Bearded dragons are not very picky when it comes to food. If you throw a few crickets in your beardie tank, your dragon will jump on them and swallow every cricket one after another at one bite.
However, if you love bearded dragons as much as I do, you want to make sure that your dragon stays healthy and therefore you should offer your beardie something new from time to time, especially if you have an adult dragon.
Do not feed crickets and normal salad all day. You can choose of a huge variety of vegetables, fruits, and live food.
Don´t worry, it doesn´t have to be a four-course menu, starting with a variation of tuna and salmon, followed by a curry-lemongrass soup. …lol.
…but my bearded dragon is refusing to eat any greens!
A bearded dragon that is not eating any greens is on its way to health problems in the future. Bearded dragons are not picky at all in the wild. I know that a lot of people think that they are, but this just isn´t true. If your bearded dragon is not eating greens (It must eat greens to be healthy) there is something wrong with your feeding habits.
If you want to know how to make your bearded dragon eat greens within 7 days, have a look at this!
Here comes the bearded dragon food list
Now before you have a look at that list, please make sure you read this first:
I have marked the stuff on that list.
- Black means, that you can feed it to your beardie unhesitatingly.
- Purple means, that you should not feed it too often.
- Red means that you should feed it only rarely or do not feed it at all.
Salad
- Chicory – Endives – Lollo Bionda – Lollo Rosso – Radicchio – Romaine lettuce – Arugula
- Lamb’s lettuce
- Iceberg lettuce – Cabbage lettuce
Vegetables
- Radish green – Pumpkin (without skin, without seeds) – Carrots (complete) – Zucchini
- Broccoli – Chinese cabbage – Cucumber – Kohlrabi leaves – Fennel leaves – Chard – Okra – Bell Peppers – Leek – Brussels sprouts – Beetroot – Celery leaves – Starfruit – Tomato
- Spinach – Radish
Spices and Herbs
- Basil – Savory – Dill – Catnip – Chervil – Cress – Lovage – Marjoram – Oregano – Lucerne – Lemon balm – Thyme – Chives – Sage – Rosemary – Peppermint
- Parsley
Plants (House and Garden)
- Rose petals and rose leaves – Hibiscus flowers and leaves – Pansy flowers
Plants (Wild)
- Bindweed – Maple leaves – Borage – Grape leaves – Chickweed – Daisy – Rosehip flowers – Hazel leaves – Shepherd’s purse – Chamomile – Clover – Cornflower blossoms – Dandelion – Mallow – Evening primrose – Petunia flowers – Purslane – Marigold – Plantain – Violet
Fruits
- Apple – Mango – Raspberries – Blueberries – Strawberries – Blackberries – Pear – Papaya
- Banana – Kiwi
Live Food
- Crickets – Locusts – Cockroaches
- Mealworms – Zophobas – Wax moth larvae
- Baby rats – Baby mice
What you should really buy when it comes to live food:
In the past, most people used crickets as feeding insects. Now, however, things have changed. Dubia roaches are far better as food for your bearded dragon. Dubia roaches do not smell. They do not make any annoying noises. They can´t climb up the glass tank and they are way healthier than crickets.
Further dubias are pretty hardy, whereas crickets die pretty quickly. To make a long story short, dubia roaches are the optimal feeder insect for your bearded dragon!
Get Dubia Roaches Here!
Things you should consider
As I said, I marked the food for you divided it into categories. Of course, the safest way to provide healthy food for your beardie is to only feed the food which is marked black.
Not too much water
Bearded dragons do not drink very much even if you place a water bowl in your tank. They get their water from the food they eat. Most salads contain a lot of water and most of the times that´s enough for a beardie.
However, you have to be very careful here. If you feed a lot of vegetables and fruits that contain a lot of water, your dragon could eventually suffer from diarrhea. This can lead to dehydration and, as you know, your bearded dragon could die from that. It is ironic somehow, but it´s the truth.
So make sure, you do not feed for example cucumber or tomato too often.
Not too much fruits
That´s a mistake a lot of people do, especially beginners and I have to admit, when I got my first beardie, I did it too: Feeding fruits too often.
When I was younger I thought it was cool that I could share a banana for example with my dragon. I had good intentions, but stomach and intestines of bearded dragons are not really made for fruits.
Fruits contain a lot of sugars and acid, which can cause damage to the digestive system and other organs.
So you definitely can feed fruits, but you should not overdo it.
Spices and Herbs …don´t overdo it
Spices and herbs are great for bearded dragons. However, you shouldn´t overdo it with that as well, because of the essential oils.
Small mammals
I like to keep it natural when it comes to bearded dragon care, but to be honest, I am not a big fan of feeding baby mice, or baby rats. I never did that and I do not plan to do it in the future.
Small mammals should only be fed to emaciated dragons or to pregnant beardies … but as I sad, I never did that and my pets are healthy.
What would you add?
So till now, that´s it from my site, but that does not mean, that we can´t add even more stuff to this list. What would you add to this food list? Is there anything I have forgotten? Tell me about in the comments below. Let´s create a valuable resource for bearded dragon lovers here!
If you want to order live food online, I give a few recommendations on that in this article.
Do you have any questions about this bearded dragon food list? Leave your questions in the comment section below, I´ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Before you leave!
Since I receive many comments and emails from bearded dragon owners that tell me that their bearded dragon is refusing to eat greens, I decided to help with this issue.
What most bearded dragon owners do not know is that a bearded dragon that does not eat greens might be sick or is on the best way to getting sick.
Bearded dragons are omnivores, which means that they eat anything they can find in the wild. The problem that most bearded dragons are picky when it comes to food only arouses due to bad husbandry.
If your bearded dragon is refusing to eat greens, and maybe even only accepts mealworms as food, I highly recommend that you get my ebook: How To Make Your Bearded Dragon Eat Greens Within 7 Days!
After going through the steps outlined in the ebook I will personally check on you and your beardie via email and will support you if needed.
Keep your beardie healthy!