Parrot Diet
Your birds diet is a vital part of their care. Understanding their dietary needs is essential to keeping your bird healthy, happy, and beautiful! Birds diets have a direct effect on their longevity (Jason Munshi-South, Wilkinson, 2006), the appearance of their feathers, and their hormones/health.
Daily Needs
Your parrots diet should consist of 70-80% complete pellet diet. The remaining 25% should consist of fresh vegetables, sprouts, and minimal fruits - this is sometimes referred to as "fresh chop". Nuts and some seeds can be used as treats and extras, but should not ever be used as your birds main food source.
Veggies & Fruits
Some vegetables and fruits your parrots might love: Asparagus, Beets (Red & Gold), Bok Choy, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Corn (corn is safe but should ONLY be offered a few times a year, as a treat. It is high in sugar, low in nutrition), Cucumbers, Green Beans, Kale, Other Dark Leafy Greens (avoid Iceberg Lettuce), Parsnips, ALL Peppers, Snow Peas, Snap Peas, ALL Winter Squashes (Acorn, Butternut, Pumpkin), ALL Summer Squashes (Zucchini, Yellow Squash). *Avoid all canned food! *Fresh or Frozen only! Pears, Apricot, Plantains, Pomegranate, Apples, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Grapes (in moderation!), Kiwi, Mango, Papaya, Cantaloupe, Peaches, Nectarines, Watermelon (in moderation!), Honeydew, Raspberries, Strawberries, Dragon Fruit. *Reminder: do not offer the pits of pitted fruit and remove all apple seeds (Parrot Stars, 2025). Foods to AVOID: Alcohol, Avocado, Cassava (tapioca), Caffeine, Dairy products, Onion, garlic, scallions, Mushrooms, Chocolate or cocoa, Peanuts*, Fruit seeds and pits, and Uncooked beans (Best Friends Animal Society, 2025).
*Peanuts themselves ar not toxic to birds, however, they way they grow and are processed is extra susceptible to growing mold. This is why many sources will recommend avoiding them all together.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds should be about very minimal part of your birds total daily diet. When they do get nuts and seeds, keep in mind the size of your bird. All birds have strong beaks but the larger the bird, the stronger their beak (in-shell walnuts and brazil nuts are for large macaws, not love birds). Most birds should have some type of in-shell nut offered to them that they can crack open on their own, as in the wild, parrots spend a lot of their day searching and working to get their food. Some popular nuts and seeds include: walnuts, pine nuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, pecans, pistachios, cashews, and more!
Table Food
You should not be feeding your parrot any table scraps. Everything they need should be provided to them in their daily diet, not from your dinner plate. Behaviorally, it's also best to not condition them into thinking they will get something from you every time you eat. The sooner they learn that your food is your food, the sooner they will let you eat in peace. Parrots are very intelligent and will quickly pick up on your weak spots if you show them - it is not uncommon for your bird to become aggressive over your food if they want some and you won't give it to them, or scream while you eat in hopes of getting something for it. Do your best to not allow this type of behavior to even begin!
Sources
Best Friends Animal Society, 2025 - https://bestfriends.org/who-we-are
Donald J. Brightsmith "Nutritional Levels of Diets Fed to Captive Amazon Parrots: Does Mixing Seed, Produce, and Pellets Provide a Healthy Diet?," Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, 26(3), 149-160, (1 September 2012)
Jason Munshi-South, Gerald S. Wilkinson, Diet Influences Life Span in Parrots (Psittaciformes), The Auk, Volume 123, Issue 1, 1 January 2006, Pages 108–118, https://doi.org/10.1093/auk/123.1.108
Parrot Stars, Arlington Heights, IL, 2025 - https://www.parrotstars.com/​