ᐅ Can Bearded Dragons Eat Brussel Sprouts?

Are Brussel Sprouts A Safe Meal For Bearded Dragons

Let’s ask the question again. Can bearded dragons eat brussel sprouts? The short answer is yes, it is safe to feed your dragon brussel sprouts.

We must mention that although brussel sprouts have a lot of nutritional value, they also have dangers and should only be given occasionally as a treat. This article will tell you about the benefits, risks, nutritional value, preparation, etc., of feeding brussel sprouts to your bearded dragon.

Nutritional Content Of Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts are not toxic to bearded dragons. They can eat at least a small amount without becoming ill. They contain large amounts of fiber, vitamins, and minerals good for your bearded dragon. Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional values.

Nutritional content per 100g brussel sprouts

Energy – 179kcal

Carbohydrates – 8.95g

Sugar – 2.2g

Protein – 3.48g

Vitamin A equiv. – 38ug

Vitamin C – 85mg

Calcium – 42g

Phosphorus – 69mg

Water – 86g

Read further to find out what impact each of the abovementioned nutrients has on your bearded dragon’s body.

Positive And Negative Effects Of Brussels Sprouts

Although bearded dragons can eat brussel sprouts, they should only be given in small quantities once a month. Feeding it more often to your bearded dragon will negatively impact your bearded dragon’s health.

Energy

Brussels sprouts are a good energy source, which is good, especially with active beardies. A bearded dragon in captivity does not need a lot of energy due to the lack of activities. Physical activities are essential to burn calories. If calories are stored, it will have a negative impact.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are another source of energy. As previously mentioned, bearded dragons in captivity do not need carbohydrate-rich food. The bearded dragon’s body will convert unused carbohydrates into fat. It will result in weight gain and obesity when eating high-carb foods.

Sugar

Sugar is not healthy for bearded dragons since it can lead to tooth decay and obesity. It should not form a part of your bearded dragon’s diet.

Protein

Bearded dragons need protein in their diet, especially baby bearded dragons. Their diet should consist of 80% protein-rich food and 20% plant-based foods. The protein level in brussel sprouts is not high enough to make it a protein-rich food.

Vitamin A

Brussel sprouts also contain a considerable amount of Vitamin A. Beardies need this vitamin to help them grow healthy.

Vitamin C

The Vitamin C content in brussel sprouts is higher than the Vitamin A. Brussel sprouts are needed to help bearded dragons build a stronger immune system.

Calcium

Calcium is essential in your bearded dragon’s diet to ensure the healthy growth and maintenance of strong bones. The amount of calcium is lower than the amount of phosphorus. As bearded dragon owner, we are sure you fitted a UVB light in your pet dragon’s terrarium.

UVB lighting is not enough to help with the required calcium absorption by your pet lizard. You also need to dust your beardies feet, abdomen, and food with calcium-rich supplements.

Low calcium in your beardie’s diet can lead to serious health issues like metabolic bone disease.

Phosphorus

The phosphorus ratio is very high in brussel sprouts. Phosphorus prevents calcium from being absorbed into the bloodstream. The phosphorus ratio to calcium is 4:1, which is way too much phosphorus. Also, consider the phosphorus level in the other food your beardies eat.

Water

Brussels sprouts contain high levels of water. Watery foods are unhealthy for bearded dragons and cause digestive problems like diarrhea.

How To Prepare Brussel Sprouts For Bearded Dragons

If you are bearded dragon keeper, we are sure that you will have an array of vegetables for your beardies to enjoy.

Wash the brussel sprout to ensure it is clean and free from any pesticides or hazardous chemicals.

Some bearded dragon owners just feed the entire brussel sprout. To prevent your beardie from choking on raw brussel sprouts, it is always better to chop them into smaller bite-sized pieces.

Put the pieces in a bowl and, your bearded dragon can now eat brussel sprouts.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cooked Brussel Sprouts?

You are making a big mistake if you, a bearded dragon owner, feed cooked veggies to your bearded dragon. The nutritional value of cooked foods is lower than raw foods including, brussel sprouts.

A bearded dragon’s stomach is used to eating raw food. Feeding them cooked brussels sprouts can cause digestive problems, especially if you use spices and cooking oil.

We recommend that you stick more to raw foods. This also applies to frozen sprouts as they have poor nutritional benefits.

How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Brussel Sprouts?

According to the nutritional value of brussels sprouts, it is strongly recommended that you only feed a small portion to your bearded dragon once a month. Brussel sprouts contain very low levels of calcium. The sprouts are very high in oxalates, phosphorus, and goitrogen.

Why Can Brussel Sprouts Not Be Classified As A Staple Food

Brussel sprouts are not staple foods because of the presence of goitrogen. Goitrogen is a dangerous substance affecting metabolism by blocking iodine from entering the thyroid gland. Insufficient iodine can cause hypothyroidism and slow down metabolism.

A Final Thought

Yes, beardie owners can feed brussel sprouts to their bearded friends. But, this is not a staple food, and we recommend it only be given once a month as an occasional treat. We recommend including green beans and parsley in your bearded dragon’s diet.

Please read about these and any other fruit and vegetables before giving them to your bearded friend. Most healthy vegetables can also have dangers.

Continue to read our main article “What do Bearded Dragons Eat?” for all the ins and outs on general diet questions, and get a further detailed breakdown of other popular foods in the articles below:

Can Bearded Dragons eat tomatoes?