A Parrots diet should consist of pellets and seeds along with fresh organic fruit and vegetables. A well loved fruit across the planet is bananas, of course. They are a cheap and tasty way of making sure your Parrot gets high quality vitamins and nutrients that they need in their diet.
As a Parrot owner if you’re like me then you probably wonder a lot about what you can feed your little bird and if it’s safe or not which brings us on to the subject of the article.
Can Parrot eat bananas? Yes Parrots can eat bananas and it’s encouraged that they do as it’s part of their daily fruit intake that they need. Bananas are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, along with various antioxidants your Parrot can benefit from.
In this article I’m going to cover the benefits of bananas, if they can eat the peel and much more so read on!
Banana Benefits For Parrots
We know bananas are good for Parrots to eat, but just how good are they? Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional content.
The nutrition facts for 1 medium-sized banana :
| Calories | 89 |
| Protein | 1.1g |
| Carbs | 22.8g |
| Fat | 0.3g |
| Sugar | 12.2g |
| Fiber | 2.6g |
There’s also vital vitamins and minerals in bananas like potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and antioxidants.
Potassium
Bananas are most commonly known for providing potassium. It’s a mineral that’s useful for processing glucose and metabolizing proteins. It also controls and regulates your parrots heart health therefore in turn bananas can actually make your parrot live longer!
It’s also great for your parrots bone health, preventing strokes and managing it’s blood pressure.
Fiber
Fiber aids in your parrots digestive system, it helps to prevent constipation by making the stools heavier and softens it leading to easier bowel movements. It also aids in bowel health as it reduces the chance of getting hemorrhoids.
Foods high in fiber are usually more filling, this means the more fiber in your birds diet the less chance they are going to overeat – therefore fiber aids in weight maintenance.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A in extremely important vitamin for your parrots health as it plays a vital role in many functions. These include : keeping healthy skin and feathers, eye health, eyesight and hearing capabilities, bones and mucus membranes maintenance.
A lack of vitamin a in your parrots diet can lead to a weakened immune system, stunted growth and respiratory diseases.
Symptoms of vitamin A deficiency can manifest itself with these symptoms :
- Sneezing and Nasal discharge
- Tiredness
- White plaques in the mouth
- Feather color not appearing as vibrant
- Increased thirst and urination
Vitamin C
Parrots use up a lot of vitamin C just by being alive so it’s important they have foods rich in it like bananas to prevent any problems. Vitamin C plays a role in boosting your birds immune system, lowering blood pressure, reduced inflammation and risk of disease, increased collagen production leading to healthier skin.
It also helps cardiovascular health by cleaning plaque from your parrots blood vessels and keeping cholesterol from oxidizing.
Vitamin B6
Bananas include vitamin B6, which is vital for brain development, immunological and neurological system function, and cardiovascular health.
Vitamin B6 can also be found in turkey, chickpeas, potatoes, and blueberries.
Antioxidants
Fruit and vegetables are full of antioxidants and bananas are no different. They include several different antioxidants including flavnoids and amines. They include benefits like reduced risk of heart disease and they help prevent oxidative damage to your parrots body caused by a thing called free radicals.
Without enough antioxidants these free radicals can build up over time and cause damage to your feathered friend.
Can Parrots Eat Banana Peels?
Yes parrot can eat banana peels in fact it’s healthy for them. Remember those antioxidants we just spoke about and how good they are for our parrots? Well banana peels actually contain most of the antioxidants found in bananas.
Banana peels can actually fight against depression and low mood too believe it or not.
Bananas’ high quantities of tryptophan, along with the B6 found in banana peels, can help alleviate some of the symptoms of depression and other mood disorders. When tryptophan is broken down, serotonin is produced, which might boost your parrots mood. Vitamin B6 can aid with sleep, which has a long-term favorable effect on mood.
How You Should Feed Banana To Your Parrot
The best way to feed banana to your parrot in my opinion is just plain old raw banana. This way they get to experience all the nutrients and goodness bananas have to offer. Cooking the banana will burn away some of the contents your parrot can benefit from.
What Other Foods Can Your Parrot Eat?
You know bananas are safe for your Parrot to eat but if you’re like me then your always looking for new foods to improve your Parrots diet to create some variety and and include vital things that aren’t already in your birds diet.
So what other foods can your Parrot eat?
- Fruit & Vegetables
Foods like asparagus, broccoli, carrots, peppers, spinach, blueberries and pineapples are all fine and encouraged for your Parrot to eat.
- Nuts
Things like almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios and walnuts can be fed to your parrot. Just be wary of the fat content in some of them so they may need to be treated as a snack for your Parrot. We don’t want them getting fat!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Bananas Toxic To Birds?
Bananas aren’t toxic to birds, they contain no harmful toxins that are going to be life threatening. In fact quite the opposite, bananas contain antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are going to improve your parrots quality of life.
How Much Banana Can A Parrot Eat?
The amount of banana will depend on the size of your parrot along with how active it is.
Can Parrots Eat Banana Bread?
Parrots can eat banana bread if it’s homemade. Why is this? Because when it’s homemade you know what exact ingredients go into the meal. Store bought banana bread will be too high in things that can harm your parrot like sugar, oil and salt.
So if you decide to make your bird some banana bread make sure to limit or exclude these ingredients as they can cause harm.
Bananas For Parrots – Final Thoughts
Banana is a safe and yummy fruit that your parrot can enjoy. It’s full of nutritional goodness that your little feathered friend will appreciate.
For the best quality it’s recommended you give your parrot fresh, organic and raw banana. However if your going to mix it up and give him some banana bread it’s best to do it as a snack and make sure it’s homemade with parrot friendly ingredients! I hope your pet enjoys a new addition to their diet!