Bearded Dragons Food: With Printable Food Chart

Below are comprehensive lists of bearded dragons food choices and their nutritional data making it easty for you to make informed choices. Plus the printable bearded dragon food chart is a handy reference to stick on the fridge.

did you know…

0 %

of bearded dragon owners are not feeding sufficient plant material to adult bearded dragons.

Did you know that almost 50% of bearded dragon owners are not feeding sufficient plant material to adults (Barboza et al, 2022 – survey of Canadians and Americans). Pet owners under 18 years old are more likely to feed too many insects, particularly larvae. This could be a high risk factor in obesity and hepatic lipidosis.

Bearded Dragon Food List with Ca:P Ratio’s

Greens for Bearded Dragons

Leafy greens are the mainstay of a bearded dragons food. Greens and other plant matter should make up the majority of a bearded dragons diet, especially dark, leafy greens.

Some vegetation is best picked at a certain age, or only particular parts of the plant, to reduce potential issues. For example, alfalfa sprouts should be fed when they are between 2-4 days old to reduce saponin levels. For more information see the post on what bearded dragons shouldn’t be fed.

legend for frequency of feeding foods to bearded dragons
Food ItemFrequencyC:PCalcium (Ca) (mg)Phosphorus (P) (mg)Total dietary fibre (g)Moisture (Water) (g)Protein (g)Total sugars (g)
Arugula (rocket) US databearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently3.1:1160521.691.72.582.05
Alfalfa sproutsfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.5:132701.992.823.990.18
Artichoke heartfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food34.4:1441.285.484.943.270.99
Asian Greens (Pak choi)feed as a mixer for bearded dragons food2.8:110537195.321.51.18
Asian Greens Bok choyfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food3.0:183282.494.82.50.6
Asian Greens Chinese Flowering Cabbagefeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food1.8:170402.894.21.30.8
Asian greens Gai choyfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food4.6:1130281.893.82.30.7
Basilbearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently2.4:1220913.391.62.60.0
Bean sprouts greenfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.3:110301.393.43.11.0
Beet Greensfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food2.9:1117413.791.022.20.5
Cabbage redbearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently1.2:135303.488.12.22.7
Cabbage whitebearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently0.8:132402.490.81.32.8
Cabbage, commonbearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently2.0:147232.392.521.21
Cabbage, Savoybearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently0.8:135423.19122.27
Carrot topsfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Celery topsfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Chicory leavesbearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently2.1:1100474921.70.7
Clover (data based on dry matter analysis)*bearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently4.2:1
Collard greens freshbearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently9.3:123225489.623.020.46
Collard greens frozenbearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently7.4:1201273.689.532.69
Coriander Cilantro leavesbearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently1.4:167482.892.212.130.87
Dandelion greens & flowersbearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently2.8:1187663.585.62.70.71
Endive – Escarolebearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently1.9:152283.193.791.250.25
Grass Kentucky Bluegrassfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food1.0:10.10.18.1
Grass Bermudafeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food2.4:10.530.2225.9
Grape leavesrarely feed to bearded dragons4.0:1363911173.325.66.3
Hibiscus leavesrarely feed to bearded dragons2.7:1
Kale frozenfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food4.7:113629291.122.66
Kalefeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food1.6:1150923.684.044.282.26
Lemongrassfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.6:16510170.61.8
Lettuce Boston & Bibbfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food1.1:135331.195.631.350.94
Lettuce redfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food1.2:133280.995.641.330.48
Lettuce, Cos or Romainefeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food1.1:133302.194.611.231.19
Microgreensfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Mint freshfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food4.5:1210477.284.23.10.9
Mulberry leavesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food2:1
Mustard greensbearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently2.0:1115583.290.72.861.32
Nasturtium leavesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Parsleybearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently1.3:1120945.086.23.91.0
Rocket (arugula) Australiabearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently3.4:1214632.491.83.30.3
Spinachrarely feed to bearded dragons2.0:199492.291.42.860.42
Squash Pumpkin leavesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.4:13910492.883.15
Sweet potato leavesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food1.0:178815.386.812.49
Swiss Chard (silverbeet)rarely feed to bearded dragons1.1:151461.692.661.81.1
Thymefeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food3.8:14051061465.115.56
Turnip greensbearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently4.5:1190423.289.671.50.81
Watercressbearded dragon foods that can be fed frequently2.0:1120600.595.112.30.2
Bearded dragon greens and their nutritional value.

