What Human Foods Can Bearded Dragons Eat? | Acuario Pets (2024)

It seems like you have won a jackpot by buying a friendly pet who can eat human foods. Such a pet is a bearded dragon. In a bearded dragon’s diet, you can add human foods along with non-human foods. However, a common question arises in the owners’ minds- what human foods can bearded dragons eat?

A bearded dragon can eat almost all types of human foods. They can consume varieties of vegetables, fruits, meat, which match with the human diet too. The food needs to maintain the calcium to phosphorus ratio that is 1.5-2:1. Besides, human food should be oxalates free if you want to feed them to your beardie.

But, some specific human foods are not allowed to bearded dragons.

You must be excited to know what human foods you can give to your pet beardie. In this article, I have covered all the areas of allowable human foods, toxic human foods, feeding instructions, and so on. So, do not miss this article if you want to know details about this topic.

Before checking out safe human foods for bearded dragons, you should know about the regular diet of bearded dragons. Let’s see what do bearded dragons eat.

What Do Bearded Dragons Eat?

The relieving thing about keeping bearded dragons as pets is they are not picky eaters. So, you do not have to worry much about arranging their diet.

The researchers found out that the wild bearded dragons have 25% portions of meat in their diet. No wonder, the rest of 75% is vegetation and greens. So, you can follow the same routine for your bearded dragons in captivity.

In the list of favorite insects, there are crickets, dubia roaches, butter-worms, earthworms, locusts, black soldier fly larvae, etc. On the other hand, beardies love to eat cabbage, okra, bell pepper, beans, peas, and so on.

From this short description, you might have already understood that bearded dragons are omnivorous.

What Kind Of Vegetables And Greens Can Bearded Dragons Eat?

As mentioned before, vegetables and greens fulfill 75% of the food intake of bearded dragons. So, you can not ignore such a greater portion of the bearded dragon’s diet. Moreover, if you get to know which vegetable intakes are common between beardies and humans, your expenditure will be less.

Besides, vegetables and greens are some great sources of varieties of nutrients. Your bearded dragon will get potassium, fiber, protein, several vitamins, and so on.

Moreover, many bearded dragons die of metabolic bone diseases every year. To prevent such fatal diseases, you can feed vegetables and greens what you eat. Such is because human edible vegetables and greens contain the required nutrients for beardies too.

Not to mention, greens are a good source of calcium. In this way, the bones and immune systems of bearded dragons will remain strong.

Also, baby and juvenile bearded dragons require a good amount of proteins in their daily diet to ensure their proper growth. Vegetation included in human foods contain a perfect balance of nutrients needed for your pet beardie.

However, you need to add variations to the list of vegetation.

Bearded Dragons Food List Of Vegetables And Greens

Can Bearded Dragon Eat Spinach?

This human green food is also edible to bearded dragons. But, the researchers recommend not to feed spinach to a bearded dragon.

Although spinach contains a good level of calcium and phosphorus, the calcium binds with the oxalates. As a result, these bindings prevent the absorption of bearded dragons.

However, one or two leaves of spinach will not do much harm to your beardie. But, it will be safe not to feed this human food to your beardie.

How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Carrots?

In the wild, bearded dragons do not get to eat carrots every day. So, this human food is not a mandatory vegetable in a bearded dragon’s diet. But, carrots are a great source of vitamin A and beta carotene. Hence, you can feed carrots to bearded dragons once or twice a week.

How Much Greens Should You Feed Your Bearded Dragon?

The required amount of greens in the daily diet of bearded dragons depends highly on their age.

If your bearded dragon is a baby, your beardie will need protein for its fast growth. Hence, the largest amount of foods in their diet are insects. You can keep 20-30% greens in the diet of juvenile bearded dragons.

Besides, the appetite for greens gets higher as bearded dragons get older. So, you can increase the quantity of leafy greens for your adult bearded dragon. Once your pet beardie becomes an adult, you can keep 80% of greens to feed in the diet.

