Can Bearded Dragons Eat Green Beans? | Feeding Recommendations 2024

If you are a first-time bearded dragon owner, you may be told that taking care of their nutritional needs is necessary. Vegetables are good for these reptilians, but can bearded dragons eat green beans? Most pet owners like to look for vegetables and fruits that they can feed their dragons from their pantry. If it is a green vegetable, there is a chance that bearded dragons might eat it. However, some green vegetables are totally off-limits! Get to know what is important for your dragon and plan their diet in a way that they become healthy and live well.

Green Beans For Your Pet Dragon

Bearded dragons can eat beans. Green beans in long pods give a good amount of fiber and have high nutritional value. These long, thin strands of fibrous pods are filled with beans that are a good source of minerals and vitamins. Moreover, the pods are also quite nutritious. Turgid green beans are an excellent source of fiber, protein, and water.

Green beans can be steamed or cooked and your bearded dragon will like them in any way. However, we always tell pet owners that they need to feed their dragons raw vegetables to allow good digestion of all the nutrients. Many nutritious elements in vegetables can get destroyed if you cook them and therefore, they become of less value to your pets.

Apart from the vitamins and minerals, green beans are rich in antioxidants and will always provide more fiber than other vegetables that may be rich in vitamins but have less fiber. One might think fiber is secondary but for bearded dragons, fiber is vital because they have a slow metabolism that requires bulky foods so that their bowel movements are more active. Also, check Can Bearded Dragons Eat Onions.

Here is a list of all the nutrients in beans:

• Folic acid
• Fiber
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Vitamins A, C, and K
• Phosphorus

The Calcium: Phosphorus Ratio In Green Beans

Green beans are a good vegetable for dragons because it does not have an extreme phosphorus content. However, green beans do have phosphorus and that means that they cannot be given in excess, or as a daily item on their plate. The calcium to phosphorus ratio in green beans is 1:1. This makes the latter a little unfavorable for your dragon pet. However, there are ways of eliminating the risk.

Phosphorus is a beneficial component for humans, but it reduces the ability to absorb calcium in dragons. When you feed phosphorus-rich foods to bearded dragons it can deplete calcium in their bodies, which can result in metabolic bone disease. This disease means soft limbs and a weak skeleton, which can result in paralysis or even death! Green beans contain Vitamin B, protein, calcium, and even phosphorus. Carotene is also an integral part of green beans.

How To Feed Green Beans To Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons can only eat small pieces of vegetables or fruits. You must chop green beans into small portions so that they can swallow them easily. Some pet owners think it is fine to feed a whole long bean pod to their dragon. You might have seen them chew away at a pod but that does not mean it is suitable for them.

If dragons eat vegetables in large chunks it can cause impaction. Impaction is the blockage in the intestine due to any semi-solid. This impaction can cause severe constipation and can lead to immobility of the hind legs. Make sure that you cut up the vegetables small enough to be comparable to the size of the bearded dragon’s eyes

How Often To Feed Green Beans To The Dragon

Bearded dragons love to eat beans and they like the crunchy bite of them. Moreover, this vegetable has all the right nutrients however, you should make sure that you do not feed it every single day. The phosphorus content can be a problem. However, you may feed green beans to your pet dragon along with calcium-rich vegetables so that they can enjoy their meal and also avoid the risk of phosphorus consumption. Have a look at Can Bearded Dragons Eat Radishes which can benefit your pet.

If you give your pet a mix of various vegetables and fruits, mixing a small number of beans will only add more color and bulk to the food salad! However, make sure that all the other vegetables on their plate have no phosphorus, but lots of calcium.

The Various Forms Of Green Beans

You can buy green beans in canned, frozen, fresh, and even cooked forms. However, all these forms are not beneficial for your pet. The best form of vegetable is fresh, and we have mentioned why it is the best way to give vegetables to your pet. The vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals are most favorable in raw form and you will see your dragon enjoy raw vegetables more than any other form. Yes, canned and frozen vegetables might be convenient for pet owners, but they are not healthy over a long period.

Conclusion

Bearded dragons love to eat green beans and it gives them a lot of essential nutrients. However, you must ensure that you feed various calcium-rich vegetables with this one so that the risk of phosphorus intake can be eliminated. Moreover, also read Is Arugula Good For Bearded Dragons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I give my dragon pet only beans to eat?

Try to always add more diversity to the meals for your pet dragon as they enjoy the diversity and like to see various colors on the plate. Moreover, green beans are a healthy vegetable but there can be many other calcium-rich accompaniments.

Will my dragon eat frozen green beans?

The bearded dragons will eat frozen green beans but they are not the most beneficial way of feeding this vegetable. You must give fresh vegetables to your dragon to ensure that they consume the nutrients in the best form.