Staple Insects (or foods in general) for Bearded Dragons
Guess what? Bearded dragons are omnivores. That means that they eat fruits, vegetables, and insects, and can occasionally even enjoy lean meats. Rule of thumb for juvenile beardies is 80% insects and 20% vegetables, and adults will eat about 80% veggies and 20% insects. Now, it can be hard to get your beardies to start eating vegetables, so if your beardie is being stubborn make sure to gut load their live food. Heph is six years old and only started eating veggies often when he was about four years old. He was the MOST frustrating as I tried everything I could think of to get him to eat his greens but he absolutely refused. But that story is for another time.
As with live food, I dust veggies and fruits with calcium or spray with a multi-vitamin spray to make sure they’re getting all the minerals and vitamins. Here is a list of approved staple foods (foods you can feed often) to feed your scaley buddy:
Staple Insects Dubia Roaches Crickets
Raw Staple Veggies
Spaghetti squash Butternut squash Bell Peppers Bok choy Butternut squash Cabbage (red and green) Carrots Chicory Collard greens Endive Mustard greens Parsnips Radicchio Turnip greens Zucchini Dandelion flowers and leaves Basil
Make sure that the veggies and fruits are chopped up or shredded to appropriate sizes for your bearded dragon.
Staple Fruits:
Apples
Mango
Papaya
I do not feed my bearded dragons, or reptiles in general, pellets or jarred food. I do feed canned crickets or canned grasshoppers when I can’t order live feeders due to cold weather, and Repashy Grub Pie is a good sub as well. My dragons LOVE it and I’ll feed it to them occasionally just to mix things up, but mainly save that back for winter. Live feeders are always best.
Never grab “wild” insects from outside to feed to your reptiles. Never grab fruits or veggies from outside to feed your reptiles unless you know for certain that there has been no chemical use (lookin' at you, dandelions) or unless you thoroughly wash them. Anything I grow for my reptiles I thoroughly wash before feeding, and only grow dandelions in pots where I know they won't get sprayed by any chemicals I use.
If keeping your own live insects, make sure to gut load them with approved foods because whatever they eat goes into your bearded dragon.
Click on the links below for much more comprehensive lists of foods beardies can eat frequently, occasionally, or not at all.
Remember, if you need help, just let me know!
Sources:
https://www.lizards101.com/full-bearded-dragon-food-chart-best-staples-and-more/
http://www.thebeardeddragon.org/what-do-bearded-dragons-eat.php
