| Five Ideas For A Healthy Diet For Your Parrot |
| It has been suggested that giving parrots too many different choices in their fresh food bowl may lead to them picking and choosing to the point that they don�t get balanced nutrition (just like little kids, they may eat the fruit and avoid the veggies or greens!). For instance, to avoid this problem, on some days serve nothing but various high vitamin A veggies in their bowl so they have to eat something with vitamin A in it. 1) High quality proteins should be up to 20% of your parrot�s diet. Try nonfat plain yogurt, a little bit of lowfat cheese, tofu, nonfat cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs with the shell, well-cooked chicken or turkey, fish, lean meats, water packed tuna, or a combination of grains/rice/pasta/beans/nuts. Do not use monkey chow or dog/cat food. 2) Veggies with vitamin A should be about 30% of your parrot�s diet. Vitamin A is necessary for healthy skin and feathers, eyesight and helps the body fight infection. Orange veggies and fruit (especially the veggies) are highest in carotene, which is what turns into vitamin A through the digestive process. Veggies can be served raw, or can be lightly microwaved or baked. Don�t overcook or you will destroy the vitamin content. Green vegetables with a good amount of vitamin A are collard or mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, spinach, broccoli, dandelion greens, water cress, beet greens, chicory, chard, parsley, green peppers, alfalfa and hot peppers. Yellow and orange veggies with plenty of vitamin A are sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, butternut squash, hubbard squash, acorn squash, hot peppers, red peppers and pumpkin. Fruits with a pretty good amount of vitamin A are peaches, nectarines, apricots, Japanese persimmons, cantaloupe raw plantain, papaya and sour red cherries. 3) Other veggies and fruits should be around 15 to 20% of your parrot�s diet for variety and your bird�s eating enjoyment. Try corn on the cob, peas in the pod, bean sprouts, cauliflour, Brussels sprouts, leeks, artichokes, zucchini, green beans, okra, asparagus, beets, tomatoes, cooked potatoes, apples, grapes, bananas, guava, berries, pomegranates, tangerines, oranges, figs, blueberries, plums, kiwi, cranberries, pineapple, and even prickly pear. 4) Various whole grains should be around 15 to 20% of your parrot�s diet. Try your parrot on whole grain bread or toast, low sugar and non-sugared cereals, whole grain pastas, whole grain energy bars, brown rice, low fat granola, wheat germ, wild rice, oat bran, amaranth, quinoa, triticale, as well as whole grain unsalted chips, pretzels and crackers. 5) Carbohydrates can be about 10% of your parrot�s diet. These can include fruit, grain, bread, pasta, corn, beans, cooked potatoes, peas, dairy items, nuts and seeds. The dairy, nuts and seeds will provide a little fat, which is needed in the diet. These ideas should give you a good start in learning how to provide a balanced diet for your parrot. Try something different a couple times per week and see what your parrot likes. You can put fresh foods in a special food bowl or clip food items to the cage bars or place pieces of food into a toy so the parrot can work at getting it out. Be creative and observe your parrot�s reactions to see what stimulates its interest. Also, remember not to give up after trying an item just one time. Be persistent and keep offering a good variety of foods to your parrot and in time you�ll see even the pickiest of parrots sampling some new things! |