Instead of searching for options, you can feed human foods of greens. Those will be delicious items for bearded dragons.

What Kind Of Salad Can You Give Your Bearded Dragon?

Salad is a mixture of green leaves, where, sometimes, fruits can be added too. You might be wondering by thinking that it is only human food. But, salad can be a good dish for your bearded dragon too.

You can choose chicory, Lollo Rosso, endives, kale, romaine lettuce, arugula, Lollo bionda, radicchio, etc.

You can use almost all types of human food components in the salad. But, when it is concerned of bearded dragon’s salad, iceberg lettuce, cabbage lettuce, lamb’s lettuce should be avoided.

Such is because these salads are not a great source of calcium. Besides, they can cause digestive complexities of bearded dragons.

What Fruits Can You Give Your Bearded Dragons?

Among human foods, you can also give fruits to your bearded dragon. But, not all fruits eaten by humans are safe for bearded dragons.

Although bearded dragons love to eat fruits, you need to choose fruits carefully. There are several things that you need to keep in mind while choosing fruits for your beardies. These are- your bearded dragon’s taste, oxalic acid content, calcium to phosphorus ratio, nutrition enrichment, and so on.

There are lots of fruits of human food list which abide by the mentioned requirements. For example- papaya, watermelon, peaches, apricots, guava, grapes, and so on.

However, you should not feed all of these fruits daily as fruits contain huge fluid but poor nutrients. Hence, 5-10% of fruits in the diet of a bearded dragon will be sufficient for your beardies.

Besides, do not forget to peel the fruits and chop them into small sizes. Make sure that your bearded dragons do not get choked by the chopped fruits.

I have made a chart of fruits that are both human foods and bearded dragon’s foods. In this chart, you can repeat the staple fruits often though you should not feed these on the daily basis.

Moreover, sugary fruits are somewhat of a dessert to bearded dragons. So, feeding too many fruits can make your bearded dragons overweight and lethargic. After all, almost all fruits contain natural sugars.

Which Herbs And Spices Can Bearded Dragons Eat?

If humans love to have the unique taste of spices and herbs in their favorite cuisines, bearded dragons should get a chance to taste this human food. These herbs and spices will improve the appetite of your beardies by their refreshing flavors.

Here is a list of herbs and spices which you can add to the diet of your bearded dragons. These spices and herbs are safe for your beardies.

• Basil
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Fennel
• Marjoram
• Cilantro
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Sage
• Chervil
• Lavender
• Lovage
• Dill
• Cress

These herbs and spices contain antioxidants, manganese, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, a little calcium, and so on. You can mix these herbs and spices with salads or vegetables of the bearded dragon’s daily diet.

Can Bearded Dragon Eat Parsley?

A bit of parsley in the diet of bearded dragons will not hurt them. It contains protein, fat, and fibers, which are good for baby bearded dragons. So, your bearded dragon can eat parsley.

But, you must not feed parsley to your bearded dragon regularly. You can give them parsley occasionally.

Also, you should choose fresh ones before buying. Moreover, do not forget to wash before feeding.

What meat can bearded dragons eat?

Generally, bearded dragons get their required protein from insects. But, neither all insects are protein-enriched, nor do all insects contain a sufficient amount of protein. Hence, you can try feeding meats included of human foods to your pet beardie.

In the list of meat included in human food, you can feed lean turkey, minced beef, steak, pork, chicken breast, etc to your bearded dragon.

Although you can feed meat to your bearded dragon, the amount of feeding should be limited. In the wild, bearded dragons tend to do much physical activities than in captivity.

Moreover, meat contains high amounts of fats, which will be dangerous for bearded dragons in captivity. Besides, the amount of phosphorus is higher than that of calcium in these meats.

Hence, you should feed meat on a small amount to your pet beardie occasionally.

Can bearded dragons eat chicken?

Chicken does not hold any nutritional value to bearded dragons, although you might want to let your beardie taste this human food. Rather, it will be risky for their health.

