Bearded dragons can eat all kinds of vegetables and fruit in a balanced diet. But what about turnip greens?
According to VCA Hospitals, turnip greens are considered an acceptable vegetable that should represent a high percentage of a bearded dragon’s overall diet. So, not only are they safe for bearded dragons, but bearded dragons should also eat turnip greens regularly.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Turnip Greens?
Vegetables are essential to every beardie’s diet. They should always receive plenty to round out the necessary minerals and nutrients in their diet. Turnip greens make up one of the groups of vegetables that bearded dragons can eat. What’s more, they should eat quite a bit of them.
Dark leafy greens of almost any kind are great for your bearded dragon’s weekly diet. They punch up their nutrient and vitamin makeup without containing anything that can cause bearded dragons harm in the long run.
Nutritional Benefits in Turnip Greens
Just as specific vitamins and nutrients are especially useful in our bodies, the nutritional benefits of turnip greens satisfy a bearded dragon’s needs.
Using the USDA Nutritional Database, we can break down the relevant nutrients for a beardie. To start with, bearded dragons are not naturally accustomed to drinking water. Instead, they usually ingest it through the things that they eat. In 100 grams of turnip greens, there are about 89.7 grams of water. But don’t worry, that still leaves plenty of space for nutrients.
A bearded dragon needs plenty of vitamin C and A. Vitamin A boosts their visual health, and vitamin C helps regulate their internal functions, boost their immune system, and speed up their healing processes.
Most important to a bearded dragon is the ratio of calcium to phosphorus in each type of food. They need the ratio to be at least 1:1 and prefer it to be 2:1. If they get too much phosphorus, it limits their ability to absorb calcium, and they will suffer from metabolic bone disease.
This illness is not something that you need to worry about if they eat turnip greens, however. These greens have a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 4.5 to 1, more than qualifying them as a healthy food.
The nutritional benefits of turnip greens are also what they don’t contain. They are low in sugars and calories, both of which are better to keep to a minimum in a bearded dragon’s diet.
How to Serve Turnip Greens to a Bearded Dragon
Now that you know turnip greens are safe for a bearded dragon to snack on and should make up a portion of their daily meals, how do you serve it to them?
Bearded dragons can eat turnip greens for food every day. Serve them with other essential vegetables to give them a flavorful and healthy veggie salad.
You should serve turnip greens raw, never cooked. Cooking them breaks down some of their chemical boundaries and makes them less effective and healthy for the dragon. Instead, wash them thoroughly to rid them of any dirt or potential chemicals. Then, lay them in your dragon’s food bowl.
Other Essential Vegetables for Bearded Dragons
Variety is the spice of life. Of course bearded dragons shouldn’t eat spices, but they can still have plenty of variety. If you want other essential vegetables that it is safe to serve them every day, these include the following:
There are plenty of other fruits and vegetables that you can safely feed them, albeit less frequently.
Final Thoughts
Turnip greens are safe for bearded dragons to eat. More than that, they should be considered an essential addition to a bearded dragon’s diet. Feel free to give them freshly washed turnip greens every day. Have you ever fed your beardie turnip greens? Did they like them? Let us know in the comments!
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay
