As a human being, I know how quickly I can tire of the same old foods, even ones that I love or know are good for me. There is typically a lot of variety in the wild parrot’s diet, so I try to change things up for my bird as much as possible while still maintaining a healthy diet. Here are some recipes for nutritious “sandwiches” for your feathered family that are soooo easy to make and fun to eat!
1 ) Almond Butter and Banana On Whole Wheat or Multi Grain Bread:
Smear almond peanut butter (very thinly or sparingly) on one side of two pieces of toasted bread. Push coarsely chopped pieces of banana into the almond butter and put the two slices of toast together. Cut the sandwich into 1 1/2″ square pieces for the larger birds and serve singularly or on a skewer. For the smaller birds, cut the larger pieces in half again and serve in a bowl.
Just FYI, it is very easy to make your own nut butters, which can be made from virtually any type of nut.
**This recipe previously called for peanut butter but based on updated information we have changed it to almond butter as it’s better for birds.
2) Tortilla Roll Ups:
Puree fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries and/or raspberries in the food processor. Smear one side of a flour or corn tortilla with the pureed mixture. Add a layer of cottage cheese over the top. Roll up the tortilla and cut into pieces appropriate for your bird’s size.
You can also mix finely chopped fruit with the cottage cheese and omit, or leave in, the pureed fruit.
3) Stuffed Pita Pockets Foragers:
In a food processor (or by hand) finely chop fresh or frozen spinach, carrots, raw zucchini or yellow squash, and walnuts. Add cooked brown rice and whole kernels of corn to the mixture. In a bowl, stir in only enough plain yogurt to the chopped veggies/rice mixture so that it remains thick. Spoon mixture into a pita pocket and serve whole or cut in half.
Birds of all size can burrow into the bread to get to the yummy stuff, you just have to let them know what awaits inside the bread to get them started. Just a taste from my finger or a spoon achieves that.
4) Breakfast Sandwich:
Stuff a pita pocket with scrambled eggs, cooked mashed sweet potato, and grated cheddar (or other) cheese. If your bird has been especially good, you might occasionally crumble in bits of bacon. Serve warm. To complete the breakfast scenario, serve with a side of sliced orange.
5) Lasagna Roll Ups:
Cook lasagna noodles until they are soft, but still firm. Let cool and cut in half.
In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese with several healthy shakes of parmesan cheese and sprinkle lightly with garlic powder or ground nutmeg for a little extra flavoring (optional).
Smear the cheese mixture on a halved lasagna noodle and drizzle with tomato sauce or a low sodium spaghetti sauce. Roll up the lasagna noodle and secure with a toothpick. Warm in microwave being sure not to serve until safe from hot spots.
…Of course, there are any number of ways these recipes can be modified to suit your bird’s personal tastes. Do try to incorporate new foods into these recipes. It is a good way to get them to explore new possibilities and expand their diet.
1/08/11
There were so many comments about the inclusion of cheese in these recipes that I decided to put my response into the body of this post:
Hi to everyone,
When I wrote this post, I was aware that these questions would arise. I LOVE that so many are concerned enough about their bird’s diet to take the time to ask them. A few short years ago, most people weren’t as aware of diet issues, so this is a HUGE step forward in the care of our birds.
I have always said that a consistently healthy diet is the MOST important aspect of our care-giving with birds. Fresh foods should be the biggest part of their diet. Dr. Cook is correct in advising that birds are lactose intolerant which should preclude large amounts of dairy in their diet, and peanuts/peanut butter can present problems in some birds. However, I also have found that most birds tolerate these foods without problems at all, if given in moderation. But do be watchful for problems, as you should be with every aspect of your bird’s life.
My take on it is this: Apart from following the rules and making sure that you are giving the very best of everything to your birds, life is also supposed to be fun. An excruciatingly bland diet is as hard on parrots as it is on humans. Food is part of what makes life good. Unfortunately, the best tasting foods are not generally the most beneficial to us. Just as you would with your own diet, a bird needs limitations set, with the accent placed on good health.