Although bearded dragons can eat chicken, you should not feed them chicken. Neither cooked nor raw chickens are healthy for bearded dragons.

Whereas the best ratio of calcium to phosphorus is 2:1 for your beardies, this ratio is 1:1.6 in cases of chicken. Undoubtedly, it is harmful to your beardie’s health.

Since chicken contains high levels of protein and fats, your bearded dragons will be struggling to digest this human food. Besides, the cooked chicken loses all significant nutrients.

So, in case you want to feed your beardie chicken, you should give a little amount of chicken on an occasional basis.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Fish?

As bearded dragons are omnivorous, you might be thinking of feeding fish to your beardie. But, this human food is entirely unsafe for your bearded dragons.

Bearded dragons can not eat fish in any way. No matter if the fish is cooked, raw, processed, or smoked, fish is harmful to the health of bearded dragons.

Besides, raw fish contain parasites, worms, bacteria, etc. So, although fish are highly nutritious for humans, this human food is unsuitable for bearded dragons. Hence, you should never feed fish.

What Veggies Can Bearded Dragons Eat Daily?

While choosing veggies to add to the daily diet, you should choose nutrient-enriched and colorful vegetables. There is no doubt that you can choose vegetables from human foods to feed your beardie.

You have to make sure that the veggies which you want to feed daily are not deficient in vitamins. Also, those vegetables should not be fiber-riched because such veggies contain poor nutrients. Another tip to choose daily giving vegetables is choosing the dark green or colorful vegetables.

If you notice carefully, you’ll see that several veggies maintain the mentioned conditions. Such as red or green cabbage, okra, green beans, bok choy, mustard green, alfalfa hay, bell peppers, escaroles, sprouts, and so on.

What Human Foods Can Beardies Eat?

Bearded dragon owners often ask- can my beardie eat this or that! I’ve already shed light on the vegetables, greens, fruits, and meat included in human foods, which are safe for your beardies. Nevertheless, you might have other confusions regarding this.

Hence, I’m explaining about some human foods which your beardies can eat and which can not.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Banana?

You can certainly feed a banana to your bearded dragon. But, you should feed bananas occasionally in small doses.

You might not know that the phosphorus to calcium ratio in a banana is 3:1. It is pretty harmful to your beardie’s health. Also, banana is much sugary.

Hence, feeding bananas to your beardie once or twice a month will be sufficient. Do not forget to remove the peels of the bananas.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cooked Carrots?

Carrots are a great source of vitamin A. So, your bearded dragon can eat both cooked and raw carrots. Besides, carrots of all colors contain the almost same level of nutrients. So, you can feed cooked carrots to your beardies once or twice a month.

If you think of feeding cooked carrots, you can slice the carrots into small pieces. After all, the carrots will get softer after getting cooked. Otherwise, you can add this human food with their salads.

Do Beardies Like Tomatoes?

Tomatoes are delicious vegetables for beardies. Also, you can add some pieces of tomatoes to your beardie’s salad. Having low oxalates and lots of folates make tomatoes safe for your bearded dragon.

Not to mention this human food also contains several vitamins including, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and so on. However, the concerning factor about tomatoes is the presence of oxalates in high amounts. Besides, the calcium to phosphorus ratio is not too good.

Hence, feeding tomatoes often can lead to several health complexities for your adorable pet. So, you should serve tomatoes only once a month to your pet beardie.

Can Beardies Eat Black Olives?

There is a high level of fats and salts in black olives that is unsuitable for bearded dragons. The ratio of calcium to phosphorus is not perfect for bearded dragons. So, you should not feed black olive to your beardies for their safety.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cooked Meat?

Since bearded dragons do not get cooked meat in the wild, they do not need the protein of cooked meat in captivity. Moreover, cooked meat loses a great portion of nutrients while being boiled or cooked. Although cooked meat seems tasty to you, this human food is not worth feeding to your beardie.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cooked Broccoli?

