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
Why do you use cheese as a feed if birds doesn t have the enzimes to degrade it.? They are not mammals
My parrots all love passion fruit we grow our own and you shoul be able to grow in southern states
I too have heard that birds can not digest dairy products. So is this OK with the cheese and yogurt?
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. 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
Thank you, As always I love your suggestions and will try them. Maybe my cockatiel won’t forage from my plate.
Never mind the birds… going to make these for me too… lol!
Brilliant and simple! Thanks.
Always looking for new things for our girls. 7 & 14 yr old B& G’s
Great ideas! I’m definitely going to try on my Grey. I was wondering about the garlic powder and the cottage cheese though. I had read that birds shouldn’t get dairy products and that they can’t digest them properly. I give my grey a bite of cheese or a sip of milk here and there but was wondering about larger amounts. Garlic and onion are toxic to birds, cats, dogs and other species as well. Thanks Chet!
These ideas are very creative and thoughtful. There are just a couple things though: 1. Fat content in a bird’s diet should be kept to an EXTREMELY low minimum for most species. Variety is the key, and I just want to make sure every one reading this knows that if you feed these, do so ONLY as treats making up no more than 25 percent of your bird’s diet. Don’t feed these in the morning when they’re starving because they will almost certainly stop eating their pellets which contain the vitamins and minerals they need. Also know that feeding only an organic food such as Harrison’s or the one Chet sells here is recommended. Zupreem naturals (the one with no coloring, etc) is my second favorite. 2. Cheese might be well substituted with something else like the plain yogurt in EXTREME moderation. There is a lot of fat in either. Don’t substitute things that are non-fat, low-fat or ‘diet’ as they contain more artificial ingredients than a can of soda pop and will kill your birds slowly. Use only all natural ingredients… nothing canned or preserved. 3. Also, do not use flour tortillas. They are full of preservatives. If you are going to use tortillas, do not use any packaged ones, make your own. There are recipes all over the internet and they are not hard to make. You will probably not go back to eating the store bought ‘junk’ if you do this. 4. Don’t use any bread which utilizes high fructose corn syrup, enriched flour of any kind or any other preservatives or emulsifiers or any of the things you cannot pronounce. A great alternative, though pricey is Ezekial brand bread which is available in Whole Foods and most other healthy stores. It is a flourless gluten-free bread made from sprouted grain and is absolutely delicious and comes in a large array of flavors. Enjoy your birds, but be careful with them! They are very delicate and while they do need variety and enjoy it tremendously, what you feed them has a way of catching up. I have learned this the hard way, and trust me, you don’t want birds with gout and other food-related diseases. Keep them on the pellets and keep them healthy… They want your love and attention more than a food treat! All the best!
I especially like the Pita bread idea I have been cutting slits in an empty paper roll and sticking nuts in them It takes him about as long to dissemble as it does me to assemble so it is a lot of work I think the Pita bread idea is a lot better. All the suggestions are great and I plan to try them out one at a time.
My bird gets a head of celery in his water. I cut off the bottom so the celery gets water to stay fresh for a day or two. It looks pretty in his cage like growing tree. It doesn’t look pretty long as he will completely demolish it in half a day. Keeps him busy and quiet that long Sometimes I just buy the small loose leaf lettuce heads or even radishes. I put in a bunch tops and all and he likes them as well. Collard greens and Kale are Ok but not his favorites My daughter complains it hides his water but I think it is not a problem for him. Since he likes to sit on his water dish and can’t when there are a bunch of greens coming out It keeps his water clean longer. He is afraid of water and won’t take baths except in his water dish. Has anyone else ever heard of an amazon parrot that was afraid of water? For Christmas I found a big stalk with Brussels sprouts on it and put it in has cage. Told everyone it was his Christmas tree. One year, not this one I strung and hung pop corn in his cage like some people used to do on the Christmas tree.
