Parrots must have a well balanced diet in order to live a healthy and happy life. As you are the owner it’s up to you to make sure they get quality vitamins and nutrients via the foods you feed them. Fruits and vegetables should be featured in their diet making up around 15-30% of it. But are all fruits good for parrots? What about dragon fruit? Let’s find out.
Can parrots eat dragon fruit? Yes parrots can eat dragon fruit it’s completely safe for them to have and doesn’t contain any toxins that are harmful to parrots. Not only is dragon fruit safe for parrots to eat but it also has many health benefits to incorporating it into your birds diet. Dragon fruit contains fiber, vitamin C, iron, magnesium and several antioxidants.
In this article I’m going to outline the health benefits of dragon fruit along with some other things I think you should be aware of.
Dragon Fruit Benefits For Parrots
We know is good for our parrots, but just how good is it? Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional content.
100 grams of dragon fruit contains :
| Calories | 60 |
| Protein | 1.2g |
| Carbs | 13g |
| Fat | 0g |
| Fiber | 3g |
Source Of Antioxidants
There are three main antioxidants found in dragon fruit : flavonoids, hydroxycinnamates, betalains. Each different antioxidant has great effects on your parrots health.
Flavonoids : Linked to better brain health and improved cardiovascular system.
Betalains : Found in red dragon fruit, studies have shown it prevents bad cholesterol from being damaged.
Hydroxycinnamates : This antioxidant has been studied to have cancer prevention properties.
Fiber
Dragon fruit is also high in fiber, with there being 3g in one serving of the fruit. Fiber is important in your parrots diet to help control the digestive system.
Without enough fiber in their diet they may become constipated more often. This is due to foods high in fiber softening stools making it easier for them to go to the toilet.
Other benefits fiber can bring include :
- Weight loss
- Improved overall bowel health
- Lowers cholesterol
- Regulates blood sugar levels
- Longer life expectancy
Along with dragon fruit you can also feed your parrot apples, raspberries, bananas, blueberries, carrots and brussels sprouts.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is also present in dragon fruit. It’s a vitamin that brings many health benefits to your parrot among being needed for a number of bodily functions. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, which means it can help your parrot fight against the damage by free radicals (unstable atoms that attack cells) by neutralizing them.
This means it can help fight off age related illnesses like heart disease and cancer.
Other notable benefits of vitamin C include :
- It’s an inflammatory
- Lowers blood pressure
- Cleans plaque from blood vessels
- Protects eyes from cataracts
- Controls blood sugar levels
Red peppers, oranges, kiwi, broccoli, strawberries, cantaloupe, spinach and green peppers are some of the foods with a high vitamin C percentage and are safe for parrots to eat.
Iron
Your parrot needs iron for overall energy and focus, without it they would be very lethargic and wouldn’t have the energy to play with you.
Iron is mainly known for making red blood cells due to boosting hemoglobin. It’s also necessary for immune system function, without it your parrot wouldn’t be able to fight disease and could become ill quite often.
Foods high in iron include :
- Dried fruits
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Kale
- Lentils
Magnesium
Lentils also contain magnesium, a macro nutrient which is necessary for a variety of bodily activities. Magnesium is beneficial to blood pressure, cardiovascular health, and bone strength.
It’s also thought to help with inflammation. Kale, spinach, and cashew nuts are all high in magnesium.
How You Should Feed Dragon Fruit To Your Parrot
Don’t prepare dragon fruit for your parrot unless you are ready to serve it immediately after as it will dry out and become discolored very quickly.
Preparing dragon fruit couldn’t be any easier simply slice it down the middle and scoop out the flesh, you can do this using a spoon.
You can also blend it up and even make it into dragon fruit juice for your parrot instead.
What Other Foods Can Your Parrot Eat?
You know dragon fruit is 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, bananas, 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!
Dragon Fruit For Parrots – Final Thoughts
Dragon fruit makes for a yummy exotic snack you can safely give to your feathered friend. They contain no known toxins that will harm your parrot and actually bring many health benefits instead. It should be fed sparingly as it’s a fruit and they should only make up around 20% of a parrots daily diet.
I hope your parrot enjoys a new exotic treat in their diet.