Broccoli is healthy for not only humans but also bearded dragons. From this human food, your bearded dragon will get numerous health benefits. Such as a strong immune system, improved vision, reproduction, fast growth, etc.

You can feed cooked broccoli to your bearded dragon. But, you should not feed broccoli regularly. One small floret of cooked broccoli once a month will be sufficient for your beardie.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Scrambled Eggs?

The short answer to this question is yes! You can feed both scrambled and boiled eggs to your bearded dragons. This human food will be a good protein source for your beardie. But, you should not use any butter or oil in this.

Moreover, you can feed eggs once or twice a week. But, you have to make sure not to feed over half an egg at a time.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Strawberries?

Strawberries are a juicy treat to bearded dragons. This human food is full of nutritional benefits to bearded dragons too.

Another advantage is there are no limitations for feeding strawberries to beardies. That means you can let your bearded dragon eat strawberries as much as he can in one go.

Besides, strawberries contain a high level of calcium, potassium, manganese, vitamin C, and dietary fiber. Moreover, bearded dragons can eat not only strawberries but also strawberry leaves.

Can Bearded Dragon Eat Pizza?

When you are enjoying your slice of pizza, you might want to see the reaction of your beardie by giving a small portion of pizza. But, you are going to make a terrible mistake. Your bearded dragons can not eat this human food as they can not digest pizza properly.

Can Beardies Eat Cauliflower?

Cauliflower is a safe food for bearded dragons, but you have to feed cauliflower within a limited amount. 6-13 grams of cauliflower in a month will be sufficient for your beardie. Besides, you should not make this human food a staple food of your bearded dragon.

The only risk factor of cauliflower is the presence of goitrogen that is toxic to beardies. So, feeding cauliflower in a higher amount can affect the liver, kidney, thyroid glands of your bearded dragons.

Can Bearded Dragons Have Peanut Butter?

You might have been impressed seeing the amount of calcium and protein that your beardie can get from peanut butter. But, this human food contains high fat, sugar, and salt. Besides, peanut butter can cause an allergic reaction to your beardie. Hence, your bearded dragon can not have peanut butter.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Honey?

Bearded dragons can eat honey as it is not unsafe for them. But, this human food is not healthy for bearded dragons either. Such is because honey contains a high level of sugar.

Instead of directly feeding honey, you can mix it with warm water and soften it for your beardie. Moreover, many bearded dragons do not like the taste of honey. So, you should notice whether your bearded dragon is enjoying the taste of honey or not.

What Foods Can Bearded Dragons Not Eat?

There are several foods which may be good for human beings. But, those foods can be unsafe for bearded dragons. Before going into the list of unsafe foods for beardies, let me point out some significant factors.

These will help you understand what types of foods that bearded dragons can not eat.

• The foods should maintain the calcium to phosphorus ratio for bearded dragons. If the foods contain a larger amount of phosphorus than calcium, your bearded dragon can not eat those foods. The ideal ratios of calcium to phosphorus for beardies are given below.

• The foods that you want to feed your beardies should not contain oxalic acid or oxalates. Even if those foods contain a good level of calcium, the calcium will bind up with oxalates. Thus, this will be indigestible for bearded dragons.
• Besides, foods containing fruit acid or citric acid are unsafe for bearded dragons.
• Lastly, you should avoid feeding dairy products to your bearded dragons. You must keep in mind that your beardies are lactose intolerant.

However, as a beginner, you might still have some questions about what foods bearded dragons can not eat. I’ve picked up some common names of foods. Let’s check them out.

Mushrooms

Do not keep mushrooms in the diet chart of your bearded dragon. As mushrooms contain a high amount of phosphorus and acidic content, mushrooms are highly risky for your beardies.

Iceberg lettuce

Although iceberg lettuce is safe for bearded dragons, too much feeding can cause vitamin deficiencies. Besides, they contain a good level of water which may lead to diarrhea of bearded dragons. Since iceberg lettuce holds poor nutritional value, it will be better to cut them off from the food list of beardies.

