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Bearded Dragon Food

What Can Bearded Dragons Eat?

Updated on July 18, 2024
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Reviewed by Petco’s Animal Care
Education and Compliance (ACE) Team

Bearded dragon food list | Insects and invertebrates | Vegetables | Fruits to feed | Supplements | Food group ratios | What not to feed | Keeping Track | Preparing food | Where to find food

Named for their spiky beard, bearded dragons have been growing in popularity as pets in the United States over the past two decades. These Australian natives tend to be social and display a lot of personality. While they can make wonderful pets, bearded dragons have complex nutritional needs. While bearded dragon food may seem confusing at first, it isn’t so complicated once you understand the basics. By keeping a bearded dragon food list handy and following a few simple rules, you can help your pet live a healthy and active life.

Bearded dragon food list

Bearded dragons are omnivores, which means they need to eat different kinds of plants and animal/insect proteins to meet their nutritional needs.

While not all inclusive, below is a list of bearded dragon food options. Keep in mind, however, that some of these foods should only be offered in small amounts. Don’t be intimidated by the size of the list—we’ll break down each major category and explain precisely how you can serve up just the right food for your bearded dragon.

  • Alfalfa sprouts
  • Asparagus
  • Beetles
  • Bell peppers
  • Bok choy
  • Broccoli
  • Butter worms
  • CalciWorms
  • Crickets
  • Cucumber
  • Dandelion leaves · Earthworms
  • Endive
  • Green beans
  • Green cabbage
  • Hibiscus
  • Hornworms
  • Kale
  • Mealworms
  • Mustard greens
  • Okra
  • Parsnip
  • Peas
  • Pumpkin
  • Roaches
  • Silkworms
  • Squash
  • Superworms
  • Sweet potato
  • Turnip greens
  • Watercress
  • Waxworms

Insects and invertebrates for bearded dragons

Your pet needs protein—especially as a juvenile—and this will typically come from live insects and invertebrates. As gut-loaded and/or calcium- and vitamin-dusted insects and invertebrates should account for 70 percent of your juvenile bearded dragon's diet, a variety of them will be needed to ensure a well-balanced diet. Note that when they reach adulthood, your bearded dragon’s nutritional needs will flip, with vegetables now making up 75 percent of their diet and insects and invertebrates coming in at 25 percent. Never feed your bearded dragon insects that you find in and around your home or yard as the pesticides they may have come in contact with may be toxic to your pet. Instead, purchase them from your neighborhood Petco Pet Care Center or on petco.com.

Crickets

Crickets are the most popular insect choice for pet parents, and they are readily available at most pet stores. However, they can be noisy and might be able to escape depending on the type of bearded dragon enclosure you have.

  • Crickets sold at Petco are not just ordinary crickets. Vita-Bugs crickets are raised on a feed that has been proven to maintain increased vitamin and nutrient levels throughout their growing process.

Vita-Bugs crickets, sold in both bulk and carry-out containers, have high nutritional content and are enhanced with vitamins A and E, beta-carotene, and omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.

Roaches

Roaches are very high in protein (up to 28%), which can make them a great choice for an adult bearded dragon diet. Since smaller roaches often burrow in the substrate, consider placing them in a feeder dish. This makes them more readily available to eat since they cannot easily climb smooth surfaces. They are typically easy to keep as they don’t jump, fly or make much noise.

Mealworms

Behind that exoskeleton is a great source of vitamins A and E in addition to fatty acids and essential proteins, making mealworms a great bearded dragon food. They are quiet and can be conveniently stored in the refrigerator to prevent them from morphing. They cannot fly or jump out of the habitat.

CalciWorms

CalciWorms are among bearded dragons’ favorite foods. They are low in fat and rich in calcium, with a natural balance of calcium and phosphorus that helps prevent metabolic bone disease. They are a good option for gravid (pregnant) females and females who have just laid eggs. CalciWorms are very wiggly, so they tend to entice finicky eaters.

Bearded dragons absorb a lot of their required nutrition from the insects they eat. To help keep your bearded dragon in good health, you can feed live insects that have been fed a special lifelong diet to increase the nutritional value of their tissue, like Vita-Bugs. Some pet parents use a method known as gut loading to help improve the nutritional value of the insects they feed their bearded dragons.

This process involves feeding a nutritious diet to your insects a day before giving them to your bearded dragon. This way, the insects’ stomachs will be loaded with lots of wholesome vitamins and minerals for your lizard. The specific foods you use for gut loading will depend on which insects you intend to use as bearded dragon food.

Vegetables for bearded dragons

Bearded dragons need nutrients from vegetables to maintain good health. Vegetables will make up the majority (75 percent) of your adult bearded dragon’s food To help prevent impaction, always cut vegetables into pieces no larger than the space between your bearded dragon’s eyes.

Some of the best vegetables for bearded dragons are dark and leafy greens like collard and mustard greens; romaine, Boston and red leaf lettuce; fresh alfalfa sprouts and dandelion leaves. These should make up the largest portion of your pet’s plant- based diet. Squash, sweet potatoes and bell peppers are also great for bearded dragons but should be offered in moderation.