These sound great but I had thought that Lovebirds should not have much dairy—is this true? Thank you!
Hi great suggestion are these suggestions safe for umbrella cockatoo?
soulnds good, but I have another Idea that I tryed out on my cockatiel….and it work!! what I did was, took his favorite toy, and kept stuffing seeds in it four about 2-3 weeks,then when he is used to eat out of it, I put in some healthy/new foods in and he eats them right up!!
Our Ringneck joins us for every meal so he gets lots of variety every day, but these ideas are so much fun! Question: I read (from you) that birds do not have what it takes to digest cheese, so we have been giving cheese to him in teeny tiny amounts – it is one of his favorite foods. How much is safe?
I have a Quaker Parrot which was a young baby being harassed by bluejays as i was standing under the tree which this happened at my dr.s office, it landed on my head and held on for dear life, i have had Merlin for 7 yrs now and he has an extraordinary vocabulary and he helps me teach my other God sent birds talk and stay busy. the Treats are a fantastic way of Rewarding your birds, which i do often, my parakeets talk and a Nanday Conure was attacked by an osprey which slit the nandays throat i rescued her and she is very healthy also and fun! My dr, and staff are not supprised any more when i come to the office with a bird on my head or holding in my shirt, the birds find me, for i am disabled and they keep my spirits up. thanks Chet.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WOLF
Just a quick warning tip – my yellow fronted Amazon, Max, is not allowed to have cheese of any kind because it constipates him terribly. Be careful with cheese! I wish I could give it to him because he loves it, but there’s nothing sadder (and funnier, in truth) than a constipated parrot. Another quick tip – if your parrot IS constipated, be sure to keep those individual servings of natural apple sauce in the pantry. One tablespoon for Max and he’s back to normal and it is one thing he’ll always eat.
Chet, I thought that we should not give ANY dairy products to birds?? Surprised to see yogourt and cottage cheese on your list of ingredients.
excellent idea, i would never have thought to give casper and nelson sandwiches, can’t wait to try them out
These recipes are wonderful! I’ve tried them all and my congo african grey and my senegal just love every one of them! I also feed these to my 2 cockatiels, budgie and love bird. Thanks!..HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I love reading all the info that is put up so i had to adds this when it comes to diet my birds eat the occaisonal seed but the eat what we eat they love eating fish and rice but a real treat for them is crab and fresh baby coconut meat even a drop of red wine that is for my larger parrots but my cockateil loves something that is not so good salted peanuts and red wine it is 16 years old now and it still acts as a young bird. lol my wife says i treat them better than her as they also live in my house have showers with me but she does get mad when the cockateil comes walking in our bed room at 2am then gets on our bed while we are sleeping is dark but still finds it way in
Chet great ideas thanks. I have two green cheeked conures. One is 13, the other 4. They have been on a strict harrisons diet for 3 years as previous to that my 9 year old conure died unexpectedly. The avian specialist here in London said it was due to their diet: eating sunflower seed/ pet shop seed, peanut butter snacks, pasta, bread. So he put them on harrisons. Since then I have been terrified of giving them anything processed/ man made. They are in beautiful condition now very shiny feathers, the vet said their weight is good. What is your take on this? Ps when I got the 4 year old, Sharky I emailed you about her behaviour issues. You advised she may have ADDHD. You sent me a DVD which helped a lot and now she is very obedient and well mannered and always keen to try new tricks. So thank you for that.
As an avian veterinarian, I would caution against using peanut butter, as there is always a level of fungal toxins present, which have the potential to cause serious disease in our parrots. Natural peanut butter is worse, as the level of these toxins are much higher. Birds are lactose intolerant, so I do not recommend feeding dairy products to our birds. Coronary artery disease is also prevalent in our companion parrots, so avoid animal products (eggs, meats, dairy, etc.) These are great recipes, my advice is stick to just veggies for the fillings. Much healthier for our parrots!
I thought cheese was not good for parrots???
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