Bearded dragons require a varied diet made up of plenty of different vegetables, fruits, and insects in order to thrive.
This list will help inform you of the many choices you have for your lizard’s diet, each item’s nutritional makeup, and their health benefits.
We’ll cover the best staple food options as well as some of the more occasional treats you should give your beardie.
Table of Contents
#1 Turnip Greens
As one of the most common, inexpensive, and easily accessible dark, leafy greens available for your beardie, turnip greens offer several nutritional benefits.
They have excellent calcium to phosphorus ratio of a whopping 4.5:1, making them ideal for your dragon’s calcium intake to ensure their bones develop correctly and prevent health issues such as metabolic bone disease.
They are also low in calories, meaning it’s safe for your lizard to eat them in large amounts without gaining excess weight.
Other essential nutrients present in turnip greens include:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Protein
- Fiber
Overall, turnip greens are a fantastic staple green.
They are high in several vitamins as well as protein and fiber, which both aid in digestion and provide a great source of energy.
You should use these greens as a salad base and build off of them with other staple greens, vegetables, and a small amount of fruit to make a nutritious and delicious meal for your dragon.
Here’s our post dedicated to feeding turnip greens to bearded dragons if you would like to learn more.
#2 Collard Greens
Collard greens are another fantastic staple green choice, as they are commonly found in most grocery stores at a low price.
Their calcium to phosphorus ratio is also excellent, coming in at 14.5:1, meaning your dragon will get plenty of calcium which won’t be absorbed by the small amount of phosphorus also present in these greens.
They contain lots of other vital nutrients and vitamins, including:
- Protein
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Fiber
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
Collard greens are particularly high in water and fiber, making them perfect for aiding in digestion.
If your dragon experiences chronic constipation, give them collard greens and other high-fiber foods to help facilitate more regular bowel movements.
Here’s our post on feeding bearded dragons collard greens for additional information.
#3 Dandelion Greens
Yet another wonderful staple green, dandelion greens are easily foraged or purchased cheaply from a variety of grocery stores and markets.
Their calcium to phosphorus ratio of roughly 3:1 isn’t quite as good as the previous options on this list, but it’s still perfect for any bearded dragon diet to help prevent calcium deficiency.
It’s safe for your lizard to eat both the greens and the dandelion flowers themselves, as both are very nutritious and greatly enjoyed by most bearded dragons.
Dandelion greens contain several essential vitamins and nutrients, including:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Potassium
If you’re looking for an inexpensive and nutritious staple green, look no further than dandelion greens.
Learn more in our dedicated post on feeding dandelions to bearded dragons.
#4 Mustard Greens
There are lots of dark, leafy staple greens on this list, and mustard greens are one of the best.
Their calcium to phosphorus ratio is roughly 2.4:1, making them great for your dragon’s absorption of calcium.
They are relatively inexpensive and easy to find from most grocery stores, and they are highly nutritious and enjoyed by most beardies.
Mustard greens are also low in calories, sugar, and sodium, like most of the other staple greens on this list, so feel free to give them liberally to your lizard or use them as the bulk of their daily salads.
The vitamins and nutrients present in mustard greens include:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Protein
- Potassium
- Fiber
By combining mustard greens with some of the other dark greens on this list, you will ensure your dragon gets the nutrients they need to stay healthy and strong.
Avoid cooking them, as they lose much of their vitamin and mineral content when cooked; beardies tend to enjoy most plant material raw anyway.
Here’s our post on feeding mustard greens to bearded dragons for additional details.
#5 Endive / Escarole
Although it is a much lesser-known vegetable, endive, also known as escarole, is a great food item for bearded dragons.
Just pull it apart and cut the leaves into smaller pieces if needed before feeding it to your dragon to help them eat it more easily.
Their calcium to phosphorus ratio is only around 2:1, but it’s still high enough to avoid the phosphorus absorbing the calcium and rendering it useless.
Endive is a good source of the following vitamins and nutrients:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- Protein
- Fiber
Additionally, the endive is very low in calories, so it’s safe for your dragon to eat it several times per week.
#6 Bell Peppers
Bell peppers, also known as sweet peppers, are among most bearded dragons’ favorite foods.
They’re flavorful, nutritious, and inexpensive, and it’s safe for beardies to eat all colors of bell peppers.
Although they are somewhat low in calcium, they have lots of other essential nutrients and vitamins, and they are a great semi-staple vegetable for a healthy diet.
Limit your lizard’s bell pepper intake to a few times per week for best results.
They’re also a good source of the following vitamins and nutrients:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K1
- Potassium
- Folate
Bell peppers are also relatively high in water content, making them an excellent option for dehydrated dragons.
