bearded dragon handbook

Get our pet owner's guide for bearded dragons and help your special friend live its best life.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Baby Food?

It’s true bearded dragons and humans can both enjoy certain fruits and veggies, but where do we draw the line? 

For instance, can our beardie babies enjoy the seemingly healthy and delicious option of baby food the way our own young do?

Baby foods certainly seem like a good option since they’re often blended versions of veggies our reptiles are already eating in their daily diet. 

With such a smooth consistency, they also certainly wouldn’t put our pets at risk of choking, either.

As concerned dragon owners, though, we know we need to be careful when it comes to beardie health. 

Just because something works for us doesn’t mean it will work for them.

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Is Baby Food Safe For A Bearded Dragon?

The safe answer here is no; our pet lizards should not be eating baby food as part of their diet. It’s often high in sugar and can contain other additives posing a threat to your pet.

There are occasional situations where baby food might be warranted, like if you have a malnourished or sick dragon on your hands, but even then, you should check with a knowledgeable reptile vet first. 

Our beardies are meant to eat fresh veggies and protein.

They need a wide variety of these items from your neighborhood grocery and pet store, but you should avoid cooked and processed foodsā€”like baby foodā€”while you’re there. 

While it may seem like a good idea and an easy option to go the Gerber route, human baby food is not part of the natural staple diet for a lizard.

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Why Is Baby Food Bad For Bearded Dragons?

Sure, baby food is not lethal if given to your pet lizard in occasional feedings, but it’s not what a healthy dragon needs. 

Your pet dragon’s diet in captivity should very much resemble the diet of a wild beardie. 

In or out of our care, these reptiles need access to fresh, natural foods.

Bearded dragons do not need sugarā€”a natural diet of fresh greens and light insect protein doesn’t contain much. 

Yet a lot of human baby food is high in sugar, with about a third of its calories often coming from it. 

Meanwhile, something like celery will only have about one gram of sugar for every 100 grams. 

One percent is more like it!

We have an article dedicated to celery if you want to learn more about feeding bearded dragons celery.

In order to thrive, our beardies need vitamins and minerals above all, like vitamin A, iron, and calcium. 

Too much sugar from processed food can lead to health issues like obesity and prevent your pet from getting the raw nutrients it needs.

Plus, baby food is expensive! 

You might think it’s a convenient way to avoid the washing and chopping you need for fresh food prep, but in the long run, it’s actually more cost-effective to stick with the real deal.

Is It Ever Okay To Feed Baby Food To My Bearded Dragon?

We did say earlier there might be a couple of situations in which baby food becomes acceptable. 

(There’s always an exception to the rule, isn’t there?) 

So, when would this be the case?

If your beardie is being particularly picky, to the point of being malnourished, baby food could act as the nutritional boost your lizard needsā€”or you could mix it with acceptable foods to get your pet’s appetite for veggies going again. 

For example, baby bearded dragons need a lot more protein than adult dragons, so sometimes, the transition from a high protein to a balanced protein and veggie diet is difficult. 

Using baby food strategically and in moderation for a transition like this could end up being helpful. 

Again, though, we recommend consulting with your reptile veterinarian care expert before making such decisions.

The same goes for if your dragon is ill or recovering from an injuryā€”sometimes, access to baby food could help pave the way to a speedier recovery. 

Don’t think of it as a sweet treat so much as a potential medical aid on a case-by-case basis.

Are Certain Kinds of Baby Food Better Than Others?

There are particular types of baby food going to provide better care to your bearded dragon than others, should you end up in a situation where you need to feed them this substance.

Choose organic baby food over anything else. 

Organic will give you the best chance at natural ingredients and fewer preservatives. 

Read the label! 

Avoid any options too high in sugar or have any suspicious additives bad for your beardie.

Choose vegetable-based products over fruit baby foods. 

Fruit is naturally higher in sugar, and your dragon shouldn’t be eating a ton of fruit, to begin with. 

Use squash baby food, pumpkin, or other organic veggie baby food containing a staple ingredient your beardie already eats.

If you do engage with this product, use syringe feeding so you may control the amount of baby food your bearded dragon consumes.

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What Should I Be Feeding My Bearded Dragon Instead?

Juvi dragons should have a high-protein diet (about 80% protein and 20% veggies), while adult beardies should have a greater variety of food (amounting to about 50% protein and 50% veggies). 

For protein, use dubia roaches, crickets, and superworms. 

For veggies, opt for leafy greens and dark greens. 

  • Kale
  • Mustard Greens
  • Turnip Greens
  • Collard Greens

Calcium is really important for your bearded dragon’s health, too, so consider foods which will aid in calcium absorption, as well as calcium supplements. 

Final Thoughts

You want your bearded dragon to be eating a diet similar to how they would in the wildā€”a wide variety of insects, raw vegetables, and the occasional fruit. 

Human baby food, blended and ready to go, may seem like an attractive alternative, but in fact, it is cooked, processed, and usually very high in sugar.

If you find yourself in a situation where baby food seems like the only answer for your beardieā€”like they aren’t eating what they’re supposed to or are recovering from being sick or injuredā€”ask your vet. 

As a general rule of thumb, though, this human creation should not be part of your bearded dragon’s daily diet.

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