Parrot Nutrition 

​What does a healthy parrot diet look like?

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Parrots need a variety of whole foods. At least 50% of their daily diet should consist of raw veggies, sprouts, grains, and cooked or sprouted legumes. This is often provided in the form of "parrot chop" which typically consists of finely chopped vegetables, grains and legumes, (and sometimes fruits and seeds). The goal is to create a mix where all components are chopped small enough to prevent selective eating, ensuring that parrots consume a wide range of nutrients in every bite.

Parrot pellets should make up no more than 50% of a parrot's diet. You can choose to feed your parrot a 100% raw, whole food diet, OR you can supplement the whole foods with pellets. If you choose to feed pellets, keep in mind that not all pellets are created equal. Do your research and read their list of ingredients. 

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Now, this isn't about throwing together whatever vegetables you've got in your fridge and calling it a day - it's important to balance out vegetables, grains, and legumes and prepare them the right way.

We recommend choosing one of the following resources for making chop for your bird:
 

• The BirdTricks Natural Feeding System cookbook of chop recipes that change with the seasons to provide year-round balance and variety. 

  • This system includes cold-pressed, organic pellets and provides instruction for preparing a large batch of chop that can be frozen in small portions and lasts for months to save time in the kitchen while still providing a healthy, whole food diet.
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• Dr. Crean’s Avian Raw Whole Food Nutrition, a facebook group full of nutritional guidance for offering your bird a daily variety of raw whole foods.

  • Dr. Crean's approach to parrot nutrition consists of providing only raw, whole food ingredients with lots of variety to ensure nutritional balance. This system does not include pellets and focuses on providing variety rather than specific recipes. ​

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We've created a chop recipe to help you get started making parrot chop TODAY. Download it here. 

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Why feed pellets?

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While whole foods (like raw veggies, sprouts, legumes, and grains) offer incredible nutritional value and variety, pellets can serve an important role in a parrot’s diet when used appropriately. Here's a balanced look at the benefits of feeding pellets, especially when compared to or used alongside whole foods:

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1. A good quality pellet is much healthier than a seed-only diet or a high-fat, high-sugar diet. For birds who are not keen on eating fresh foods but are willing to eat pellets, this is a step in the right direction.
    

2. Convenience is a major benefit of feeding pellets. Having our birds used to eating pellets allows us to have a shelf-stable food that birds recognize as a food source to feed them when fresh food is compromised (loss of power), unavailable (due to a natural disaster), or difficult to provide (during travel).
    

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Are seeds bad for parrots?

Seeds and nuts are not unhealthy—in fact, they’re very nutritious, even sunflower seeds! However, they are a high-calorie food and are often misused or fed in excess, which can lead to serious health and behavioral issues.

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✅ When Seeds and Nuts Are Beneficial

• As Training Tools: when fed sparingly, nuts and seeds increase in value and make great training treats, especially for birds learning new behaviors or overcoming fear.

• As Enrichment: Birds love cracking open shells—it's natural foraging behavior. Offering whole nuts (like almonds in the shell or walnuts) in moderation encourages mental stimulation and beak exercise. You can even hide tiny nut pieces in your bird's toys for them to find. 

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⚠️ When Seeds and Nuts Become a Problem

• Too Much Fat: Most seeds & nuts are high in fat. When fed in excess (which can happen very easily!) it can lead to:   
  - Obesity
  - Fatty liver disease
  - Atherosclerosis

• Nutrient Imbalance: The more nuts & seeds your bird eats, the less healthy foods (like veggies) they will eat. This can cause deficiencies, poor feather quality, and disease. 

• Picky Eaters: If allowed to consume too many nuts & seeds, birds often start to refuse vegetables and pellets, and it can be an uphill battle to get them back on a balanced, healthy diet. ​

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How do I get my bird to eat vegetables?

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With lots of patience.

Some birds will readily take to eating vegetables on the first try. Those birds exist, I promise. But they are few and far between. Also, if your bird has been on a hight-fat diet, it may be a shock to their system to completely change their diet to a very low-fat diet overnight so it's best to convert them gradually.

Ideally, it would take a few weeks to gradually add the new fresh foods to whatever the bird is currently eating and simultaneously gradually reduce the old food. However, with many birds you'll need to get creative and be persistent. It is normal for diet conversion to take months. Embrace your bird's pace.​

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If you need help with diet conversion, contact a parrot behavior consultant. We work closely with Jennifer Perez, a parrot behavior consultant who volunteers for MEBS. She has helped many birds convert to a healthy diet. You can book a consultation with her here.