Garlic

Garlic is not too good for the digestive system of bearded dragons. Instead of taking risks, you should not feed garlic to bearded dragons for their good health.

Onions

Onions might add extra taste to human food, but you should keep this away from your beardies. Because of containing acidic contents and other risky components, onions are not safe for bearded dragons.

Leeks And Chives

These are also as same as onions and garlic. If your beardie eats leeks and chives much, this may cause organ failure too.

Avocados: Can A Bearded Dragon Eat Avocado?

You can red-mark on avocados for your bearded dragons. This human food contains a high level of oxalic acid. Feeding avocados can lead to the death of your bearded dragon.

Eggplant

Eggplants contain a high level of acidic contents, which is toxic for bearded dragons. Both cooked and raw eggplants are unsafe for your beardies. Hence, bearded dragons can not eat eggplants or aubergines.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb can be fatal to bearded dragons. The presence of oxalic acid in rhubarb is highly toxic to beardies. So, even if you feed rhubarb accidentally, you should feed water to your bearded dragon immediately. Do not forget to take help from an experienced vet.

Dairy Products

Dairy products include milk, yogurt, ice cream, etc, which are completely unsafe for bearded dragons.

Can Bearded Dragons Drink Milk?

You should not feed milk to your bearded dragon in any circ*mstances. Although milk contains a great level of calcium and other nutrients, the digestive system of bearded dragons can not process the milk.

Hence, bearded dragons can not drink milk or other dairy products. As bearded dragon fails to digest milk, drinking milk can even lead to the death of your beardie.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cheese?

The answer is a no. Your bearded dragons can not digest dairy products. Such is because their digestive system is not capable of producing the required enzymes, to break down the lactose in cheese. Besides, cheese does not hold any nutritional value to bearded dragons at all. Hence, you must cut off cheese from the diet list of bearded dragons.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Yogurt?

Although bearded dragons are omnivorous, they are lactose intolerant. For this reason, you can not feed any dairy products like milk, ice cream, yogurt to your beardie.

No matter how much nutrients are present in yogurt, it’ll lead to several health complexities. So, bearded dragons can not eat yogurt under any circ*mstances.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Wheat Products?

Bearded dragons can not digest starchy foods or wheat products. Their digestive system can not process such complex grain foods. Although a little amount of wheat products does not do great harm, feeding these complex grains for a long period can cause several health complexities. So, you should not enlist such human food in a bearded dragon’s diet.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Rice?

The answer to this question is a big no. Bearded dragons can not digest any kind of grains. So, they can not eat rice whether it is cooked or raw. Although bearded dragons are omnivorous, they can not handle this human food the way humans do.

Can Beardies Eat Bread?

Beardies can not eat bread. The body of a beardie can not adjust this human food of complex grain. They can not digest bread, and so this leads to blockages in the intestine. As a result, your bearded dragon can suffer from constipation, impaction, etc.

Moreover, this human food holds no nutritional value to the body of a bearded dragon. If your bearded dragon eats a small slice of bread accidentally, there may not be anything to worry about. But, if the slice is too big, you should take help from a vet.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Citrus Fruits?

Several citrus foods are too toxic for bearded dragons. For example- orange, lime, lemon, etc. These fruits contain a pretty high level of citric acid. As a result, eating citrus fruits can cause upset tummy and diarrhea of your bearded dragons.

Can Bearded Dragon Eat Oranges?

You should never feed oranges to your pet bearded dragon. This human food contains a high level of oxalic acid, sugar, water, and citric acid. As a result, this may lead to diarrhea, vomiting, and serious health issues with your beardie.

Moreover, some owners think of feeding orange peels to their bearded dragons as the peels contain a good amount of calcium. But, the presence of oxalic acid and orange oil is unsafe for your bearded dragon’s health. Also, there can be parasites in the orange peels.

Final Words

I hope this article has given you a clear idea about which human foods are safe for your bearded dragons. This detailed guide will help you fix the diet chart of your beardie and ensure their sound health.