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Your pet parakeet is totally dependent on you to attend to all of its needs. Perhaps the most impactful decision you make regarding your parakeet is how you choose to feed it. Feeding your bird correctly will prevent future health problems but incorrectly feeding your bird can reduce its lifespan. Read on to discover the healthy diet your parakeet should be eating and which food brands are the best choice.
Comparison of Parakeet Foods
| Name | Image | Cost | Food Type |  Our Rating | Our Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafeber's Nutri-Berries |  | Check Price On Amazon | Berries | 5/5 | Best Overall |
| Dr. Harvey’s – Our Best Parakeet Food |  | Check Price On Amazon | Mixture | 4.5/5 | |
| Brown’s Premium Encore Parakeet Food |  | Check Price On Amazon | Pellets & Seeds | 4/5 | Best Value |
| Higgins Vita Seed Parakeet Food |  | Check Price On Amazon | Low Fat Seeds | 4/5 | |
| Pellets | 3.5/5 |
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Parakeet Food Guide
Parakeet Diet & Nutrition
Birds that are in parakeet family include budgies, which are some of the smallest members of the parrot family and are extremely popular in the pet trade. Though diminutive in size, these active and colorful birds have many of the same nutritional needs as larger parrots.
Though many starter parakeet setups come with a bag of seed-based food for your bird, this type of diet is not optimal for your bird’s long-term health. Feeding an all seed diet can lead to health problems such as obesity. According to Lafeber.com, budgies are among the pet bird species most subject to becoming obese.
Diet is just one factor in allowing a bird to become obese. Lack of exercise options and boredom also contribute to the condition. A bored bird may end up eating more during the day, especially if a bowl of tasty seeds is always available.
Domesticated seeds that are sold as food for pet birds are not as nutritionally balanced as wild seeds. They are often notoriously high in fat plus carbohydrates which can lead to obesity if over-consumed by your pet bird.
High-quality pelleted diets are the most nutritionally balanced food that you can feed your budgie when used in conjunction with fresh fruit and vegetables. Seeds can be given as a treat or supplemental food, but should not exceed 10%-20% of your bird’s diet. Pellets should make up around 50% and the rest should consist of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Parakeet Food List: fruits and vegetables
Your parakeet will benefit from the addition of fresh fruit and vegetables to their staple diet. Here are some of the fruits that can safely be offered to your budgie:
Fruits
- Apples
- Bananas
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Melon
These vegetables are also healthy for your bird and should be incorporated into their diet.
Vegetables
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Green Beans
- Carrots
Always remove any uneaten fresh food at the end of the day.
Benefits of a Pellet Based Diet
A problem faced by many parakeet owners is that their birds are already accustomed to a seed-based diet when they obtain them. As the least expensive alternative, many pet stores provide seeds as the primary food for their stock of parakeets.
It can be difficult to transition mature budgies from seeds to pellets. In a perfect world, your parakeet would have been hand raised on a pellet diet, but that is not usually the case. It will be up to the parakeet’s owner to transition it to a more healthy food.
According to VCAHospitals.com, your bird may not even identify pellets as a food source at first. You should plan on weaning your bird off of the seed diet over a period of 4 to 8 weeks. In some cases, it may take months for your bird to fully transition and accept the pellets.
During the transition period it is vital that you ensure your bird is eating the pellets as well as some fruit and vegetables before removing the seed diet. You should never totally withdraw the seeds until you are certain of this fact, as some birds are extremely stubborn and will starve rather than eat an unfamiliar food presented to them. But once you’ve transitioned, they’ll soon eat on their food like in the video shown below:
5 Best Parakeet Food Reviews
In the reviews below, we looked at the type of food mixture, quality, organic status and price to determine which was the best parakeet food.
1. Lafeber’s Nutri-Berries Review
Our Rating
5 out of 5
PROS
- Nutritionally balanced complete diet for your bird.
- More readily accepted by parakeets than other pellets.
- Promotes tongue and beak exercise absent in other foods.
CONS
- Some waste can be expected if your bird drops partially eaten berries.
Nutri-berries provide your birds with a complete diet in a distinctive form that promotes natural beak and tongue sensations. The berries can be served whole or crumbled up depending on how your bird likes to consume them. They provide the same nutritionally balanced diet as pellets but in a fun to eat form.
This food is manufactured in a novel way, with the seeds hulled before use. This prevents the vitamins and minerals added to the seeds to dissipate when the bird cracks the seed. It delivers more of the nutrition intended for your bird on the actual food, not its casing. This also allows the grains and seeds to be formed into the berries without being ground up, letting your bird enjoy them in a natural form.