Vegetables

After leafy greens vegetables stand next in line for a bearded dragons food list. Add small amounts of mixer vegetables to your bearded dragons diet, again using variety rather than the same thing often.

legend for frequency of feeding foods to bearded dragons
Food ItemFrequencyC:PCalcium (Ca) (mg)Phosphorus (P) (mg)Total dietary fibre (g)Moisture (Water) (g)Protein (g)Total sugars (g)
Asparagusfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.3:111432.292.82.51.4
Beansfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food1.4:145322.891.81.82.6
Bell peppers Capsicum Greenfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.2:16261.594.40.92.5
Bell peppers Capsicum Redfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.2:17311.193.01.14.4
Broccolinifeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.6:139612.592.23.22.3
Carrot fresh gratedfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.8:126313.488.50.66.2
Cauliflowerfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.5:122442.092.11.91.9
Corn kernels frozenrarely feed to bearded dragons0.0:13712.576.03.03.0
Corn sweet white freshfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.0:12892.775.963.223.22
Cucumber peeledfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.7:114210.796.730.591.38
Lentils, boiledrarely feed to bearded dragons0.2:115664.174.47.30.5
Okrararely feed to bearded dragons1.3:182633.788.33.11.4
Parsnipfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.5:136714.979.531.24.8
Peasfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.2:1251085.178.865.425.67
Prickly pear cactus padsfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Squash (pumpkins) many varietiesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Squash Butternut rawfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food1.5:14833286.4112.2
Squash, Queensland Blue peeledfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food2.0:141212.783.82.04.9
Sweet potato boiled peeledfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.8:128342.777.126
Sweet potato shreddedfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.6:13047377.281.574.18
Tomatorarely feed to bearded dragons0.4:110241.294.50.882.63
Vegetable mix frozenfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.4:12559482.083.332.8
Zucchinifeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.5:116341.094.12.21.1
Vegetables for bearded dragons with nutrient data.

Flowers, nom, nom!

Flowers can make a great addition to any bearded dragons food. Although it is difficult to get data on the nutritional value of many flowers, vets such as Dr Boyer (2021) and the NC State Veterinary Hospital recommend adding flowers to the diet of reptiles.

Interestingly the color of the flower can also make a difference in the nutritional content. Research on carnations by Zhou et al (2023) found that of the 4 colors of carnations they tested for antioxidants and anticancer activities, the purple carnations lead the pack. It turns out that purple carnations are especially rich in compounds. These compounds not only add a burst of color but also contribute to their ability to fend off harmful invaders, like cancer cells.

While purple carnations top the chart with their health benefits, other colors like green, yellow, and white aren’t far behind. Each color has its own set of nutritional value. For example, yellow flowers might have different types of beneficial compounds, contributing to a well-rounded diet for your bearded dragon. To take advantage of the spectrum of nutrients flowers offer, try different colors.s.

Food ItemFrequency
Basil flowersfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Carnationsfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Coriander flowersfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Geranium flowersfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Hibiscus flowersfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Nasturtium flowersfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Pansiesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Petuniasfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Rose petalsfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Squash Pumpkin flowersfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Guavafeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Kiwi fruit goldfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Kiwi fruit greenfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Mangofeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Melon balls frozenfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Melon Rockmelon Honey dewfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Melon Watermelonfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Mulberriesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Nectarinefeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Papayafeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Peachfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Pearsfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Pineapplefeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Plumfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Prickly pear cactus fruitsfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Prunesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Raspberriesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Strawberriesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Strawberries frozenfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food
Flowers bearded dragon can eat.

Fruit, Occasional Treats

In human nutrition, fruits are seen as healthy and we associate this also being good for animals. However, zoo research advises against feeding animals commercially cultivated fruits designed for human tastes.

The reason fruits are frowned upon for reptiles is that fruits have been cultivated to match our love for sugar as humans, and they have a lower fiber content (Clauss & Hatt, 2011). Neither of those qualities are considered appropriate for animals kept in captivity.

Offering fruits to bearded dragons has been associated with tripling their chances of developing dental issues. In fact fruits might be the primary dietary cause of dental problems in bearded dragons and as such it is recommended to exclude fruits from their diets (Mott et al, 2020).

Additionally, diets rich in sugar, including regular intake of fruits, may lead to health complications in these animals, such as metabolic bone disease.

Fruits for bearded dragons can be an occasional treat, they shouldn’t make up a regular part of the diet. However, some guidelines suggest that keeping fruit to less than 5% of the diet might be acceptable.

