time, certain vegetables are good in supporting their diet. Especially the following ones are recommended:
Spring Greens
This vegetable is good for the diet of your beardie, cheap and easy to find in any supermarket. Cut the leaves into small strips if your bearded dragon is still young and leave it bigger if it’s already an adult. The leaves are more nutritious and delicious than the stem. Furthermore the leaves are easier to eat, while the stem needs to be munched a lot.
But if you still want to give it to your bearded dragon, better chop it into little pieces and let it enjoy this nutritious snack.
Curly Kale
Another recommended vegetable for your bearded dragon’s diet is the curly kale. This vegetable is also cheap and can be purchased at any supermarket or even cropped at your backyard garden. You just need to cut it into small strips that can be swallowed by your bearded dragon. Make sure to keep it clean and remove any bug or dirt that lurks within the leaves of this vegetable.
These are only some of the recommended vegetables for the diet of your bearded dragon. There are still a lot more. Bearded dragons also don’t like to have a boring diet. That’s why you should mix it up and give different vegetables every week. Nearly every vegetable is good for their diet so you can’t do anything wrong. Just make sure that it’s not poisoneous for them.
Best vegetables for them
There are also some recommended vegetables that work the best for your bearded dragons. These vegetables are the classics and nearly every bearded dragon owner fed them the following already. The vegetables that will be mentioned below are guaranteed safe and packed with nutrients that will essentially support the growth of your pet.
Dandelion
The most recommended vegetable as well as the favorite of many bearded dragons is the dandelion. If you want to prepare a salad for your bearded dragon then this vegetable is really good choice. This vegetable is packed with different nutrients that are needed for the growth of your bearded dragon. Beardies really love the taste of dandelion so they won’t miss eating any crickets at all.
Collard Greens
It’s cheap and you find it almost everywhere. Collard greens are good for the health and overall growth of your bearded dragon. Aside from the calcium and the stunning calcium to phosphorus ratio, this vegetable has a good taste and crunchiness that bearded dragons love.
On top of that it’s stacked with other valuable nutritions for your beardie. It’s rich in fiber, Vitamin A, C, E and K. Collard Greens are also considered as great ingredient to the salad of your bearded dragons.
Bell Peppers
Another really good vegetable for your bearded dragon is the bell pepper. This vegetable is rich in nutrients and vitamins that can help in the continuous growth of your bearded dragon. Don’t worry, this vegetable is not spicy and is available in different colors: red, green, orange and yellow.
Bearded dragons get enticed and attracted to colorful food. That is why it is best to serve them bell peppers. Just give them thin slices that they can munch as they wander around their tank. Make sure to keep it safe and clean by washing it well with warm water.
Bearded Dragon Vegetable Tips
There’s probably no food that is more recommended than vegetables for your bearded dragon. It’s not only really healthy for them but also cheap and supporting their diet. Younger bearded dragons should eat less vegetables but adult ones even more. Fruits are also a really good option but most of the time it contains more sugar so you shouldn’t feed them too many fruits.
When you feed vegetables to your bearded dragon then make sure that you cut it in bite-sized pieces so they can grab it with their tongue. Vegetables that are wet or slimy don’t stick to their tongues very well. So you have to help them a little bit and hand-feed them.
When you buy vegetables always make sure it’s clean and fresh. In the worst case parasites on the vegetables can harm your bearded dragon too. So it’s better to spend a bit more money on fresh and organic vegetables to prolonger the life of your beardie.