Patty
Patty Jourgensen specializes in avian health, behavior and nutrition and has been working with and caring for rescue birds since 1987.
117 comments
Can’t wait to get the three books I ordered over a week ago. Meanwhile I’m trying these sanwhiches and our blue & gold macaw, Bishop is fond of granola with dried fruit & nuts. She is a much happier bird thanks to your ideas. She lives in our dining room & gets a lot of tidbits three times a day. Variety does make her happy.
this is awsom
What great recepies will try them all on my African Gray this week. Thank you for all your help and support with our loved pets.
my scarlett macaw loves cherry tomatoes, mandarin oranges and peanuts(in shell) ,and chicken bones, try it with yours today!
ps.. my moluccan’s fav diet if left up to her (she’s 7 so this used to be her diet)… her fav besides the string cheese.. is chicken! her former owners gave her a mix of noodles, mac n cheese, chicken.. and string cheese for a treat!… i’ve seen post against chicken as well…. hhmmm… are all of her favs totally off limits?? as she doesnt really care for her pellets that i have her on. . (Harrisons).. thanks
think i’m a little confused… i’ve read where milk and milk products are not good to feed birds.. but yet in your recipes you offer your flock cottage and ricotta cheeses? my moluccan loves string cheese and her previous owner gave it to her regularly…but due to many post saying “no to milk/products” i haven’t given this to her, although with the refrigerator door open she knows what it is and trys to sneak some out..lol SO… milk products or NO??
Is this for all birds because my rainbow lorikeet eats fruit and nectar and i dont know if almond is good or suitable for him.
I am still learning about all of this – silly me to think they would like the same food every day!! I found out that peanuts grow in the ground and get a bacteria that is not good for our friends – I got very lucky to have a Trader Joes close to me & I treat my Sun Conure “Sunny” (2) with roasted unsalted pistachios!! Our African Grey “Tomby” (8) though is another story – fed a horrible diet of McD’s kid meals before we got her! Here, they are both on a diet of organic pasta, fruit, veggies, bean mixes & pellet with the occasional seed or table food just for a treat. I will now be looking for the cookboof for birds!! Thanks for all the great info!!
I’ve never tried pb for my cockatoo. I immediately grabbed a spoon ad gave her a little nibble. She absolutely LOVED it and she is such a fussy eater she won’t eat anything.
I have a cockatiel that just turn 1 yr old and I got him when he was 6 months, he was hand fed and used to people not other birds. So I am like his mama,I have tried to feed him good foods like your bird food ground up and Iv’e tried veggies and fruits but all he likes to eat is that millet seed on a stick or sprang but his favorite is peanuts. He will do any thing for them. I know they are not good for him so I limit the amount I feed him . Lately I have noticed, If I eat with him he will want me to feed him like a mother bird mouth to beaks. So now when I want him to try something I do it this way. Its strange but it works.
What a great idea. My conure is going to love these. Thanks.
Wow Patty thank you for the recipes. These sound yummy to me! Good enough for people too. :) Barb
My Amazon Moxie will eat anything with cheese on it especially macaroni and cheese. I give him organic macaroni and cheese made with cheddar soy cheese which is lactose free and he LOVES it! I even make him little pizzas with soy cheese.
At breakfast my sun conure loves to share my cereal. We eat Kashi Crisp or Go Lean with fruit and soy milk. S/he laps up the milk like a dog! It sure does make breakfast interesting!
Yes, I think these are all great ideas but my avian vetenarian told me to stop feeding my blue front amazon and all other birds nothing but a pelleted diet. He is on Harrison’s organic pettlet food. He miisses his corn on the cob, fruit, nuts, and everything healthly he use to enjoy, but I was told if i continued giving him regular food healthy or not , it would cut his lifespan in half. Becuase they don’t get their proper amount of nutrition from all these healthy fooods that we eat. But in a pelleted diet, all there vitamins and nutrion are equally packed into one. That way they get their balanced diet. They can’t pick at this or that because they like it best. I fell bad about it but his feathers are getting brighter, and if it will increase his lifespan, I guess I have to do what is right.
i was told by my vetenerian that I am not suppose to give by blue front amazon anything but a pelleted diet, because they are picking out what they likde best to eat. SO if they are constantly eating wide varities of all the good food we give them such as vegetables, fruits, nuts., she said over time it will shorten their life span. So now I have him on just as organic pelleted diet only. Nothing else, I feel so bad about it but im considering his health. So I have just beeen feeding what she said she is an excellent veternerian.