When feeding fruit to reptiles, several nutritional factors should be considered to ensure their health and well-being:

  1. Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio: Fruits often have an inverse ratio of what bearded dragons need, with higher phosphorus than calcium, which can lead to calcium deficiencies and health problems.
  2. Sugar to Fiber Ratio: Reptiles, especially those not naturally frugivorous, can have difficulty processing high amounts of sugar, which is common in many fruits. A high sugar intake can lead to obesity, diabetes, and gastrointestinal issues. Fiber, on the other hand, aids in digestion. Therefore, fruits with a lower sugar to fiber ratio are preferable, though still in moderation.
  3. Overall Sugar Content: High sugar content in fruits can lead to health issues such as obesity and dental problems. It’s essential to choose fruits with lower sugar levels and to feed them sparingly as part of a balanced diet.
  4. Acidity: Some fruits are highly acidic, which can upset a reptile’s stomach or lead to dental issues. Bearded dragons food should be low in acidity and high in calcium.

Bearded dragons food can include the following fruits as mixers less than 5% of the diet or occassionally:

legend for frequency of feeding foods to bearded dragons
Food ItemFrequencyC:PCalcium (Ca) (mg)Phosphorus (P) (mg)Total dietary fibre (g)Moisture (Water) (g)Protein (g)Total sugars (g)
Apple Gala with skinrarely feed to bearded dragons0.6:17112.385.760.2510.37
Apple Granny Smith with skinrarely feed to bearded dragons0.4:15122.885.460.449.59
Apricots freshrarely feed to bearded dragons0.6:11323286.351.49.24
Bananas Cavendish peeledrarely feed to bearded dragons0.2:15212.276.21.412.8
Blueberries freshrarely feed to bearded dragons0.5:16122.484.210.749.96
Blueberries frozen unsweetenedfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.7:18112.786.590.428.45
Cranberriesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.6:18134.687.130.394.04
Figs fresh peeledfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food2.7:138143.385.91.48.1
Grapes greenrarely feed to bearded dragons0.4:110260.881.80.815.2
Grapes red globerarely feed to bearded dragons0.5:110193.580.70.916.3
Guavafeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.5:118405.480.82.558.92
Kiwi fruit goldrarely feed to bearded dragons0.7:12029283.221.2310.98
Kiwi fruit greenfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food1.0:13434383.071.148.99
Mangorarely feed to bearded dragons0.8:111141.683.460.8213.66
Melon balls frozenfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.8:110120.790.260.84
Melon Rockmelon Honey dewfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.5:17141.091.20.54.7
Melon Watermelonfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.4:15140.491.60.67.0
Mulberriesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food1.0:139381.787.681.448.1
Nectarinerarely feed to bearded dragons0.2:16261.787.591.067.89
Papayafeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food2.0:120101.788.060.477.82
Peachrarely feed to bearded dragons0.3:16201.588.870.918.39
Pearsrarely feed to bearded dragons0.8:19123.183.960.369.75
Pineapplerarely feed to bearded dragons0.2:110549010.388.420.277.66
Plumrarely feed to bearded dragons0.4:16161.487.230.79.92
Prickly pear cactus fruitsfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food2.3:156243.687.550.731.02
Prunesrarely feed to bearded dragons0.9:152587.837.12.331.0
Raspberriesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.9:125296.585.751.24.42
Strawberriesfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.7:11624290.950.674.89
Strawberries frozenfeed as a mixer for bearded dragons food0.9:121242.592.10.73.8
Fruits bearded dragon can eat with nutritional data.

There’s Bugs in your Bearded Dragons Food!

Bearded dragons food includes a wide variety of bugs (arthropods). 

Young bearded dragons food can include insects that will encourage activity, prey that moves around a little fast. This is also great for adult bearded dragons however they tend to prefer slower prey.

Insects are a great source of protein, essential amino acids, trace minerals and fibre but they are pretty poor at the calcium to phosphorus ratio required by bearded dragons. Larval insects are generally high in fat and should be fed in very small quantities.

Less than 50% of the insects fed should be larval insects (Boyer, 2021) due to their high fat content.

For the complete breakdown of insects that can be fed to bearded dragons and their nutritional value check out the post on best insects for bearded dragons. Gut loading insects properly cant be over emphasized.

Bugs Bearded Dragons Can Eat
Ants & termites
Beetles: Dung beetles (Christmas beetles), mealworm beetles
Black soldier fly larvae
Butterworms
Cockroaches
Crickets
Earthworms
Flies & larvae
Fruit flies
Grasshoppers
Hornworms
Katydids
Locusts
Mealworms & giant mealworms
Moths
Silkworms
Slaters (woodlice, sowbugs, pillbugs)
Slugs
Snails
Spiders
Superworms
Waxworms
Weevils
Bearded dragons insects food list.

