Best Greens For Bearded Dragons | Nutritious Veggies Guide 2024

Cactus pads, mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion leaves, endive, and turnip greens, as well as bok choy, cabbage, celery, cilantro, and kale, are among the best and most nutritious greens for bearded dragons. The following article tells you the Best Greens For Bearded Dragons that your reptilian friend can eat every day, which vegetables he shouldn’t eat as often, and how you can provide your bearded dragon with greens.

What Does A Bearded Dragon Eat

In Australia, they inhabit mostly arid lands. Food is scarce in the regions where they live and so they feed on the greens, fruits, insects, or meat they find. Therefore, a bearded dragon can be classified as an omnivore. However, young bearded dragons eat more protein-rich food while they are still young, and older beardies will revert to eating mostly plant-based meals. Reptiles are generally advised to consume a 50% vegetarian diet and a 50% protein-based diet.

Nutritional Values

There are literally dozens of kinds of vegetables. It is possible that some foods are higher in nutrients, while others may simply contain more water. Human health benefits from water-based vegetables. In order to stay healthy, your reptile needs to consume greens that provide a lot of nutrients.

Calcium

Having enough calcium will allow bearded dragons to grow and live longer, particularly the young ones. In the diet of your pet, you should include veggies that are high in calcium.

Calcium To Phosphorus Ratio

Phosphorus inhibits calcium absorption in the body from vegetables containing a lot of phosphorus. Your pet’s bone health can suffer from metabolic bone disease if calcium is not available.

Goitrogen

The thyroid gland is affected by thyroid agents, compounds that interfere with its function. The thyroid gland is prone to issues in bearded dragons. You should take caution when feeding them goitrogenic vegetables.

Oxalates

These leafy green veggies, which contain oxalates, contain many different nutrients in addition to oxalates. Furthermore, oxalates bind to calcium, so too much of them can cause metabolic bone disease and kidney damage.

What Greens Can A Bearded Dragon Eat

We’re presenting two lists: one of some of the best greens that bearded dragons can eat every day, and one of some of the best greens they can eat much less often. Here are some great greens to feed your beardie daily:

Cactus Pads

This is often a major favorite with most bearded dragons. It contains plenty of calcium, fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Consequently, it might be your pet’s favorite. The outer thorny coating must be properly removed and the inner flesh must be chopped up into small pieces before serving it to your pet.

Mustard Greens

Beardies like to munch on the peppery goodness of mustard greens. Also, mustard greens are rich in calcium. The vegetable contains some sodium and potassium. The mustard green leaves contain oxalates and goitrogens. As long as the collard greens are served with it, the risk becomes negligent. Aside from having high vitamin A, C, and K content, mustard greens are also low in fat.

Collard Greens

Having a phosphorus-to-calcium ratio of 14.5:1 means collard greens are a good source of calcium.

Dandelion Leaves

It is quite easy to get a bunch of these common garden weeds and serve them to your pet in a salad with other greens. Calcium and vitamin A are found in them, so your pet will be able to roam. Check that your pet’s food does not contain pesticides. Make sure they are thoroughly cleaned before feeding. You can combine them with other greens in a salad for maximum nutritional benefit.

Endive Or Escarole

Calcium is quite abundant in these, but moderate oxalates are also present. To make life easier for your bearded dragon, serve endive with a small number of collard greens.

Turnip Greens

Despite being known for their spicy flavor, most beardies seem to enjoy them. Turnip greens contain 4.5 times as much calcium as phosphorus, so give your reptilian baby some next time you prepare its salad. The collard greens can be seasoned heavily, but the turnip greens need to be handled lightly.

The good news is, that there are some vegetables that are safe for bearded dragons that contain a lot of nutrients. Although these products can be very useful, you should limit your use of them due to their high oxalates, goitrogens, or phosphorus content.

Greens To Serve Your Bearded Dragon In Moderation

Bok Choy

High in axerophthol and vitamin C, bok choy makes a tasteful treat for your pet. However because it is additionally high in goitrogens, you’ll be able to solely supply it each different week around to your beardie.

Basil

The healing powers of basil are well-known around the globe, so don’t deprive your craniate of the additional goodness of basil leaves. Solely serve basil as a weekly snack, as it will contain quite a little bit of oxalate.

Cabbage

This common vegetable is full of potassium, calcium, iron, fiber, and ascorbic acid, the cabbage may be a crisp snack that your pet will appreciate eating. Exert caution, because it is goitrogenic.

Celery Cabbage

Another munchy, crunchy treat which will bring flavor and selection to your bearded dragon’s meals. It’s rich in calcium, axerophthol, vitamin C, and fiber.

Celery Leaves

Give a good supply of hydration, antioxidants, and vitamin C in a dish for your pet. But, confirm to cut up the leaves and stems into little items to avoid choking hazards.

Cilantro

Implausibly laden with nutrients, the cilantro makes any dish style divine. Your pet can love it, and it’ll get a lift of atomic number 20, potassium, antioxidants, manganese, and vitamins A, K, and C.

Grape Leaves

A superb addition to any snack time, grape leaves do wonders for your reptilian baby with their protein-rich crunchiness. And these leaves are pretty high in calcium and axerophthol too.

Kale

This superfood is comparatively goitrogenic, however, it’s thus jam-packed with Nature’s miracles that it’d be against the law to deprive your beardie of this fantastic ivied green. So, if you wish your pet to induce a punch of potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, antioxidants, and vitamins A, K, and C, then kale is the perfect green to feed your bearded dragon. Also, check out Can Bearded Dragons Eat Kale for more details.

Kohlrabi

Attempt a touch of kohlrabi as a treat for your beardie, particularly if you want it to get a bite jam-packed with potassium, folate, calcium, fiber, and protein.

Lemongrass

Nothing beats the refreshing fully sour style of lemongrass. It adds a good crunch to any salad. With its medicinal drug and antimicrobial properties, lemongrass is a very healthy selection for associate degree occasional snacks.

Pea Sprouts

Pea sprouts contain a good amount of nutrients. You wish to use caution to not go overboard with pea sprouts, as they need an excessive amount of phosphorus.

Watercress

Loaded with atomic number 20, manganese, and vitamins A, C, and K, watercress brings a crunch to any salad.

Rosemary

This herb may be an excellent addition to your beardie’s meals because it is jam-packed with calcium and fiber.

But you might also find a bearded dragon that isn’t notably keen on any greens, or healthy food. Don’t worry, as your pet will simply adapt when you are adamant about feeding it healthy greens.

What If They Don’t Want To Eat Vegetables

If your Beardie has a naturally healthy appetite and is willing to put down their greens, then you are not alone. In fact, most bearded dragons will eat just about anything you put in front of them. If your bearded dragon doesn’t want to eat your vegetables, it could be an indication of an underlying health problem.

Bearded dragons have their origin in Australia, a country where vegetables are not common, which means that whatever vegetables you’re trying to feed your bearded dragon will be something new to him. Many bearded dragons like to snack on vegetables right away because they like the taste. However, if your bearded dragon doesn’t eat vegetables right away, don’t despair. Take the time to develop your beardie’s taste for vegetables. So here are the steps you can take to get your reptile friend some veggies.

Make It An Appropriate Diet

If your pet hoards bugs and eats other snacks like fruit, they will be too full to eat their vegetables. Therefore, make sure your reptile has a balanced diet. Vegetables should come before insects and fruits, especially if you have an adult bearded dragon.

Fool Them

Some kids don’t like their veggies, so parents are forced to cram veggies into the meal in ways that kids can’t tell the difference between tasty and healthy. Therefore, as a pet parent, you may need to resort to some tricks. Offer your bearded dragon vegetables mixed with meat, dried insects, and fruits.

Trial And Error

There’s a good chance your bearded dragon doesn’t like certain vegetables. Therefore, you can offer your reptile different types of healthy vegetables in small amounts to understand which vegetables your pet likes and which ones he doesn’t like much. Cactus pads and kale seem to be universal favorites, so it would be wise to start with those.

Frequent Feeding

Young bearded dragons should be fed at least twice a day. Give your bearded dragon greens at every meal, your pet will enjoy them. But make sure you only offer fresh vegetables. The fresher the produce, the more likely your bearded dragon will be attracted to it.

How To Serve Vegetables To Your Bearded Dragon

He has a beautiful but delicate creature to take care of. So, when it comes to food, you need to be very careful about how you present those foods to your bearded dragon.

Stay Natural

Leafy green vegetables are healthy for your bearded dragons as long as they are free of toxins. Even the smallest traces of pesticides or chemicals can significantly damage the constitution of your bearded dragon. Opt only for organic vegetable choices and stay away from GMO products.

Keep It Clean

You should always make sure to wash everything thoroughly before serving it to your pet. It is best to rinse the vegetables you plan to give your pet at least twice to remove any impurities or toxins that may remain on the vegetable’s skin.

Keep It Small

Bearded dragons can have great personalities, but they are small animals. You must be extremely vigilant when grooming your pet.

Conclusion

Everything from your bearded dragon’s diet and habitat to cleaning and scheduled maintenance should be close to perfect. It may seem like a big responsibility but thousands of pet parents claim that loving their bearded dragon has become second nature. Discover your love for these animals, especially reptiles. Always remember that your bearded dragon is counting on you for its long, healthy, and happy life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What vegetables do bearded dragons like best?

Bearded dragons like to eat kale, arugula, mustard greens, collards and endive, squash of all kinds, bell peppers, and carrots.

Can bearded dragons eat radish leaves?

Yes, bearded dragons can eat green radishes. But it is better to add other healthy vegetables as well.

Can bearded dragons eat broccoli?

Yes, bearded dragons can eat broccoli as an occasional treat. This is to protect barbets from choking and other digestive problems.