Just be sure to cut your peppers into small enough pieces for your beardie to eat comfortably.
Toss a few pepper slices into your dragon’s salads a couple of times per week for a happy and healthy dragon.
#7 Green Beans
Green beans are another tremendous semi-staple vegetable, but it is essential to avoid canned green beans, as they are often full of excess salt and preservatives.
Opt for fresh green beans from your grocery store’s produce section.
Their calcium to phosphorus ratio isn’t great at roughly 1:1, but green beans are packed with lots of other vitamins and nutrients your dragon needs to thrive.
They’re also low in carbs, calories, sugars, and have a very low-fat content, so your dragon is safe to eat them a few times per week.
The vitamins and minerals present in green beans include:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Folate
- Fiber
Overall, green beans are among the best vegetables available for your dragon’s diet, but they aren’t quite a staple food due to their below-average calcium to phosphorus ratio.
#8 Yellow Squash
There are many types of squashes your dragon is able to eat safely, such as butternut and acorn squashes, but the best option is possible, the yellow squash.
Although it is somewhat low in calcium and protein, it is still highly nutritious, and most dragons find it to be delicious as well.
Just avoid the skins, as they are difficult for beardies to swallow and digest properly.
Be sure to cut up squash into small enough pieces to avoid a choking hazard, particularly for baby beardies.
Yellow squash is low in sugar, is an excellent source of energy, and contains a high amount of vitamin A and vitamin C.
Here’s our post on feeding squash to bearded dragons for more information.
#9 Sweet Potato/Yams
Although they’re far from a staple vegetable, sweet potatoes are loved by most bearded dragons and are safe for them to eat once or twice per week.
They have lots of vitamin A, but they’re also somewhat high in sugar.
Their calcium to phosphorus ratio is very poor, too, so avoid feeding them too often, and always provide a calcium supplement to your dragon to account for and make up for such low-calcium foods.
Sweet potatoes have a fair amount of vitamin B, vitamin C, and iron.
They also are high in fiber, so if your lizard is experiencing mild constipation, a small amount of sweet potato will help clear them up and help facilitate more regular bowel movements.
Feed sweet potatoes to your dragon raw rather than cooked, as cooking them eliminates many of their essential nutrients.
Beardies tend to prefer them raw anyway, and feeding them raw is a lot less work.
Sweet potatoes are an excellent treat for part of a balanced diet, as most dragons love them; just don’t feed them too often.
#10 Bok Choy
Bok choy is an interesting choice, but it’s a great occasional vegetable for your beardie.
It has a fair amount of calcium and balanced calcium to phosphorus ratio.
It contains lots of other key nutrients, but it’s also high in goitrogens, a substance commonly responsible for thyroid issues when consumed in excess.
In addition to its calcium content, bok choy also contains the following vitamins and nutrients:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
Additionally, bok choy is low in sugar and fat, making it a decent choice for your beardie’s diet when given a couple of times per week at most.
Lots of dragons enjoy the taste of bok choy.
#11 Cauliflower
Cauliflower is another vegetable not quite suitable as a staple, but it’s still great to give your dragon once or twice a week.
Interestingly, cauliflower greens are much more nutritious for your bearded dragon than the vegetable itself, so be sure to save the leaves for your beardie’s salads.
Cauliflower’s calcium to phosphorus ratio is relatively poor, and it is pretty high in goitrogens, meaning it should not be fed as a staple or even a semi-staple. At most, your dragon should eat cauliflower only once or twice a week.
However, the vegetable still contains a few essential vitamins and nutrients, such as:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Potassium
Like most of the vegetables on this list, cauliflower should be fed raw rather than cooked, so your dragon gets the most out of its nutritional content.
It’s also low in fat and sugar, and the leaves are acceptable for your beardie to eat a few times per week.
Here’s our post on feeding bearded dragons cauliflower for additional information.
#12 Carrots
Carrots are a good choice of vegetable somewhere between a semi-staple and occasional food.
The main issue with feeding bearded dragons carrots is their extremely high vitamin A content.
While some vitamin A is beneficial for bearded dragons’ diets, too much of it will cause vitamin A toxicity, which causes dangerous and even deadly health issues like dehydration and rapid weight loss.
As long as you don’t feed them too often, carrots are very healthy and nutritious and contain a wide range of crucial nutrients your dragon’s diet needs, such as:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Vitamin B6
All types of carrots are safe for bearded dragons, including orange, yellow, purple, and even white carrots.
Be sure to cut them into small, bite-sized pieces, as they are somewhat challenging for dragons to chew correctly.
If you want more information read our post on feeding carrots to bearded dragons.
