Every bearded dragon owner needs one reference they can trust. Not a Reddit thread. Not a forum post from five years ago with conflicting replies. A clean, complete, and accurate food chart organized by what to feed daily, weekly, occasionally, and never.
This is that chart.
Feed me by the chart, not by guesswork. Green staples every day, insects by my age, fruit only as a treat, and never avocado, rhubarb, onions, or fireflies. One bad food can undo a hundred good ones.
📋 How to Use This Food Chart
Bearded dragons require different food ratios at different life stages. A baby dragon thriving on 75% insects will develop fatty liver disease if fed the same ratio as an adult.
Quick ratio reference by age:
| Age | Insects | Plants |
|---|---|---|
| Baby (0-3 months) | 75-80% | 20-25% |
| Juvenile (3-12 months) | 60% | 40% |
| Adult (12+ months) | 30% | 70% |
Use this chart alongside those ratios. Not as a replacement for them.
🥬 Safe Greens and Vegetables, Ranked by Frequency FoodVerdictNotesCollard greensDailyBest overall staple.
🥬 Safe Greens and Vegetables, Ranked by Frequency
| Food | Verdict | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Collard greens | Daily | Best overall staple. Excellent Ca:P ratio. |
| Mustard greens | Daily | Strong Ca:P, mild peppery flavor most dragons enjoy. |
| Dandelion greens | Daily | Highly nutritious. Pesticide-free sources only. |
| Turnip greens | Daily | High calcium, good fiber content. |
| Endive | Daily | Mild, palatable, favorable Ca:P ratio. |
| Escarole | Daily | Excellent rotation partner. Similar to endive. |
| Watercress | Daily | Nutrient-dense. Good occasional-to-daily option. |
| Bell peppers (any color) | 3-5x/wk | High vitamin C. Red peppers = highest nutrient density. |
| Butternut squash | 3-5x/wk | Vitamin A source. Serve raw or plain cooked. |
| Acorn squash | 3-5x/wk | Similar to butternut. Soft, easy to prepare. |
| Yellow squash | 3-5x/wk | High water content, mild flavor. |
| Zucchini | 3-5x/wk | Hydration support, easy to digest. |
| Snap peas | 3-5x/wk | Good fiber, vitamin C. |
| Okra | 3-5x/wk | Moderate calcium, good vitamin K. |
| Cilantro | 3-5x/wk | Flavorful herb, safe and often enjoyed. |
| Parsley | 3-5x/wk | Use as an accent, not a primary green. |
| Kale | 1-2x/wk | Goitrogens affect thyroid function with excess feeding. |
| Spinach | 1-2x/wk | Oxalates bind calcium, reducing absorption. |
| Broccoli | 1-2x/wk | Goitrogens + moderate oxalates. |
| Beet greens | 1-2x/wk | High oxalate content. |
| Swiss chard | 1-2x/wk | High oxalates. |
| Carrots | 1-2x/wk | High vitamin A, don’t combine with vitamin A supplements. |
| Cucumber | 1-2x/wk | Near-zero nutrition. Hydration only. |
🐛 Safe Feeder Insects, Ranked by Nutritional Value
The insect list isn’t just about what’s safe, it’s about what actually delivers the protein, calcium, and fat profile your dragon needs at each life stage.
| Insect | Verdict | Key Benefit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubia roaches | Regular | Best protein-to-fat ratio. High calcium. | Gold standard feeder. Gutload before feeding. |
| Black soldier fly larvae | Regular | Naturally calcium-rich. No dusting needed. | Excellent for all ages. |
| Crickets | Regular | Widely available and accepted. | Lower nutrition than dubias. Gutload essential. |
| Silkworms | Regular | High protein, soft body, easy to digest. | Great for sick or picky dragons. |
| Hornworms | Variety | High moisture, good for hydration. | Low protein, don’t use as primary. |
| Butterworms | Variety | High in calcium, tasty. | Also high in fat. 1-2x per week max. |
| Earthworms | Variety | Good protein and moisture. | Buy from reptile suppliers. No wild-caught. |
| Waxworms | Treat only | - | Essentially candy. High fat, low nutrition. Max 1-2x/week. |
| Superworms | Treat only | - | High fat, hard chitin shell. Adult occasional treat only. |
| Mealworms | Treat only | - | Poor Ca:P ratio, hard chitin. Not recommended as staple at any age. |
Gutloading reminder: Feed all feeder insects a nutritious diet for 24-48 hours before offering them to your dragon. Use commercial gutload formula, leafy greens, squash, and carrots. What the insect eats, your dragon eats.
📚 Recommended Reading: What Do Bearded Dragons Eat? The Complete Diet Guide.
