Bearded Dragon Food

Bearded dragons are consummate omnivores, meaning they need to eat a wide range of foods to stay healthy. This includes protein, which can come in the form of insects, worms and even small vertebrates. They also need plenty of plant matter, which they can get from vegetables and greens. Finally, beardies love fruit and will happily accept any grape or strawberry pieces you drop into their enclosure.

The list of foods bearded dragons can eat is long, but there are also many foods they shouldn’t eat—like citrus fruits and lightning bugs. Take a look at Petco’s bearded dragon care sheet to get a fuller picture of the best food for bearded dragons.

While you only need to feed an adult bearded dragon once a day, the same does not go for baby or juvenile bearded dragons. Young beardies grow rapidly and need to eat much more often than their older counterparts. It’s a good idea to feed your baby bearded dragon 3 times a day or more. You’ll also want to give them a much higher ratio of protein to greens than an adult bearded dragon. This protein will give them the energy they need to grow strong and healthy.

Thinking of adopting a juvenile bearded dragon? Check out Petco’s resource which lays out the basic care and supplies for a bearded dragon.

Bearded dragons are the opposite of picky eaters. Virtually any bearded dragon-safe foods you put into their tank will be happily chowed down. In fact, obesity is a risk for many bearded dragons, so it’s important for pet parents to limit their pet’s food intake.

Many pet parents notice that their beardies prefer protein over veggies and love fruit best of all. As much as you may want to start chopping up a fruit salad for your beardie, keep in mind that fruit should be considered a dessert and should make up no more than 10 to 20% of your pet’s plant diet. Give fruit to your beardie only as a special treat and focus on feeding them lots of healthy veggies and gut-loaded bearded dragon live food, like crickets and Dubia roaches.

Want to know even more interesting info about your bearded dragon? Here are fun facts about bearded dragons .