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
These sound like great ideas. I have four parrots, and they also eat much of what we eat. I just would like to add (especially to Laurie) that while our birds do enjoy a little meat, chicken and fish, I believe that BACON is terrible for them, even in very small amounts. NEVER feed them bacon! It is loaded with salt (sodium), nitrates and all kinds of very bad chemicals. It’s not even good for us, even though it tastes delicious, and I do eat it myself, but very rarely. Also, my birds LOVE cheese and get tiny bits of it for a treat occassionally. I liked and agree with Mike’s comments. I’m going to look for the Ezekial bread at Whole Foods. (Thanks, Mike!) My birds love bread. Since it’s expensive and they aren’t going to eat a whole loaf at once, perhaps I could freeze some of it for future use. I think common sense, which is quite uncommon these days, goes a long way, as long as everyone is aware of what NOT to feed their birds.
I like the recipees but my sun conure is wary of big unusual things in his cage, so i will try to modify the food to skewer sizes, my rainbow lorrikeet loves this type of stuff, but yeah advocado is poison to all birds i found that out the hard way by loosing a few chickens..the garlic scares me my rainbow almost died one night form sharing pizza crust and garlic bread, he couldnt walk and appeared drunk, ..good work patty and chet..
Always looking for new ideas! These are very creative but so simple thanks heaps love your work!
Hi and thanks for the great ideas. I have given my birds several of these things from time to time in small amounts. I have two cockitiels and one parotlet. I do not fed scrampled eggs unless I make them without butter in the pan. Also have hesitated to feed cheese and chips due to the salt content. I have heard that salt is like poison to birds. Thank you for new ideas that are meant to educate and encourage. I always look at new e-mails as soon as I receive them… I don’t want to miss anything. Another question that is un related to this topic….. How much natural daylight should my birds be getting? all the cages are in front of windows but the glass is u. v. treated and they are not getting any direct sunlight. The cages are heavy and cumbersome to lift and take outside. Part of the year the wheather is fine but the Arizona summers are rediculously hot and I am fearful of taking the birds outside even for a little while. I was thinking of getting a smaller cage to put one at a time in just to make it easier to take it outside. Any comments or suggestions?
I have a blue front amazon that loves ice cream, cereal with milk and yogurt. When I give him one of these for a snack (in moderation always) I sprinkle some pro-biotic on it to help with the digestion problem. He rarely has problems with lactose because of this.
These recipes are all great tasting and nutritious. I make these for my cockatoo. I don’t know who enjoys them more, my bird or me. I add a dash of spirulina powder to the recipe and we’re good to go. Scientists say spirulina dramatically strengthens the avian immune system. Thanks
This is great! I gave myself a Vitamix Blender & there is a receipe in there for homemade nutbutters. I am going to make my own & start bird cooking in the morning. My vet suggested no white flour or white rice, so I am going to use wholewheat bread, wholewheat lasgn. noodles, & wholehweat pita pockets. Thanks for the suggestions. I have 2 african greys. Both male & the youngest just discovered a couple of years ago what fun it was to pluck feathers. Maybe the variety in his diet will help him. Will let you know. R. Petree, Midland,TX
My Yellow Naped Amazon “Wheezer” is almost 9 y/o now. Four years ago she was diagnosed with Cirrhosis of the Liver. She was so sick, the vet told me to bring her home to die. I changed her diet completely. She eats pellets and I know they have fat in them, but the rest of her diet is fat free. This is what is keeping her healthy. I even buy her fat free crackers. I don’t know why this is working, but I’m so glad it is. I raised her from an 8 wk. old baby and we couldn’t stand to lose her. I pay extra attention to her, making sure she looks healthy all the time. If she gets sick, I hand feed her parrot baby food mixed with apple sauce with a syringe. I wish I could give her nuts and seeds, but I can’t, so I give her all different kinds of veggies. She seems happy with that.