#13 Blueberries
At this point, we’ll start to get into some of the fruits on this list.
In general, fruit should only make up around 5 to 10% of your baby or adult dragon’s diet at most, but it still makes a great treat, as most lizards love the sweet and juicy flavor of the fruit.
Blueberries are a great occasional treat, as most dragons find them very tasty, but they are pretty high in natural sugars and oxalates, also known as oxalic acid.
Oxalic acid, similar to phosphorus, binds with calcium and renders it useless, which is problematic as bearded dragons require a high amount of calcium to stay healthy and facilitate proper bone development.
Some of the nutrients present in blueberries include the following:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K1
- Antioxidants
- Carbohydrates (great source of energy)
Blueberries are also an easy option for your dragon as they don’t have to be cut into smaller pieces; just rinse them and throw a few of them on top of your beardie’s salads once a week or so.
Rotate them out with some of the other fruits on this list to give your lizard a wide range of delicious fruit.
#14 Raspberries
Another great treat for your dragon, raspberries are sweet, delicious, and small enough for your dragon to eat comfortably as-is.
However, like many of the other fruits on this list, they are very high in sugar and oxalic acid, so they should only be fed once every week or two as a treat.
Despite their low levels of calcium, inadequate calcium to phosphorus ratio, and high amount of oxalates and sugar, raspberries still contain plenty of crucial vitamins and nutrients, including:
- Fiber
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Potassium
So, while you shouldn’t give your beardie raspberries on a regular basis, many dragons absolutely love them as a treat.
They also have a very high water content, so if your beardie is constipated or dehydrated, they provide a nice hydration boost.
#15 Blackberries
Blackberries are another decent occasional fruit option for your dragon when given once or twice per week at most.
As with the other fruits on this list, they’re high in oxalates and natural sugar, so they aren’t suitable as a staple or semi-staple food item.
However, beardies tend to love the taste of sweet fruits like blackberries, so use them as a salad topper from time to time to make your lizard very happy.
Their diet shouldn’t be just staple veggies, after all; even healthy, natural diets need a small amount of sugar.
Also, blackberries actually have decent calcium to phosphorus ratio at around 1.3:1.
It isn’t entirely within the ideal range, but it’s safe enough to allow your dragon to eat blackberries three or four times per month.
Finally, these delicious fruits contain a fair amount of the following vital vitamins and nutrients:
- Fiber
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Antioxidants
- Manganese
- Zinc
Keep in mind: you will probably want to cut blackberries in half or even smaller pieces to help your dragon eat them more easily, as they tend to be a lot larger than the other berries on this list.
While raspberries and blueberries are delicate for beardies to eat whole, they struggle a bit more with blackberries.
To help picky dragons eat their greens, it’s a good idea to sprinkle some berries throughout their salads to encourage healthier eating.
#16 Apples
Apples are another great fruit to give to your dragon on a weekly basis or so.
Be sure to get rid of the skins and seeds, as they are difficult for beardies to chew and digest properly and occasionally cause impaction.
Cut the apples into small enough pieces for your lizard to eat comfortably, and carefully monitor feeding times for any issues.
Apples are full of lots of vital nutrients, including:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Fiber
- Carbohydrates
- Iron
- Potassium
In addition, apples have lots of water, so they’re very hydrating for dragons who are experiencing constipation or mild dehydration.
However, they’re very high in sugar, so they will cause your dragon to gain weight if fed too often.
Give your beardie a few apple slices in their salad once a week or so for best results.
For more information here is our post on feeding apples to bearded dragons.
#17 Bananas
Although they are incredibly high in sugar and have very poor calcium to phosphorus ratio, bananas are one of the most-loved fruits by bearded dragons.
They’re soft and easy to eat, meaning you don’t necessarily have to cut them into tiny pieces; just let your dragon eat chunks off of a whole banana as a treat once or twice per month.
Always avoid the peels, as your dragon won’t be able to chew or digest them.
Bananas contain quite a few essential vitamins and nutrients, such as:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
- Antioxidants
- Iron
- Magnesium
Only give your beardie bananas once or twice a month at the very most.
Although most dragons adore eating bananas, they are only suitable as a very occasional treat due to their high sugar content and terrible calcium to phosphorus ratio.
#18 Mango
Mango is another delicious, sweet fruit widely loved by bearded dragons, though as with most of the fruits on this list, it should only be given sparingly or once every other week or so.
It’s safe for your lizard to eat, but it’s also reasonably nutritionally deficient and high in sugar.
Still, it deserves a spot on this list, as it is a delicious treat loved by most dragons.