Bearded Dragons Food using Commercial Diets

The recommended portion of bearded dragons food from a commercial diet product is between 50 to 75% (Stahl and Donoghue, 2010; West Toowoomba Veterinary Surgery).

When adding commercial diets into the bearded dragons meal plan, reduce vitamin and mineral supplements since the commercial diets have these added. Look for a commercial diet that has a guaranteed analysis based on dry matter of its product (Boyer, 2021).

Australian Plants as Part of Bearded Dragons Food

For Australians or those with access to Australian plants, some natural vegetation can be incorporated into the bearded dragons diet. To diversify the diet and mimic natural habitats, Simpson (2015) recommends including native Australian vegetation such as:

  • Eremophilas sp
  • Hemiandra pungens
  • Croweas
  • Correas
  • Grevilleas

These native plants could provide a more natural and enriching dietary component for captive bearded dragons food, promoting overall health and well-being.

Other Australian plants known to be naturally included in the wild bearded dragons food through studies of gut content are:

  • Austral Bugle (Hajuga australis)
  • Gahnia sp
  • Glycine spp
  • Karngaroo grass (Themeda austalis)
  • Xanthosia spp

Here is the link for more detailed information on the on the wild bearded dragons diet.

Supplements: Calcium & Multivitamins

For optimal support, a bearded dragons’ diet requires multivitamins and calcium supplementation:

  • Calcium supplement once a week is a key mineral that requires supplementation and will aid in averting metabolic bone disease, a common preventable disease.
  • Multivitamins are given fortnightly.

Incorporating these supplements is straightforward; they are generally available as powders that can be dusted over the bearded dragon’s food.

Antinutrients in Foods

Compounds such as oxalates, goitrogens and tannins are considered antinutrients and this impacts what items are on the bearded dragon food lists. However, it is not always that straight forward. They may also be counteracted by other nutrients that are of value in their diet.

Dr Boyer (2021) states that oxalates are often of great concern but foods high in oxalates such as spinach can be fed from time to time as part of a good diet. In addition, brasicas do not cause goiters and there is no reason not to feed these foods. In context, all diets should be varied and not focus on a small group of vegetation or arthropods. Anything in excess can harm any species.

With all nutrients and antinutrients data varies significantly from one source to another. Some of the major contributing factors to the variable data are conditions such as season, soil and harvesting practices (Attalla et al, 2014).

Bearded dragons can eat high oxalate foods occasionally without creating any particular health issues.

What Bearded Dragons Shouldn’t Eat

There are specific foods that bearded dragons should not be fed. See the post on what bearded dragons can’t eat for more information.

Why There is so Much Variation in Food Data?

Through scientific and research data, we can make informed decisions. This article relies on information from international and national food databases and research. However, it is advisable to treat this data as a generalization. This is because various national food databases and research studies around the globe offer differing information on food items. Several factors that influence the recorded levels of nutrients and anti-nutrients in each provides are:

  1. Testing methods
  2. Fertilisers used
  3. Soil quality
  4. Time of harvest
  5. Transportation conditions
  6. Leaf age
  7. Cultivar

One example of just how much data can vary is with a study Mason et al (2000) published. A huge variation of oxalate in the same spinach cultivar (Winter Giant) was found with tests by Mason et al (2000) showing 400-600 mg/100 g fresh weight whereas Gontzea and Sutzescu (cited in Mason et al, 2000) came in at double, 700-900 mg/100g.

Printable Bearded Dragon Food Chart

The printable bearded dragon food chart below lists the foods in the following categories:

  • Greens
  • Vegetables
  • Flowers
  • Arthropods (insects)
  • Fruit
  • Commerical diets for bearded dragons

Each section has a suggested number of foods to use per feed which is based on providing variety. More information on the items suggested on the bearded dragons food list see the articles in the diet section.

References

  1. Barboza, T., Abood, S. K., & Beaufrère, H. (2022). Survey of Feeding Practices and Supplement Use in Pet Inland Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps) of the United States and CanadaJournal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery.
  2. Boyer, T. H. B., DVM, DABVP (Reptile and Amphibian. (2021, November 3). Reptile and Amphibian Nutrition. LafeberVet.
  3. Clauss, M., & Hatt, J.-M. (2011). Green grocery guide. Zooquaria5.
  4. Mott, R., Pellett, S., & Hedley, J. (2021). Prevalence and risk factors for dental disease in captive Central bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) in the United KingdomJournal of Exotic Pet Medicine36, 1–7.
  5. Zhou, X., Wang, M., Li, H., Ye, S. P., & Tang, W. (2023). Widely targeted metabolomics reveals the antioxidant and anticancer activities of different colors of Dianthus caryophyllusFrontiers in Nutrition10.
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