The Nutritional Composition Of Peaches
| Name | Peaches’ Quantity |
| Energy | 46 kilocalories |
| Water | 88.3 grams |
| Protein | 0.91 gram |
| Fat | 0.27 gram |
| Carbohydrate | 10.1 grams |
| Fiber | 1.5 grams |
| Sugars | 8.39 grams |
| Nitrogen | 0.15 gram |
| Ash | 0.43 gram |
| Calcium | 4 milligrams |
| Iron | 0.34 milligram |
| Magnesium | 8 milligrams |
| Phosphorus | 22 milligrams |
| Potassium | 122 milligrams |
| Sodium | 13 milligram |
| Zinc | 0.23 milligram |
| Copper | 0.078 milligram |
| Manganese | 0.026 milligram |
| Selenium | 2.1 milligram |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.025 milligram |
| Vitamin C | 4.1 milligrams |
| Vitamin A | 24 micrograms |
NOTE: This Table Includes Only The Most Relevant Information.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Peaches?
Peaches contain a bunch of nutrients and vitamins that bearded dragons require, so feel free to add peaches to your list of edible fruits for bearded dragons. Nevertheless, there are a couple of reasons why peaches should not be fed to bearded dragons daily. We’ll be taking a look at those reasons and some of the health benefits bearded dragons derive from peaches whenever they eat them.
Health Benefits Of Peaches For Bearded Dragons
Here are some reasons why feeding peaches to bearded dragons is always a good idea.
Fiber
Peaches contain a reasonable amount of fiber which helps keep bearded dragons’ digestive tracts pristine.
Vitamins
Peaches are a great source of vitamins and are particularly rich in vitamins A and C. Vitamin A is essential for promoting healthy eyesight, while vitamin C plays a crucial role in strengthening the immune system, which helps protect bearded dragons from various illnesses and diseases.
Potassium
Peaches are also rich in potassium which fortifies a bearded dragon’s nervous system, helps with water retention and stabilizes blood pressure.
Water
Peaches can help keep bearded dragons hydrated since they contain about 88.95% water. However, excessive consumption of peaches can result in diarrhea due to the significant amount of water in these fruits.
Sugar
Peaches contain only a moderate amount of sugar, which is particularly beneficial to bearded dragons since they require very little sugar in their food.
Health Risks Of Peaches For Bearded Dragons
These are the reasons why you shouldn’t let your bearded dragon eat peaches daily.
Calcium To Phosphorus Ratio
The calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in a bearded dragon’s food needs to be 2:1 or 1:1. This means the amount of calcium in the food needs to be equal to or twice as much as the amount of phosphorus. This isn’t the case for peaches, though, since the fruit contains a much more significant amount of phosphorus than calcium. Overconsumption of peaches may lead to health complications in bearded dragons, such as metabolic bone disease, owing to the wrong calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the fruit.
Goitrogens
Peaches contain a substantial amount of goitrogens, a substance that can disrupt the production of thyroid hormones. Ingesting too many goitrogens can enlarge a bearded dragon’s thyroid, which is disastrous since it also leads to physical discomfort and hormonal imbalances.
What Types Of Peaches Can Bearded Dragons Eat
Having confirmed that fresh peaches are suitable for bearded dragons, it’s time to determine whether canned and dried peaches are also safe for them to eat.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Canned Peaches?
You shouldn’t let your bearded dragon eat canned peaches because they usually contain preservatives that can harm a bearded dragon.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Dried Peaches?
The sugar content in dried peaches is remarkably high due to the drying process, which removes much of the fruit’s water content and concentrates the sugar. Consequently, feeding dried peaches to bearded dragons may result in various health problems, such as obesity, tooth decay, and digestive issues.
What Parts Of Peaches Can Bearded Dragons Eat
Let’s find out which parts of peaches bearded dragons can eat.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Peach Skin?
Peach skin is edible but should not be fed to bearded dragons because the skin is usually tough and might choke them when they swallow.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Peach Seeds And Pit?
Bearded dragons should not be fed peach seeds because there’s always the risk of impaction and choking when bearded dragons eat fruit seeds. It’s important to also slice out the fruit’s pit (the reddish section that protects the seed) before feeding a peach to a bearded dragon. Peach seeds also contain trace amounts of cyanide compounds which are poisonous when consumed in large quantities.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Peach Flesh?
Peach flesh is the only part of the fruit that bearded dragons should eat.
How To Pick The Best Peaches For Your Bearded Dragon
Follow the steps below to learn how to pick the best peaches for your bearded dragon.
Confirm If The Peaches Was Organically Grown
Non-organic fruits are frequently ridden with pesticides, antibiotics, and other chemicals that might negatively affect bearded dragons. That’s why it’s best to always buy organic fruits and vegetables for bearded dragons or grow them yourself.
You shouldn’t feed your bearded dragon wild peaches even though they might be fresh, ripe, and seem more ”natural”. That’s because it’s essential to understand how the fruits you feed your bearded dragon are grown. While wild peaches may be organic, they could have absorbed unknown chemicals and substances in the wild that no one knows about.
Check The Texture
Unripe peaches feel firm when squeezed, so make sure you don’t pick the soft ones. It’s best to also avoid peaches with visible marks, spots, wrinkles, and dents.
Check The Color
It’s best to select only dark yellow and reddish colored peaches as these colors usually indicate that the fruit is fully ripe, sweet, and juicy. Green peaches might be edible, but they are also not fully ripe.
Give The Fruit A Whiff
Peaches emit a pleasant and sweet fragrance when ripe, so ensure you don’t pick the ones that have an unpleasant smell or no smell at all.
How To Prepare Peaches For Bearded Dragons
- Wash the fruit first to ensure there’s no dirt on the skin.
- Slice the peach open and remove the pit and seeds.
- Slice the peach into smaller pieces, so it’s easier for your bearded dragon to swallow them.
- You can feed your bearded dragon the pieces of the fruit as a treat or use them as a salad topper.
- Remove the remnants of the fruits once your bearded dragon is done eating.
How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Peaches?
You’re free to feed your bearded dragon a couple of peach slices once a week.
How To Store Peaches
The manner of storing peaches depends on how ripe they are and when exactly you want to use them.
How To Store Ripe Peaches
You can store ripe peaches in both a freezer and a fridge.
Storing peaches in a refrigerator is quite simple. All you have to do is to place them in the fridge and lock it up. The refrigerator’s cold air will slow down the peaches’ ripening process but will also dehydrate them quickly. So ensure you use the peaches a couple of days later.
Peaches last for about 3 to 5 days when refrigerated.
Follow the steps below to learn how to efficiently freeze peaches.
Wash the peaches.
Cut each one into multiple slices.
Arrange the slices on a baking sheet.
Transfer the baking sheet with the sliced peaches to a freezer and freeze them for about 6 hours.
Transfer the sliced peaches to a freezer bag and then place the bag in the freezer.
Peaches can be stored for up to 12 months this way.
How To Store Unripe Peaches
Keep unripe peaches on a counter at room temperature to safely store them. It’s recommended to space the fruits apart to prevent bruising and place them with the stem part facing downwards. You can also place them in a paper bag if you want them to ripen faster.
