Are you looking for a good backup food for your bearded dragon?
Do you get tired of feeding your pet live insects all the time?
Feeding your bearded dragon pellet food in addition to live insects is an acceptable option for your beardy as long as you do it correctly and use good products.
But there are a lot of options out there.
How do you know which ones to pick?
You either need to go out there and do all the research on your own or look at our list of the best pellet food for bearded dragons.
The best pellet food for bearded dragons should have natural materials and be ham packed with important nutrients. Our picks for the best ones include:
Check out the rest of the article for a comparison of pellet vs. traditional food and a review of these products.
Table of Contents
Pellet Food Vs. Traditional Diet
Why should you use pellet food or traditional live insects?
The debate is contested between different factions in the bearded dragon world, but most experts agree: live food is the best choice.
However, there is a time and a place for pellet food. Look at this section as we discuss the issues.
Pros And Cons Comparison
Take a look at this chart for easy pros and cons of pellet food and traditional diet.
| Pros | Cons | |
| Traditional Diet | Easier to get bearded dragons to eat. Engages bearded dragon hunting and foraging instincts. Builds a bond between you and your pet. Better for balanced nutrition. More natural. | Costs more. Takes more of your time. Caring for live insects is a pain. |
| Pellet Food | Easy for the owner to use. It requires minimal care of storage. Affordable. Last for a long time. | Bearded dragons aren’t as interested. It doesn’t give as many nutrients as live and real food. Not as healthy as a primary food source. |
Review Of The Best Pellet Food For Bearded Dragons
This section breaks down each of our picks into their important features.
Each of these pellet foods is a good choice, but they may not be right for your situation.
Use the review and user pros and cons to help you decide which one is the best for you.
Zilla Reptile Munchies For Pets
- Nutritious, Dehydrated Ingredients That Are Quick And Convenient - No Refrigeration Required! With Calcium
- Calcium Is Essential To Reptiles For The Prevention Of Metabolic Bone Disease
- Easy To Prepare - Just Rehydrate In Water
These Zilla Reptile munchies come at a higher price than some other pellet foods, but the premium quality means they will be healthy and safe for your bearded dragon.
These are dehydrated ingredients which only require a little water before you serve them to your beardy.
This makes keeping this food on hands slightly easier than if you needed to refrigerate them.
The munchies are made from real ingredients such as crickets, mealworms, carrots, peas, bananas, and more.
Zilla Reptile has provided extra calcium with this pellet food.
Calcium deficiency is the most common illness in bearded dragons, so this food is helpful in avoiding these problems.
The package is conveniently resealed, and Zilla suggests you may use this product on its own as food or as a supplement to a natural diet.
These munchies are made specifically for reptiles.
Pros For This Food:
- Quality ingredients
- Extra calcium and other vitamins
- Dehydrated for easy storage and use
- Reliable company to buy from
Cons For This Food:
- Higher price
Flukers Bearded Dragon Medley Reptile Treat
*Editors Pick* - This "pellet food" is actually freeze-dried mealworms, grasshoppers, and crickets with additional proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals (including calcium). Stays fresh for a long time and is a great value.
Flukers is a pillar in the reptile food industry, and this product shows just why.
The reptile medley they offer is sold at a medium price range, but the quality of the ingredients is balanced with the price for a great value.
The blend is actually made of freeze-dried mealworms, grasshoppers, and crickets instead of being in pellet form.
These are real (dead) insects.
In the processing of these insects, Flukers added an extra formula to boost proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals (such as calcium).
For those who want to feed their bearded dragons real insect but can’t manage (or don’t want to) live prey, this is for you.
It does need to be stored in a cool, dry place such as a fridge.
The large amount you receive for the price is impressive, and the freeze-drying process will keep flavor and freshness going for a long time.