It is also soft and easy for them to eat, so you don’t have to cut them into tiny pieces; just be sure they’re smaller than the width of the space between your lizard’s eyes.
While it isn’t great nutritionally, mango still contains a few proper nutrients, including fiber and carbohydrates.
#19 Papaya
Similar to the mango, papaya is another fruit best kept on a monthly or bi-monthly basis at most.
Its calcium to phosphorus ratio is poor, to start with, and it also has a high amount of acid and water, making it fairly nutritionally deficient.
However, it’s a great treat loved by most bearded dragons; just keep feedings to a minimum.
Be sure to avoid the seeds and skins, as with most of the other fruits we’ve covered, they aren’t digestible and present a choking and impaction hazard.
Papaya isn’t entirely nutritionally useless, though, and it contains fair amounts of the following nutrients:
- Vitamin C
- Magnesium
- Potassium
#20 Pumpkin
Pumpkin is an interesting choice for your beardie’s diet, and it is most notable for its fiber and high water content.
Pumpkin is highly recommended for constipated dragons, as they enjoy the sweet yet savory taste.
The best option is canned pumpkin puree, provided it doesn’t have any added sugars or preservatives.
Pumpkin has low calcium to phosphorus ratio, but it still is a fine choice when fed on a bi-weekly basis or so.
Be sure to avoid the seeds, as they will cause impaction and present a choking hazard.
Despite its somewhat low nutritional value overall, it still contains small amounts of the following nutrients:
- Potassium
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
Learn more about feeding bearded dragons pumpkin puree in our other post.
#21 Strawberries
The final fruit option we’ll cover on this food list is strawberries, which are one of the safer fruits for bearded dragons.
They are safe for your lizard to eat once or twice per week, but they are still somewhat high in sugar.
Strawberries are also soft enough for your dragon to bite pieces off of, so you don’t necessarily have to cut them into small amounts unless you’re putting them in your dragon’s salad.
They are also high in water, so they’re great for constipated and dehydrated dragons.
As one of the better, more nutritious fruits for bearded dragons, strawberries contain the following vitamins and nutrients:
- Carbohydrates
- Fiber
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
#22 Dubia Roaches
Finally, it’s time to cover the best insect options for your beardie’s diet.
Possibly the best option for your lizard by far is the Dubia roach.
They’re easy to find, rather inexpensive, delicious to most dragons, and are extremely nutrient-dense.
Dubia roaches are also slower than crickets and superworms, so they’re a bit easier for your dragon to eat (and easier to remove from the tank if uneaten).
They’re protein-rich, and they contain several other vital vitamins and nutrients, such as:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
You should gut-load your roaches for maximum nutritional value as well as dust them with calcium powder to boost your dragon’s calcium intake.
Our other post for dubia roaches is a little different but if you’re interested in learning how many roaches bearded dragons can eat check it out.
#23 Hornworms
Hornworms are another common feeder insect for bearded dragons.
They’re large, slow, and brightly-colored, so your dragon will have no problems eating them.
Usually, only one or two at a time per feeding is enough to fill up your beardie for the rest of the day.
They aren’t as protein-rich as some of the other insects on this list, but they are very high in calcium and moisture, particularly if you dust them with a calcium powder supplement.
Because hornworms are so large, you should monitor your dragon closely during feeding times to make sure they don’t choke while eating.
Be sure to remove any uneaten bugs from your dragon’s tank after feeding.
Similar to the dubia roach we have an article on how many hornworms to feed bearded dragons if you’re curious and want to learn more.
#24 Crickets
Possibly the most common feeder insect by far, crickets are cheap and have a fair amount of protein and moisture.
Their calcium content is somewhat middling, though, so they benefit greatly from a quick dusting of calcium powder prior to feeding.
The only downsides of feeding your dragon crickets are their difficulty of handling, foul odor, and loud chirping.
If you don’t want to bother with wrangling slippery, smelly crickets during feeding times, opt for another insect on this list.
You shouldn’t write off crickets completely just because they’re tough to handle, though, as they are a great feeder option for your dragon, and they encourage your lizard to exercise because they’re a bit harder to catch.
#25 Superworms
Another common feeder insect, superworms, is a great source of protein for your dragon.
They’re also a bit high in fat, though, so provide these to your beardie along with other feeder insects for best results.
The best things about superworms are they are very inexpensive, easy to handle, and readily available at most pet shops.
Most beardies tend to enjoy them but don’t feed them too often; many novice reptile owners feed their dragons far too many superworms compared to other feeder insects.
They also have a decent amount of fiber to help aid in digestion and promote healthy, regular bowel movements.
And for superworms read our post on how many superworms to feed bearded dragons for more information.