Nutrients in 100g of strawberries:
Strawberries contain many antioxidants and vitamins. One cup of sliced, fresh strawberries, or 166 grams (g), contains the following nutrients:
- calories: 53 calories
- protein: 1.11 g
- carbohydrates: 12.7 g
- dietary fiber: 3.30 g
- calcium: 27 milligrams (mg)
- iron: 0.68 mg
- magnesium: 22 mg
- phosphorus: 40 mg
- potassium: 254 mg
- vitamin C: 97.60 mg
- folate: 40 micrograms
- vitamin A: 20 international units
Strawberries are delicious food for people everywhere but what about bearded dragons? Can bearded dragons eat strawberries? Are strawberries safe for bearded dragons? How many strawberries can a bearded dragon eat? Why strawberries are not safe in larger quantities? Do bearded dragons love them? How to feed bearded dragon strawberries? Let’s find out.
Can a Bearded Dragon eat Strawberries?
The short answer is:
- Yes, Bearded Dragons can eat Strawberries Once a week.
- No, Not daily.
Congrats, your reptile pet can eat strawberries, but only in moderate quantity. They are considered safer food for your bearded dragon so you don’t need to limit them to once a month, rather you can feed bearded dragon strawberries once a week.
How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Strawberries?
Strawberries have high nutrient value for both humans and bearded dragons. They also have a relatively low calcium-to-phosphorous ratio which is very important for bearded dragons as phosphorous binds with calcium in bearded dragons and stops calcium’s absorption in their bloodstream which can cause many health issues like weaker bones, collapsed tissues, Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), etc. The recommended calcium-to-phosphorous ratio for bearded dragons is 1:1 or 1:2, not more than that, and the above-given data depicts that, strawberries fall in a safer zone.
Strawberries are soft and their seeds are also too small, so bearded dragons eat them easily, there is no risk of choking while feeding strawberries to bearded dragons. But you need to avoid their stems.
All these qualities and a favorable calcium-to-phosphorous ratio make strawberries a good food for bearded dragons and you can feed bearded dragons strawberries as a treat once a week or less frequently, depending on other foods in their diet schedule.
You can also use strawberries to encourage your dragon to eat leafy green salad by adding small pieces of strawberries to it. This is an efficient way but you need to use this trick in moderate frequency. The reason behind that your bearded dragon will love them and they may end up craving for the sweet taste of the berries. They will reject all the other much-needed green vegetables. And it’s really hard to reverse this problem so you need to be careful. Don’t make your bearded dragon a Romeo of strawberries.
Why can’t bearded dragons eat strawberries all the time?
Strawberries are very healthful for your bearded dragon in moderate amounts. Some of their nutritional benefits are as under:
- Carbohydrates: provide energy
- Calcium: strengthens bone and tissue
- Fiber: ensure smooth digestion
- High water content (45% to 68%): prevent dehydration and improve kidney function
- Potassium: regulates blood pressure
- Vitamin C: fortifies your dragon’s immune system, reproduction, vision, and growth
All of the above nutrients are very beneficial for bearded dragons but still, there are a few reasons that strawberries aren’t safe in larger quantities or for regular consumption.
More phosphorus than calcium:
One cup or 166 grams of strawberries contains 27 grams of calcium and 40 grams of phosphorous. This calcium-to-phosphorous ratio is in the safer zone but still, strawberries have more phosphorous than calcium, which makes them unsafe for daily usage.
As you already know calcium is the most important mineral for bearded dragons. To keep bearded dragons healthy, you need to provide them with calcium-rich food as well as calcium supplements by dusting them on bearded dragon food. A deficiency of calcium can cause many problems, e.g. Metabolic Bone Disease.
- Read, “Bearded Dragons, Calcium, and Vitamin D3: Everything You Need to Know“
- Read, “How Do I Give My Bearded Dragon Calcium?“
- Read, “Metabolic Bone Disease 101: Keep Your Bearded Dragon Healthy and Strong“
On the other hand, phosphorous binds up with calcium and stops its absorption in the bearded dragon’s bloodstream. So, it must be consumed in smaller quantities. That is the main reason, you need to limit the consumption of strawberries or any other food that contains more phosphorous than calcium for bearded dragons.
If the phosphorous consumption exceeds the calcium in bearded dragons daily, the results are not good.
High water content:
Foods that have moderate water, are suitable to feed your bearded dragon in control quantities. Strawberries are one of those foods that are moderate in water quantity and fulfill bearded dragon’s needs. But if you feed bearded dragons too many or too often strawberries, they will be over-hydrated which will lead to diarrhea or other health issues. Diarrhea will lead your pet dragon towards dehydration.
Bearded dragons are equipped to handle dehydration due to desert but not the dehydration caused by diarrhea, so you need to be very careful while giving them food that is high in water content.
Lots of sugar:
All fruits are sweet and have some amount of sugar. As you already know bearded dragons don’t need sugar for their survival. If bearded dragons eat too much sugar, they will be prone to tooth decay, fatty liver disease, diabetes, obesity, or even deadly heart failure. So again, the same restriction is here, limit the amount of sugar in the safe zone.
In the case of strawberries, your bearded dragon will love them and want you to feed them more and more. But you need to stay strong and give them strawberries in moderate amounts.
How can Bearded Dragons Eat Strawberries?
You can give them whole strawberries with stems removed only with your supervision. They are safe to eat if your bearded dragon takes little bites. But if you want to give them and need to do your other work, you need to chop the strawberries into small chewable pieces so that your pet dragon will not choke himself. There are chances that bearded dragons will try to take a bigger bite, which will in their throat and will cause the problem, so you need to be careful. The chopped pieces can be placed in a food dish and your bearded dragon can enjoy the treat.
Always remember to thoroughly wash the strawberries to remove all the dust and preservative chemicals before feeding your bearded dragon. They can be harmful and can cause trouble for your pet dragon.
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