Fruits to feed bearded dragons

Consider fruits as desserts or special treats for bearded dragons. Although tasty, fruit is high in sugar and often deficient in the nutrients bearded dragons need to stay healthy. You can mix a few small pieces of fruit into their food a few times a week or drop a bit in their habitat from time to time as a tasty treat. Some of the best fruits to feed your bearded dragon include apples, bananas, seedless watermelon, grapes, blueberries and raspberries. Remember to cut them into pieces no larger than the space between their eyes.

Supplements for bearded dragons

There are certain vitamins and minerals that pet beardies need but that they may not get enough of through diet alone. You’ll need to supplement their food to ensure they maintain good health.

Calcium and vitamin D3 help your bearded dragon maintain strong bones and help prevent metabolic bone disease. Similar to many humans, reptiles also need a multivitamin. The easiest way to give your pet the supplements they need is to buy calcium, D3 or calcium with D3 and a multivitamin at your neighborhood Petco. The supplements come in a powder form and should be dusted on insects and plant matter before feeding them to your bearded dragon. Ask your veterinarian how frequently each needs to be administered to your pet for their current age/life stage.

Food group ratios

Nutrition plays a vital role in maintaining the health of your bearded dragon and allowing them to thrive. They will need to consume a variety of foods as well as vitamin and mineral supplements. Inadequate nutrition in a reptile’s diet can lead to various illnesses. A good guide to follow for adult bearded dragons is to feed them 75 percent vegetables and 25 percent insects and invertebrates.

For a juvenile bearded dragon diet, this ratio flips. Feed them 70 percent insects and invertebrates and 30 percent vegetables.

As a reminder, fruits are treats for bearded dragons—not their primary food source.

Juvenile bearded dragon diet

The components of a juvenile and baby bearded dragon’s diet are mostly the same as that of an adult, but the ratio of protein to veggies is much different. Baby and juvenile bearded dragons need much more protein than adults to fuel their growth.

How often and how much to feed baby and juvenile bearded dragons

Baby and juvenile bearded dragons have a very different feeding schedule than adults. Baby bearded dragons need to eat a lot and often. If your pet has just hatched, you can feed them as many insects and invertebrates as they can eat within 10 to15 minutes three times a day. Also provide fresh vegetables daily so they can graze between insect meals. As they approach 6 months of age, your bearded dragon may start eating more vegetables on their own and you can slowly reduce the frequency at which you provide insects and invertebrates.

Bearded dragons reach adulthood at around 12-plus months of age. At this time, you can gradually adjust your bearded dragon food ratio to adult portions.

How often and how much to feed adult bearded dragons

Adult bearded dragons should be fed fresh vegetables daily and insects and invertebrates every other day to every two days. Fruit can be offered in small quantities two to three days a week. It can sometimes be difficult to determine how much food to give your pet, as their appetite typically depends on their size and activity level and the calorie content of their food.

You can be less strict with the amount of vegetables for bearded dragons. Make sure to remove vegetables from the habitat before they start to wilt or rot and spread bacteria.

Keep in mind that bearded dragons tend to have big appetites and will typically eat as much as you let them. Obesity, a common problem among bearded dragons, can lead to heart disease and joint issues. Consult your veterinarian if you aren’t sure how much to feed your bearded dragon or are concerned about their weight.

What not to feed your bearded dragon

It may seem like bearded dragons can eat anything and everything, but there are many types of foods that aren’t good for your beardie—and some can even be lethal.

Do not feed your bearded dragon:

  • Avocado
  • Celery
  • Dead bugs
  • Eggplant
  • Elder bugs
  • Fireflies and any bug that glows
  • Garlic
  • Iceberg lettuce, as it has little nutritional value
  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • Mushrooms
  • Onions
  • Oranges
  • Spiders · Any wild bug or plant found around the home or yard as they could be exposed to pesticides or insecticides

How to keep track of it all

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could open a pre-made bag of bearded dragon food as you can with dog or cat food? While there are several options of pre-formulated, commercial bearded dragon diets available, adding fresh foods to your dragon’s diet is beneficial, even if it can seem a little challenging at first. How do you keep track of it all?

A simple option is to create a feeding schedule for your pet. It may be a good idea to include the complete bearded dragon food list as part of your schedule so you know what’s available to your pet.

You can create your schedule using a physical calendar book, an online calendar or even a calendar app. Once you’ve chosen your preferred medium, make a meal plan for each day or every other day. The beauty of a feeding schedule is that—at a glance—you can see if you are feeding your bearded dragon too much of one food and need to mix things up a bit. You can also use your feeding schedule to create your shopping and food preparation list.

How to prepare food for bearded dragons

Chop fruits and vegetables into small pieces so your beardie can eat them without issue. Baby and juvenile bearded dragons will require even smaller fruit and veggie bits. A good rule to sizing food pieces is that a portion of food should be no larger than the space between your bearded dragon’s eyes.

Where to find food for bearded dragons

Now that you’re ready to provide a wonderful home for your lizard, it’s time to find your pet some tasty bearded dragon food. You can pick up wholesome fruits and veggies at your local grocery store. You’ll need to go to your local pet store—like Petco—to purchase live insects and invertebrates or a commercially available diet for your beardie. At Petco, you can also find the supplement powders you need to maintain your pet’s health and wellness and other bearded dragon solutions like bedding and habitats.

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