Our most popular pet lizards remain bearded dragons, and one of the most common questions we receive is: “What should I feed my dragon?” Many keepers also struggle when their dragons become selective eaters or refuse certain foods. This guide explains what bearded dragons can eat, what they should be eating, how much and how often.
Variety
One of the most important but often overlooked aspects of bearded dragon feeding is variety. Just as humans benefit from eating a wide range of foods, bearded dragons also need a diverse and balanced diet. They are naturally omnivorous, consuming both plant and animal matter, and in the wild will opportunistically feed on whatever is available. Offering a wide range of greens, vegetables, flowers and insects helps ensure a nutritionally complete diet.
Greens and Salad
From the moment they are born, our dragons at Internet Reptile are offered a finely chopped bowl of “salad” as their first meal of the day. Any reputable breeder or pet shop should follow similar practice. Dragons that have not previously been offered greens may be reluctant at first, which is why preparing appealing, varied and aromatic salads is so important.
Feed salad shortly after the lights come on and before offering livefood insects. This helps prevent dragons from filling up on insects and ignoring their greens.
When preparing salad, avoid human favourites such as iceberg lettuce, cucumber, tomato or carrot — these are not ideal for bearded dragons. Instead, prioritise nutrient-dense options such as:
- Dark leafy spring greens
- Butternut squash
- Darker lettuce types
- Rocket
- Watercress
- Clean wild dandelion leaves
Mix these finely and include dried flower/herb blends such as Arcadia DragonFuel or FlowerMix. Twice per week we also add gel-based foods (e.g., InsectiGold or OmniGold) to create a nutritious blend of flavours and textures that dragons usually find irresistible.
Livefood Insects
Wild bearded dragons will consume almost any insects or invertebrates they encounter. In captivity, however, many keepers fall into the trap of offering only one favourite insect repeatedly. While dragons may appear satisfied, this often leads to nutritional imbalance, obesity and fussiness around other foods.
There is a good range of suitable insects available. Ideal staple options include:
- Locusts
- Brown or black crickets
- Roaches
- Calci-worms
- Morio worms *
Additional treat options include:
- Waxworms
- Buffalo worms
- Pachnoda grubs *
- Silkworms (when available)
*Morio worms and pachnoda grubs should be fed in moderation due to their higher fat content.
Always ensure feeder insects are well cared for and properly gut-loaded before feeding. Follow your supplementation schedule and dust insects lightly as required.
Feeding Frequency
- Juveniles: 2–3 insect meals per day
- 6 months+: reduce to one insect meal per day
- Adults: insects every 2–3 days
Allow dragons to eat what they want within a 5–10 minute feeding window rather than leaving insects loose in the enclosure, where they may irritate or bite the dragon. Offering more frequent, smaller portions is often beneficial when aiming for greater diet variety.
Other Foods
We prefer to include “other foods” as part of our main salad mix. As noted above, we use dried herb/flower blends daily and add gel-based dragon diets twice per week.
Beyond this, several other food formats are available:
- Pellet diets: Not as beneficial as a fresh, varied diet, but useful for adding occasional variety or for keepers unable to source suitable greens regularly.
- Canned or cooked insects: Dragons often enjoy these and they carry similar nutritional value to live feeders. Products in the ProBugs range are particularly convenient and can be added to salads or fed as treats.
Disclaimer: This feeding advice is provided as a general guide based on our experience. Individual dragons may have slightly different needs, and best practices evolve as new research becomes available. Always carry out your own research and consult professional or veterinary guidance where needed. We will endeavour to keep this information up to date as husbandry knowledge develops.