I have heard that garlic is a no-no for birds. Is that true. I have been feeding my grey cheese for years!
What wonderful ideas! Just in time to save me! I’ve done stuffed shells, smashed sweet potato with mixed veggie inside, rolled in cooked brown rice, various salads…my African Grey is getting BORED and doesn’t like the same foods my Senegal does — he’ll eat anything come to think of it! I’m trying the pita sandwich tonight!!
Hi Julie, It’s best to substitute a different nut mix that you can find as peanuts in general aren’t really great for our birds. Other nuts would be better like almond or walnut mixes. It won’t choke your bird, just just be wary of the amount and keep the moderation in consideration. These recipes should be treated more as treat-foods and not daily meals. You can mix it as you like, even into birdie bread with organic pellets to get your bird to like the taste of new pellets, etc. Jamieleigh
Hi Theresa, Fresh banana and lettuce is perfectly fine for parrots. Every food just needs to be given in moderation, too much anything can be a problem. Too much fruit can give your bird diarrhea and who likes having that?! So just watch and vary the diet as much as possible. Limit the dairy (yogurt and cheese) these recipes are just for fun to add variety to your bird’s diet, they shouldn’t be given every day and should be treated more-so as “treat” foods. Really limit the cheese and yogurt given to your bird as it’s hard for them to digest. Lettuce doesn’t do much so I’d recommend trying to get your grey to eat kale and spinach instead. Jamieleigh
Patty …. a question: my jenday conure LOVES people food … to the degree that she will fly from her cage and plop hersle on our dinner plate and help herself (we DO watch we she eats, however). My question is: she LOVES the soy / fruit blends that are in Naked Brand and Odwalla!. I haven’t been able to find any information on whether soy is okay for birds … any thoughts on this???? thanks — pamela reidy
My conure likes to play and eat ice cubes. Is there a problem with that?
There are so many misconceptions about cooking with your microwave. Any heating/cooking of foods, whether by microwave, oven, stovetop, changes the molecular composition of the food and nutritional avilablility of vitamins in foods… but not in a bad way like anti-microwave sites allude to! Microwaves use a low energy electromagnetic wave that is NON-ionizing. They simply heat. Microwave radiation does not have the cancer risks associated with ionizing radiation such as x-rays. Any cooking of food causes changes in the food. Why do you think you get steam when you heat water and any moist foods?? That is a change in the water molecules. People hear “radiation” and freak out before knowing the facts. Microwave ovens use a frequency somewhere between a common radio and infrared. Molecules that are electric dipoles (like water or fat) try to align themselves with the alternating electric field of microwaves. That movement results in heat. Consider this – spinach retains nearly all of it’s folate when microwaved as opposed to when you boil it. Also, bacon cooked in the microwave has significantly lower levels of carcinogenic nitrosamines than when traditionally cooked. Sources? The Journal of Nutrition & Food Science, Journal of Agriculture & Food Chemistry, ARPANSA, FDA, to name a few. A note on peanut butter – be careful buying “natural” because from what I understand, they’re not as regulated as “regular” peanut butters and could potentially be unsafe. Happy cooking, everyone and as in all things – moderation is important. A bit of cheese or peanut butter or tortilla is not gonna kill anybody. Personally, Diet Coke makes me happy. :-)
Are these good for cockatiels as well?
Wow,great !! My African Grey loves cheese and yoghurt. Just one question : Tomatoes not allowed in their dieet, but you mention tomatoe sauce? And may they eat fresh banana, and lettuce, as I was told it was a no-no for parrots
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