🍓 Safe Fruits, Treat List Only
Fruit should represent no more than 10% of total diet volume and should never be offered daily. High sugar content in repeated doses disrupts gut bacteria, contributes to obesity, and increases coccidia risk.
| Fruit | Feed Frequency | Prep Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Strawberries | 1-2x/week max | Slice, no stems |
| Blueberries | 1-2x/week max | Whole or halved |
| Raspberries | 1-2x/week max | Whole, remove any mold |
| Mango | 1x/week max | Remove skin, small pieces |
| Papaya | 1x/week max | Remove seeds |
| Watermelon | 1x/week max | Seedless only, high moisture |
| Apples | 1x/week max | Peel, remove seeds (seeds contain cyanogenic compounds) |
| Grapes | 1x/week max | Seedless, cut in half |
| Pears | 1x/week max | Remove seeds |
| Peaches | 1x/week max | Remove pit and skin |
| Kiwi | Occasional | High oxalates, limit |
| Bananas | Occasional | High phosphorus, limit |
| Figs | Occasional | High calcium, but very sugary |
Avoid all citrus (oranges, lemons, grapefruit, limes). Too acidic for bearded dragon digestive systems.
💊 Supplements That Belong in Every Feeding Rotation
Supplements are not optional. Even a perfectly varied diet falls short of what bearded dragons need in captivity without supplementation.
Calcium Without D3
- Use: Daily on feeder insects for dragons under adequate UVB lighting
- Why: Supports bone density, muscle function, and nerve transmission
Calcium With D3
- Use: 2-3x per week if UVB setup is inadequate or dragon gets limited sun exposure
- Why: D3 is required to absorb and use calcium. Without UVB, the body can’t synthesize it naturally.
Reptile Multivitamin
- Use: 1-2x per week maximum
- Why: Covers vitamin A, B vitamins, and trace minerals not fully supplied by diet
How to apply: Place feeder insects in a bag or deli cup with supplement powder and shake gently. The coated insects deliver supplements as the dragon eats.
Don’t over-supplement. More is not better. Excess vitamin A causes hypervitaminosis A, a toxic condition that causes skin swelling, lethargy, and organ damage. Stick to the schedule.
🚫 The Complete Unsafe Food List
This section exists to protect your dragon. Many items below appear on “safe” lists across popular reptile websites. They should not.
| Food | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Avocado | Never | Contains persin, toxic to reptiles |
| Fireflies / Lightning bugs | Never | Bioluminescent compounds are lethal. Even one can kill. |
| Rhubarb | Never | Extremely high oxalic acid. Causes kidney failure. |
| Onions | Never | Organosulfur compounds destroy blood cells. |
| Garlic | Never | Same mechanism as onions. Toxic even in small amounts. |
| Wild-caught insects | Never | Risk of pesticides, parasites, and pathogens. |
| Iceberg lettuce | Never | No nutrition. Causes diarrhea. Displaces better foods. |
| Dog or cat food | Never | Not formulated for reptiles. High in additives and wrong protein sources. |
| Bread or grains | Never | Cannot be digested. No nutritional value for reptiles. |
| Dairy products | Never | Reptiles are lactose intolerant. |
| Any wild plant (unverified) | Never | Risk of pesticides, herbicides, and toxic lookalikes. |
| Spinach (large amounts) | Limit | Oxalates block calcium |
| Kale (daily) | Limit | Goitrogens suppress thyroid function |
| Citrus fruits | Limit | Too acidic for bearded dragon digestive tract |
| Waxworms / superworms (excess) | Limit | Obesity and fatty liver disease |
📅 Sample Weekly Feeding Schedule
Adult Bearded Dragon (12+ months)
| Day | Plants (70%) | Insects (30%) | Supplements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Collard greens + bell pepper | Dubia roaches | Calcium (no D3) |
| Tuesday | Mustard greens + butternut squash | Rest day | - |
| Wednesday | Dandelion greens + snap peas | Crickets | Multivitamin |
| Thursday | Turnip greens + zucchini | Rest day | Calcium (no D3) |
| Friday | Endive + carrots | Dubia roaches | Calcium (no D3) |
| Saturday | Collard greens + yellow squash | Hornworms (hydration) | Calcium with D3 |
| Sunday | Watercress + bell pepper | Rest day | - |
📚 Recommended Reading: Best Vegetables for Bearded Dragons, The Ranked List.
✅ Takeaways
- Babies eat primarily insects (75%); adults eat primarily plants (70%), age-based ratios matter
- Daily staple greens include collard, mustard, dandelion, and turnip greens, rotate all of them
- Dubia roaches and BSFL are the most nutritious feeder insects available
- Fruit is a treat, 1-2 times per week max, 10% of total diet volume
- Calcium, D3, and a reptile multivitamin are required supplements for every life stage
- Never feed avocado, fireflies, rhubarb, onions, garlic, or wild-caught insects
- Gutloading feeder insects for 24-48 hours before feeding is not optional, it directly multiplies their nutritional value
Keep this chart bookmarked. Rotate your selections weekly. Your dragon’s health over the next ten to fifteen years is built on decisions you make at the feeding bowl every day.
Common questions
What can bearded dragons eat every day?+
What are the best feeder insects for bearded dragons?+
Do bearded dragons really need supplements?+
Aqib Ali
Aqib has kept bearded dragons for over eight years and writes the Care and Diet guides on Beardies World, working from animals he actually raises rather than other articles.
All guides by Aqib →