Parrot Problem Solving 101

Veggies ... 

All vegetables can be given raw, steamed or boiled, except for  Sweet Potatoes; they should be cooked so we recommend that you lightly steam sweet potatoes before eating them. The reason is because sweet potatoes, like many grains, legumes and tubers, contain an enzyme inhibitor that blocks the action of trypsin, which digests proteins. This can make raw sweet potato difficult to digest for humans and may be the same for birds.

 

Carotenoid vegetables (think red, orange and yellow) such as bell peppers, carrots, and squash can be eaten raw, but it is better to cook them because the heat increases the bioavailability of their nutrients.

 

Here is a list of veggies that you can feed your bird; some are more nutritious than others in the list and since birds don't eat a whole lot of volume, try to offer the most nutritious and leave out the others.

 

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• Beetroot & Greens

• Bok Choy (Pak Choi)

• Broccoli (include Sprouting Broccoli with leaves and stems)

• Brussels Sprouts

• Cabbage (red is best)

• Carrot (including the tops)

• Cavolo Nero

• Celery (not highly nutritious, and watch out for the strings)

• Celeriac

• Chard

• Chickweed (Stellaria media)

• Chinese Cabbage

• Courgette (Zucchini)

• Cress

• Cucumber (not highly nutritious)

• Dandelion Greens (use sparingly; inhibits calcium absorption)

• Endive

• French Beans and Runner Beans (better served cooked)

• Greater Plantain (Plantago major)

• Kale (super food ... very high in Calcium)

• Lettuce (dark green varieties)