Every bearded dragon owner wants to feed their pet the most nutritious foods available. And honestly, that’s a good thing. Eating nourishing foods is the only way bearded dragons can grow strong and healthy. So it’s your duty to understand the nutritional advantages and disadvantages of every meal you feed your bearded dragon in order to know if the food will have any positive or negative impacts on their health. Bearded dragons are omnivores, so they are ready to eat meat and plants at any time of the day. And since parsley is one of the most nutritious vegetables usually available. One might wonder if bearded dragons can eat parsley too. Let’s find out.
What Is Parsley?
Parsley is a biennial plant that grows in subtropical, tropical, and temperate climates. The plant best grows in moist soils between 22–30 °C (72–86 °F). There are multiple varieties and groups of parsley, each with distinct characteristics and flavors. Anyway, there are two main groups of parsley: leaf and root. Leaf parsley is more popular than root parsley and is often incorporated into more meals than the latter.
Parsley is widely used as a garnish to create palatable dishes. It can also be eaten as a snack or used as a vegetable to make food. The seeds of the plant are also edible and can be incorporated into multiple meals. Nonetheless, parsley is widely used in American and European cuisine and less commonly used in other parts of the world.
The Nutritional Composition Of Parsley
| Name | Parsley’s Quantity |
| Energy | 36 kilocalories |
| Water | 87.7 grams |
| Protein | 2.97 grams |
| Fat | 0.79 gram |
| Carbohydrate | 6.33 grams |
| Fiber | 3.3 grams |
| Sugars | 0.85 gram |
| Calcium | 138 milligrams |
| Magnesium | 50 milligrams |
| Phosphorus | 58 milligrams |
| Potassium | 554 milligrams |
| Sodium | 56 milligram |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.09 milligram |
| Vitamin C | 133 milligrams |
| Vitamin E | 0.75 milligram |
| Vitamin A | 421 micrograms |
| Vitamin K | 1640 micrograms |
NOTE: This Table Includes Only The Most Relevant Information.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Parsley?
You’re free to feed your bearded dragon some parsley but ensure you do so in little bits. Parsley is chock-full of beneficial nutrients for bearded dragons. Still, the plant also has a substantial amount of oxalates which, when consumed in significant amounts, can be disastrous to bearded dragons. So it’s best to feed your bearded dragon some parsley in little bits while incorporating it as a small part of their diet.
Nevertheless, it’s best to confirm if your bearded dragon can safely eat parsley first before you add it to its diet list. As such, ensure you give your bearded dragon a bit of parsley first to confirm it isn’t allergic to it. It would be best to always do this before incorporating any new food into your bearded dragon’s diet.
Health Benefits Of Parsley For Bearded Dragons
Just because you shouldn’t allow a bearded dragon to eat some parsley regularly doesn’t mean it’s an awful food to feed them. Parsley is packed full of nutrients that are quite beneficial to bearded dragons.
Let’s look at some reasons why adding some parsley to your bearded dragon’s diet is a good idea.
Low On Sugar
Parsley has a reasonably low amount of sugar compared to other edible plants that bearded dragons eat. As such, bearded dragons can safely eat it without getting obese and having fatty liver disease.
Fiber
Parsley has a substantial amount of fiber which, when consumed, can stabilize the digestive tract of bearded dragons and prevent constipation and diarrhea.
Protein
Parsley is also rich in protein, which benefits bearded dragons, especially when they are still young, since it helps them grow faster.
Calcium To Phosphorus Ratio
Another major reason parsley is a healthy food for bearded dragons is because of the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of the plant. Parsley has about 138 mg and 58 mg of calcium and phosphorus, respectively, per every 100g serving. This is in line with the 2:1 ratio of calcium and phosphorus a bearded dragon needs in their meals.
The substantial amount of calcium in parsley also makes it safer to eat since the high amount can help offset the oxalates in the plant.
Vitamins
Parley also has a substantial amount of multiple vitamins beneficial to bearded dragons. For example, parsley contains a lot of vitamin A, which can help boost the immune system of bearded dragons, and Vitamin K, which helps with bone growth.
Health Risks Of Parsley For Bearded Dragons
The major issue with parsley as a food source for bearded dragons is the number of oxalates in the plant. Parsley has about 1900 mg of oxalates per 100 grams, which is astonishing since asparagus, a similar vegetable, only has around 130 mg per 100 grams.
Oxalates are not outright bad since plants need them to defend against predators and regulate their mineral content. However, consuming foods with excessive amounts of oxalates can easily lead to health issues since oxalates can bind with calcium and prevent it from getting absorbed by the body.
Lack of calcium absorption is disastrous and can lead to health issues like metabolic bone disease, which can cause brittle bones and bone loss in bearded dragons.
What Types Of Parsley Can Bearded Dragons Eat
Parsley is divided into two cultivar groups depending on the part of the plant that will be used. These groups are leaf parsley and root parsley.
