Everyone loves to share food with their birds. And birds like you to share it, too. In their minds, if they see it, it’s THEIRS! Sharing at mealtime can be a happy, bonding experience. But we must watch what we share with our feathered companions for ther health’s sake. The answer to the question, “Can my parrot eat people food?” can be complicated, depending on what YOU eat in your diet.
Just like humans, parrots will favor salty, fatty, sweet foods and ignore what’s good for them, and it can cause health problems. Foods high in sodium, fat and sugar can lead to obesity, liver problems, hypertension and cardiovascular disease in parrots AND people. Much of the sodium and sugar in our diets is in packaged, prepared foods and fast foods. Learn to be a label reader. Comparing nutrition facts can be eye-opening!
Artificial sweeteners are not recommended for birds. There have been no studies of their effects, except to know they can cause diarrhea. IMO, it’s best to be safe and not offer foods with artificial sweeteners to birds.
Other ingredients in packaged foods that are not good for birds are ones high in cholesterol, artificial colors, artificial flavors, added iron and vitamins (that were put there in amounts for human consumption). Never share avocados, chocolate, raw onions or rhubarb with your birds. I avoid foods with pesticides for my own birds and feed them as all-organic a diet as possible. Avoid sharing coffee and caffeinated tea with your bird, but parrots can have and love most herbal teas. As parrots are lactose intolerant, be careful how much dairy you share with your bird.
Fresh foods prepared at home can be made without salt and sugar with a portion saved out for your birds. It’s easy to save a side of pasta to put very little sauce on it. Or try seasoning your foods with pepper, fresh herbs, and spices. Our own Good Stuff™ cook mixes contain different spice blends to make them very tasty for parrots. The mixes are all-organic, human-grade and have no added sodium or sugar so it is safe for our parrots. All our birds enjoy the different flavors and textures. We give some to our birds at dinner time to keep them from begging for our food.
When we focus on our feathered companions’ diets, our OWN diets will change for the better. If we are careful to watch the same foods as we do with for our parrots, we’ll all be healthier!