Great ideas
hi patty! can birds have bannana bread? we are having it for lunch and im like myabe skeeter would like some?
These are great ideas!!! Thank you for sharing. I cook for my birds everyday. Cream of Wheat for my Triton Cockatoo, pasta for my boyfriends Congo Grey, and my Hahn’s Macaw Samson absolutely ADORES cooked carrots!!! Now this is not all that I cook for them as they all love scrambled eggs or baked chicken or homemade bread, etc.
My African Greys doctor at TUFFS Vet Hospital advises a severe “NO” to anything other than pellets,bottled water ,fresh nuts ,organic fruit and vegetables…and CHEESE for Greys(they love and tollerate lots of calcium).
I have given Jack, my bluegold macaw, the peanut butter and banana sandwiches before and he loves them…..but he too will not take a shower…….and I have no idea why he would be afraid of water…I have raised him since he was 4 weeks old and he does not like to bathe!!!! He freaks out if he even sees a wet paper towel!!!!!
Muffet will enjoy this, he loves variety in his food.
My Quaker parrot loves all the food I eat.. He will eat bird seed, but loves everything I’m eating. Be it chicken, bread, potatoes, cake, everything.
I thought birds shouldn’t have dairy products, like cottage cheese?
My bird LOVES yougurt, cheese, smoothies, pasta, and of course fruits and veggies. Yep, even cereal! She trys to get into mine in the morning (granola type, with berries, which she loves, too). I have to give her her own little bowl. She pretty much eats what I eat, outside of her Nutriberries. She loves all varieties of nuts, (unsalted, of course), corn, peas, carrots, and especially cooked beans, Pintos are her faves. I give her a little bacon and meat once in a while, she loves it, as well as fish and chicken (little cannibal!). Just NO AVOCADOS! I have to wait until she goes to bed, before I indulge in my guac and chips. We hopefully all know that avacados are fatal to birds. Super great ideas, Chet, thanks! Thanks also to the other posts, you all have some yummy ideas!
ooh. i really want to try out some of these recipes now although feeding my cockatiel will take a ridiculous amount of time since ’foraging" to him equals “lets see how much ends up on the floor outside the cage so the dog can eat it.” here goes breaking it into teeny tiny bits and hand feeding them to him!!
I have read nutmeg is toxic to cockatiels. http://www.cockatielcottage.net/tablefoods.html
These ideas are great! Thanks!
Don’t tell my brown headed parrot that garlic is toxic because he loves it and eats it whenever I have the occasion to crack open a head for cooking. He’s 10 years old now and, when I got him from the bird shop, the only foods I was told to avoid were avocado and chocolate.
I know my three parrots like potatoes, corn, and any kind of pasta. I love these recipies you’ve shared here. I’ve already forwarded them to my Facebook where I have alot of friends who also have parrots. Thank’s, I can’t wait to see them enjoying these recipies..
1.be careful to limit SALT intake- parrots have limited ability to excrete sodium… 2.parrots benefit from walnuts and almonds — there are peanut butters that use these nuts SALT-FREE… 3.my parrot loves baked salmon each day for breakfast with figs and walnuts… takes the food to sit on his’’’potty-stool’’ and while watching ‘’sponge-bob’’does his morning functions very appropriately.. 4.avacado and iceberg lettuce are NO NO NO…
I also use Jiffy corn bread muffin mix, add any or all ingredients, peanut butter, yams, parsley, garlic, blue green algea, zupreme, vegetables (fresh or frozen), oats (oatmeal), palm oil, chopped hard boiled eggs. I place them into cup cake tins and bake. Then freeze- take one out to thaw and crumble daily into food dish. They love it and it’s amazing what the palm oil and blue green algea does for their feathers and over-all health.
Great suggestions, I am going to try the recipes . Thanks for all your free great information. I have one question, I though garlic is toxic to birds? In the lasagna recipe it calls for garlic power.
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