Best Food for Bearded Dragon Growth Reviewed in 2018

Bearded dragons, scientifically known as Pogona vitticeps, are semi-arboreal omnivores. They eat a variety of insects, vegetables, and fruits. It is essential to provide these docile reptiles the best foods so that they will reach their optimum health. It is also not enough to feed them just with nutritious foods, but you also need to offer them a variety of foods. This will make each meal time more appealing to them. Hence, they will eat the foods that you serve them with zest.

For some of the best food commercially made for bearded dragons, we recommend the following:

1. Fluker Labs SFK72021 Bearded Dragon Medley Treat Food

The Bearded Dragon Medley Treat Food is a perfect blend of freeze-dried mealworms, grasshoppers, and crickets. You’ll be sure that your beardie will accept this meal as a real treat. You won’t need to go into the trouble of finding these high sources of protein that will fill your little dragon’s body with all the energy it needs for the day. We can keep a ready supply of food for days. You don’t have to worry about your beardie’s next meal when you don’t have the time to find food for it. This product comes in a 1.8-ounce jar.

2. Zilla Reptile Munchies Mix Treat

Zilla reptile munchies omnivore mix treat is great not only for bearded dragons but also for other reptiles and amphibians. It is an easy and quick to provide pets a variety of desirable green vegetables and insects that they prefer. This meal is a combination of sun dried and freeze dried ingredients that are chosen especially for omnivorous reptiles. As it is nutritious and high in beneficial vitamins, these munchies can be fed with or without leafy greens, or other pellet diets. Simply rehydrate with water and serve. Storage is also never a concern as this product comes in a convenient and resealable package.

3. Zoo Med 5118 Gourmet Bearded Dragon Food

With over 30 years of experience in researching the nutritional needs of reptiles, amphibians, and other exotic pets. This Gourmet Bearded Dragon Food by Zoo Med enriches your dragons meals with the addition of Blueberries, Mealworms, Alfalfa Meal, Escarole, Ground Whole Wheat, dried Rose flower petals, and a variety of essential vitamins and minerals. It’s a natural food packed essential vitamins and minerals. No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives have been added in its preparation.

4. Zilla Reptile Munchies for Pets

This Reptile Munchies by Zilla contain dehydrated ingredients that are quick and easy to serve. It does not even need to be refrigerated! The natural ingredients in each 4-ounce pack will provide essential nutrients and vitamins, such as calcium that your dragon needs to lessen the risk of developing a metabolic bone disease. The meal is quite easy to prepare. Just rehydrate it in water and serve. This meal is also perfect for other reptiles and amphibians.

5. Exo Terra Soft Juvenile Bearded Dragon Food

Bearded Dragon food by Exo Terra is specifically made for young dragons. It is a nutritious and palatable meal formulated to ensure proper growth and health by providing a complete and balanced nutrition. This essential food pack is made of natural plant and fruit ingredients. It provides the complete daily nutrition that your docile pet requires. This diet is fortified with adequate vitamins, minerals, and amino acids and there’s no need for other food supplements. You may also moisten this food pellet with fruit juice as there are some dragons that prefer softer pellets.

6. Flukers 1 Piece Adult Bearded Dragon Veggie Variety Diet

Here is another perfect food that you can stock up and serve for your bearded dragons. It is vitamin and mineral fortified meal that will energize your adult dragon. You can serve this vegetable-enhanced meal with Fluker’s original buffet blend with freeze-dried Crickets and mealworm for a more appealing meal.

7. Rep-Cal SRP00813 Juvenile Bearded Dragon Pet Food

Your young dragon will eat this pet food with gusto. It is fortified with all the daily vitamins and minerals that your pet needs, like calcium and vitamin D3. If you serve this food, your dragon won’t need other food supplements for the day. This product comes in 12 ounces.

8. T-Rex Bearded Dragon Gourmet Food Blend

This pet food blend by T-Rex is made of all natural ingredients. Premium greens, veggies, and insects are dehydrated in a state-of-the-art process to preserve their original fresh tastes and aromas. The dried insects included in this meal provide high levels of protein without the odor or hassle of feeding live insects. Just add hot water to rehydrate and serve.