Pros For This Food:
- Great value
- Real insects
- Extra vitamin support
- Stays fresh a long time
Cons For This Food:
- Smells strong when opened
- Some insects may end up ground down through shipping
Zilla Bearded Dragon Fortified Daily Food
- Bearded Dragons are omnivorous animals that consume plants, flowers and insects in the wild and this food is formulated with the ingredients they need to promote growth and vibrant color
- Can be fed with other foods or be the primary diet
- Feeding amounts will vary according to animal age and size, approximately 1/2 teaspoon for juveniles ranging to 2 teaspoons for adults per day - adjust as needed
Zilla’s reptile food is a great example of a pellet food at a lower price.
This pellet food is made from a blend of plants and insects to match the omnivore nature of the bearded dragon.
It has a good amount of extra calcium and other vitamins.
Zilla suggests this be used as a supplement or primary source of the reptile’s diet.
The pellet nature of the food makes life simple for the owner.
They suggest leaving a small amount out and dry for bearded dragons to graze on as they get hungry.
They also suggest letting some soak in warm water to make it more attractive for bearded dragons who may be pickier with their food.
With pellet food, you’re getting an easy way to take care of live insects and the feeding process out of the equation.
You don’t need to worry about vegetables going bad or insects dying and rotting.
This will stay fresh for a long time.
The Zilla pellet food needs to be stored in a cool, dry place.
Pros For This Food:
- Good balance of insect and vegetables
- Nice amount of calcium
- Stays fresh a long time
- Makes your job as the owner easier
Cons For This Food:
- Some bearded dragons don’t seem to want to eat it
Flukers Buffet Blend Juvenile Bearded Dragon Formula
- Perfect blend of crickets, mealworms and pellets
- Scientifically formulated to meet the dietary needs of Bearded Dragons
- Fluker's Buffet Blend is available in 4.4 ounce
This Flukers pellet formula serves a specific and important purpose.
At a low price, this food is geared specifically towards the juvenile bearded dragon.
Juvenile bearded dragons have different basic needs than the adult.
Juvenile beardies need smaller foods.
These reptiles tend to get impacted easily, so Flukers made sure to choose appropriate-sized pellets and freeze-dried insects.
With food too large, it’s possible for the digestive tract to get blocked so bad the animal is paralyzed or worse.
Juveniles also need more protein in their diet than adults do.
With such a need in mind, Flukers added more insects to the mix than they would for adults.
The formula is a mixture of pellets containing greens and insects with other actual freeze-dried crickets and mealworms.
These insects are also small for safety’s sake.
The inclusion of real insects is also helpful with encouraging bearded dragons to eat.
Younger bearded dragons are especially picky when it comes to eating, and Flukers knows this.
Pros For This Food:
- Great value
- Designed for juvenile’s specifically
- Most bearded dragon’s want to eat it
- High in protein
Cons For This Food:
- The pellets are sometimes ignored
- Needs a calcium supplement for maximum vitamins
- Not for adults
Flukers Buffet Blend Adult Bearded Dragon Formula
- 2.9 ounce
- This unique blend ensures your pet will receive the proper balance of essential protein, fat vitamins, and minerals.
- Adult formula
This is the adult bearded dragon version of the last Flukers product.
Again, we see an affordable price for this food and inclusion of real, freeze-dried crickets and mealworms.
This time, the insects are larger to meet the needs of the adult bearded dragon.
The pellets with this buffet blend are larger than the juvenile blend, so make sure you’re not feeding these to the beardies before they’re big enough to handle it.
Flukers designed this mix to be higher in fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
There is a 2.9 ounce and a 7.5-ounce option available for those who want to buy in bulk.
As with all pellet foods, the company suggests you could use this as your pet’s soul food, but they do suggest live food at least as a supplement.
Please note, this isn’t designed with juvenile beardies in mind.
They have different needs.
Pros For This Food:
- Great container and easy storage
- Good value
- Inclusion of insects helps encourage eating
- Good nutritional value
Cons For This Food:
- Some users suggest never to use this as the primary food source
Conclusion
Now you know more about our picks for the best pellet food for bearded dragons.
You may not want to use pellet food as a staple of their diet, but having some on hand to supplement the diet can make your life easier.
Any of these would be good food for your pet, so look at the reviews again and pick the one right for you.