Let’s find out if you can feed either or both of these to bearded dragons.
We’ll also be checking if parsley flakes are edible for bearded dragons too.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Leaf Parsley?
There are multiple varieties of leaf parsley, including curly (common parsley), flat-leaf parsley, and Japanese parsley. All types of leaf parsley are edible and can be fed to bearded dragons. Just ensure you don’t feed your bearded dragon too much of it.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Root Parsley?
Root parsley, also known as Hamburg parsley, is a root vegetable that produces thick edible roots that can be eaten raw or used to create soups and stews. Root parsley is edible but should not be fed to bearded dragons. That’s because bearded dragons prefer to swallow their food whole and are not good at chewing food first. As such, they might choke if they eat some root parsley. On the other hand, root parsley is also too abrasive and tough for an average bearded dragon to eat safely.
This variety of parsley is also more susceptible to chemicals and germs since it grows deep within the soil. As such, it might be too difficult and tasking to thoroughly clean root parsley before feeding it to a bearded dragon.
Due to both of these reasons, it’s best to stick to leaf parsley and other edible nutritious vegetables when it’s time to feed your bearded dragon.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Parsley Flakes?
Parsley flakes are dried and crushed parsley leaves that are preserved to be used later for cooking. The flakes are made with preservatives and other substances that might be disastrous to the health of bearded dragons. That’s why feeding a bearded dragon some parsley flakes is a bad idea.
What Parts Of Parsley Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
Now that we know the leaves of a parsley plant are edible, it’s important to know if we can feed other parts of the plant to bearded dragons.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Parsley Stem?
The stem of the parsley plant is edible and nutritious and can be safely fed to bearded dragons. Just ensure you trim it into smaller pieces to make it easier for your bearded dragon to swallow.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Parsley Seeds?
Parsley seeds are edible, but you shouldn’t allow your bearded dragon to eat them at all. That’s because the digestive tracts of bearded dragons cant dissolve seed hulls. Bearded dragons might be able to safely pass out the seeds after eating them, but there’s always the risk of impaction when they do. The seeds don’t also have any nutritional benefits to bearded dragons since they can’t be dissolved in the digestive tract. So, there’s really no need to feed them any seeds in the first place.
How To Pick The Best Parsley For Your Bearded Dragon
It’s important to feed bearded dragons only fresh vegetables and fruits. This ensures they get the maximum amount of nutrients whenever they eat. That’s why you need to always get your produce from a reliable source that organically grows crops.
It’s also a good idea to grow the food you feed your bearded dragon yourself whenever possible. Growing crops yourself is a healthier option when compared to buying since you’re 100 percent sure of where the food came from and what was used in growing it. However, if you decide to buy some parsley, please ensure you pick only the vibrantly green ones. It’s best to steer clear of any yellowed or wilting parsley since those are signs that the plant is getting old and drying out.
How To Prepare Parsley For Bearded Dragons
The first thing you need to do once you’ve selected the parsley you want to feed your bearded dragon is to wash it first. Doing this ensures the parsley is clean and free from dirt and debris that might have gotten stuck to the plant.
Chop the parsley into little pieces so it’s easier for your bearded dragon to eat.
Ensure you remove all the parsley seeds if there are some with the plant you picked.
Mix the parsley with other fruits and vegetables before feeding them to your bearded dragon.
Remember to remove any remnants from your bearded dragon’s enclosure or food bowl wants it’s done with the meal.
How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Parsley?
You can feed your bearded dragon some parsley at least once every two weeks. Doing so more often might be disastrous due to the oxalates in the plant. However, ensure you don’t feed your bearded dragon some parsley if it’s still a baby. Baby bearded dragons require a substantial amount of calcium in their diet, so you’re better off feeding it a vegetable that is high in calcium and without oxalates since that ensures they get the maximum amounts of nutrients they need.
How To Store Parsley
Knowing how to store parsley is essential, especially if you’ve got a bunch of them on your hands and want to use them later. Storing parsley is quite simple. All you have to do is choose one of the options below.
Chop the parsley into smaller pieces, place them in a bag and then place the bag in a freezer.
Chop the parsley into smaller pieces, mix it with a little bit of water and place them in the ice cube trays in a freezer.
Place the parsley-like bouquet in a fresh glass of water before dropping the glass of water with the parsley inside a refrigerator.
Conclusion
Parsley is a fantastic vegetable to add to your bearded dragon diet list. Just ensure you mix it with healthier vegetables and fruits when serving it to your bearded dragon. Also, ensure you don’t make it a staple food for your bearded dragon. It’s best to feed your bearded dragon some parsley once in a while rather than often.
References And Further Reading
Handbook Of Herbs And Spices. Science Direct.
Parsley. Science Direct.
The Diet Of Free-Roaming Australian Central Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps). Wiley Online Library.
Two Common Disorders of Captive Bearded Dragons (Pogona Vitticeps): Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism and Constipation. Science Direct.