9. Rep-Cal SRP00815 Adult Bearded Dragon Pet Food

Here is the same blend perfect for adult bearded dragons prepared by Rep-Cal. It is a complete meal that you can serve to your pet. If you prefer to stock in smaller quantity, this one is one of your options.

10. Zoo Med Gourmet Bearded Dragon Food

Here is Zoo Med’s all natural pet food that is just right for your dragon. It is another complete meal option. This one comes in 8.25 ounce.

11. Zilla Reptile Food Munchies Mealworm

This 3.75-ounce pack contains dehydrated mealworms that your dragon will love to munch. It’s a high protein food packed in a resealable packaging. No need to refrigerate. It is also ideal for leopard geckos, chameleons, large tropical fish, as well as birds.

12. San Francisco Bay Brand SSF71955

Here is a healthy and instant blend for your adult bearded dragon. It is an all natural mix and contains no preservatives. It will be an irresistible treat for your dragon once rehydrated. This food blend contains freeze-dried grasshoppers as well as dried dandelion greens.

Rankin’s dragons, blue-tongued skinks, and other amphibians such as box turtles will enjoy this treat. This comes in a bulk pack that weighs 3.9-ounce.

13. Fluker’s Freeze Dried Crickets

No need to worry where you will find delectable crickets for your dragon. Fluker offers these cricket diet that has been gut-loaded with calcium. It provides the essential nutritional value that your pet needs.

14. Zilla Reptile Food Munchies Vegetable & Fruit Mix

Zilla offers a nutritious mix of dehydrated vegetables and fruits that are easy and convenient to serve. You won’t even need to refrigerate it. Simply rehydrate with some water before serving. This is perfect for bearded reptiles, amphibians, and other small animals.

15. Exo Terra Soft Adult Bearded Dragon Food

Your bearded dragon will find this meal both appetizing and nutritious. This soft food formulated for adult dragons will ensure proper growth and health as it provides complete and balanced nutrition. It contains natural plant and also fruit ingredients which provide adequate daily nutrition. Exo Terra Bearded Dragon food is fortified with optimal levels of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids so no other food supplements are required. Exo Terra Bearded Dragon food is a complete reptile diet for bearded dragons.

16. 1000 Live Gutloaded Superworms Large

These super worms are bred with the highest quality food and are gut loaded to provide your beardie the essential vitamins and nutrients it needs.

17. Fluker’s Buffet Blend Food for Adult Bearded Dragons

This Buffet Blend by Fluker is specifically formulated for adult bearded dragons. This special blend will provide your dragon with all the essential protein, fat vitamins, and minerals that it needs. It is a variety of meals (vitamin fortified pellets, freeze dried crickets, and freeze dried mealworms) served to your pet dragon in a single serving

18. Fluker’s Buffet Blend Food for Juvenile Bearded Dragons

This scientifically formulated meal for juvenile bearded dragons is a blend of crickets, mealworms, and pellets. It provides an instant and complete variations of food that your dragon will love to munch.

11. Waxworms

These are the ideal foods for bearded dragons. These worms should only be a part of a varied diet, however.

Check out the other Best Worms for Bearded Dragons in here.

12. Crickets

Crickets are the most popular foods for bearded dragons. If you think of feeding your bearded dragon with crickets, it is best to gut load the insects first. Allow the insects to feed on throw-away fruits and vegetables for added nutritional value to your dragon’s diet.

13. Pinky Mice

Pinky mice are about five days old and still do not have fur.

What should you feed your bearded dragon?

Beardies consume a combination of animals and plants. You need to remember though that as your pet matures it will need less of the other food source and more of the other. Thus, while it is still young, it will need about 80% of animal-based foods and 20% plant-based foods. Adults, on the other hand, will require the opposite of these figures: 20% animal-based foods and 80% of plant-based foods.

What is the best food for your bearded dragon?

The best diet for your docile reptile is one that combines fresh salad brushed with some bearded dragon vitamins and some live feeder insects. Dust the food that you offer your pet with some calcium and vitamin supplement for a healthier treat. Crickets and other feeders may be easily offered to your tiny dragon using a steel tweezer. Just make sure you have the right feeding tool, including a bearded dragon food bowl. Doing so will allow it to get to used to the process. It will also lessen the chance of the dragon licking the food elsewhere as this may pose danger to its health.