Our Rating
5 out of 5
^ Return to comparisons at the top
2. Dr. Harvey’s – Our Best Parakeet Food Review
Our Rating
4.5 out of 5
PROS
- Can be used as your bird’s sole dry food.
- Contains nuts and herbs not found in some mixtures.
CONS
- More expensive than most other commercial parakeet foods.
This all-natural parakeet food is completely free of chemicals, dyes, or synthetic ingredients of any kind. It is a blend of nuts, fruits, seeds, herbs, and vegetables that can serve as your parakeet’s main source of nutrition. Vitamins and minerals are used to enrich the food and supply your pet bird with everything it needs to remain healthy.
The food contains a wide variety of nuts including almonds, pecans, walnuts, and pistachios. Vegetables not found in other dry foods such as broccoli, zucchini, and bell peppers will appeal to your parakeet’s taste buds. A nice mixture of seeds and fruits makes this an excellent choice that your pet parakeet will surely enjoy.
Our Rating
4.5 out of 5
^ Return to comparisons at the top
3. Brown’s Encore Premium Parakeet Food Review ·
Our Rating
4 out of 5
PROS
- Pellets and seeds in one convenient food.
- Lack of fatty seeds in the mixture.
CONS
- A high percentage of seeds to pellets.
Brown’s Encore Premium Parakeet Food is a blend of seeds, grains, and vitamin-fortified pellets. It provides your bird with a well-rounded variety of foods that combine to give your avian friend all the nutrition it needs.
Canary seeds, red millet, and white millet make up the bulk of the seeds, staying away from the fattier types like sunflower or safflower seeds. Ground corn, oats, wheat, and soybean meal are used to manufacture the pellets which are enriched with all the vitamins and minerals your bird needs to stay in top physical shape.
Our Rating
4 out of 5
^ Return to comparisons at the top
4. Higgins Vita Seed Parakeet Food Review
Our Rating
4 out of 5
PROS
- Primarily seed mixture of low-fat seeds.
- No preservatives or artificial ingredients.
- Omega-3 fatty acids.
CONS
- Seeds alone cannot provide all the nutrients that your parakeet needs.
Vita Seed Parakeet Food is a vitamin enriched blend of low-fat seeds that is an excellent choice for the seed-based part of your bird’s diet. It is free of artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives that do not add any nutritional value for your pet. They add plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids to help your bird’s immune system.
This blend is made with top quality seeds and blended with pieces of dried fruit and vegetables. A small percentage of the seed is Higgins pellets for added nutrition. The food affords your bird a variety of healthy options and is fortified with vitamins and minerals that it needs.
We recommend Vita Seed, but only when it is also mixed with pellets, fruit and veg – so then your parakeet gets a fully balanced diet.
Our Rating
4 out of 5
^ Return to comparisons at the top
5. Zupreem FruitBlend Parakeet Food Review ·
Our Rating
3.5 out of 5
PROS
- Variety is helpful for weaning your birds off seeds.
- Provides a well-balanced staple diet for your parakeet.
CONS
- Contains sugar and food coloring.
This pellet food from Zupreem offers your birds a colorful and tasty way to consume the vital nutrition and supplemental vitamins and minerals that they need for optimum health. The pellets in this food are the perfect size for parakeets, and the variety of colors and tastes may make it easier to transition your bird from a seed-based diet than some other pellet brands.
The pellets are made with ground corn, wheat, and soybean meal as well as oranges, apples, grapes, and bananas. They are also fortified with many essential vitamins and minerals to help keep your bird healthy.
Our Rating
3.5 out of 5
^ Return to comparisons at the top
Homemade Parakeet Treats
In addition to your bird’s standard diet, you may occaisonally want to give your parakeet a treat which is especially useful if you’re training them. Below is a good video of some homemade parakeet treats that you can make:
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Verdict
After reviewing all of the above parakeet food options, we feel that the Nutri-berries from Lafeber is the best bet for the majority of parakeet owners. This food provides your birds with the nutritional value found in pellets in a form they are more likely to readily consume. Nutri-berries can be a great way to wean your birds off of a seed-based diet and can be broken up and fed in a more traditional manner if your bird doesn’t want to pick up whole berries.
So the verdict for the 5 best parakeet food options are:
- Lafeber’s Nutri-Berries
- Dr. Harvey’s – Our Best Parakeet Food
- Brown’s Encore Premium Parakeet Food
- Higgins Vita Seed Parakeet Food
- Zupreem FruitBlend Parakeet Food
Further Reading
If you found this article useful, you might also want to check out our guides on:
- Bugs in Bird Seed
- Parakeet Cages
- Parakeet Training