To help you manage to feed your dragons, here are some feeding tools you may use every meal time:

1. Bwogue 2pcs Extra Long Stainless Steel Tweezer Feeding Tool

Here is a safe and easy to use stainless steel that you can use to feed your beardie. It is made with rounded tips that can help prevent unexpected injuries to your reptile’s mouth. It’s more hygienic than using your fingers. It can also be an excellent tool for more aggressive species.

It’s made to be extra long (11.8 inches) to give you the reach you need during feeding time.

It’s made of durable stainless steel and designed with slanted tips for optimal feeding angle. It offers and excellent grip that is made possible with the grooves inside its tips. This makes it easier to have a good grip of the food to offer to your dragon. That means even the most squiggly worms and insects.

This extra long stainless steel tweezers can also be used to feed and handle live food for larger aquatic pets, and even corals.

2. OMEM Ceramic Worm Dish Mini Reptile Food Bowl

This ceramic reptile food dish can be used to hold both food and water for your beardie. It is made with a smooth surface in its interior. It has inwardly curved walls that prevent its live prey from escaping. You also don’t even have to worry about cleaning it, as it can easily be washed with soap and water and disinfect as well.

It can be a perfect food dish for Geckos and other small herbs. It comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large.

3. Exo Terra Reptile Cricket Feeder

This cricket feeder will provide you a convenient way to feed your reptile live insects. As it is an imitation of a part of the beardie’s natural habitat, it can stimulate natural feeding behavior. You can use it as a place to coat wild prey with vitamins. It is so easy to clean0- just clean with soap and water then wipe off any residue.

4. Exo Terra Water Well Water Dispenser Reservoir

This is a great alternative for a bearded dragon drinking bowl. It provides a constant source of fresh water but prevents the beardie from spilling or fouling the water. It has a stable design that prevents it from unexpected tipping.

Its natural look will help it to blend into any reptile and other small amphibian’s enclosure.

5. Exo Terra Water Dish

Here is another interesting water dish you can use for your beardie and other reptiles. It is made to be durable and stable, so it cannot be tilted by small pets. The steps in the design will prevent your beardie to drown while taking a seep from it. It is also made of non-porous substance, so it will not absorb any bacteria that may be present in the habitat.

As mentioned earlier, the beardie will prefer leafy greens such as mustard greens, collard greens, Escarole, dandelion greens, turnip greens, and endives. You can make the food that you offer for the dragon even more attractive by adding some color combinations to your greens. Add some red bell pepper, butternut squash, strawberries, blueberries, and some squishy worms, to make it more inviting and delightful to your tiny dragon.

For the sufficient energy, offer your pet the best protein for breaded dragons. Live feeder insects dubia,  phoenix worms, or discoid roaches can be an exciting meal for beardies. Just make sure not to give your beardie any live food that is bigger than the distance between its eyes. Doing so may cause digestive issues and compaction that can be dangerous for the beardie.

What is the best time to feed your bearded dragon?

For the beardie to digest the food properly, his body needs to be all warmed up. It’s best to establish feeding times for easier management of your beardie. It doesn’t matter if you are feeding a young or an adult bearded dragon. It is best to have the first feeding done two hours after the light on their enclosure is turned on and the last feeding should be at least a couple of hours before the lights are turned off for the beardie’s bedtime.

You can find a bearded dragon food dish and use this to hold regular meals as well as commercial diets. You can actually serve your pet the best-bearded dragon pellet food. This will provide your beardie with a diet formulated to contain premium ingredients.

Final Reminders

You need to make sure that what you are feeding your beardie is healthy and nutritious. Feed them a good mix with variations, so they will find the meal you serve every time. There are also some food that you cannot give to your dragon such as insects collected in the wild. These may contain traces of pesticides that may be dangerous to your pet. Fish is also not an appropriate food for your beardie, as well as young or adult mice.

Your dragon needs the proper diet and proper handling for it to stay happy and healthy. This is just a portion of what you need to maintain a bearded dragon, however. With each of the post that we will provide, you will definitely a thing or two. Check us for updates. You can also share your thoughts with us and our readers. It will make the learning more engaging.

If you have any topic recommendation, reach out to us and we will consider your suggestion. We hope to teach you how to raise a healthy and satisfied bearded dragon. Connect with us through the comments’ section below.