What Fruits and Vegetables Can Macaws Eat?

Last Updated on February 8, 2022

Fruits and vegetables are essential for the proper growth and good health of macaws. Do you know what fruits and vegetables do macaws like? Are they beneficial?

Macaws can eat fruits like apples, bananas, citrus fruits, grapes, mangoes, papayas, pomegranates, peaches, and passion fruits and certain veggies like asparagus, bell peppers, beets, broccoli, butternut, carrots, collard greens, corn-on-the-cob, hot peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and dandelion greens. 

Both fruits and vegetables are nutritious. How does your macaw benefit from them? How much should be given daily? Do all macaws eat all fruits and vegetables? What fruits and vegetables are not suitable for macaws?

What Fruits Can Macaws Eat?

Fruits are safe and a good source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients required for the proper growth of the macaw. They are edible and energizing. In the wild, macaws feel free to pick the fruits of their choice. With the help of solid beaks, they nibble the flesh and eat it. Let us have a look at the importance of each fruit for your macaw.

Apples

Being a good source of vitamin C, Vitamin A, and magnesium help to improve immune systems, strong bones, and feathers. It is a healthy treat for all macaws. It should not be offered daily because of its sugar content. Only provide 2-3 times in a week as a portion of their diet.

Bananas

With all of their nutritional value, bananas are a good diet for all parrots. The overall health of the macaw is affected by the nutrients they intake. Lack of any nutrient may lead to bad health conditions. Bananas contain Vit A, Vit B6, magnesium, iron and potassium. As a whole, consuming bananas helps macaws improve health, eyesight, reproductive health, and immunity.

Citrus fruits

Citrus fruits include lemons, lime, grapefruit, oranges, and tangerines, which are good sources of energy and antioxidants. Contain vitamin C, Vitamin A, magnesium, potassium, and traces of calcium. High sugar and acid in citrus fruits may cause some digestive issues. So, avoid giving too much to your pet. Once in a month would be sufficient.

Macaws use their beaks to tear the fruit and take its flesh juice. Citrus is suitable, consuming bananas helps macaws improve for feather strength and coloration.

Grapes

It should be in moderate amounts because of fructose. It contains vitamin C, vitamin E, and iron helpful for skin health, digestive system, strong immunity, good heart health, and water balance in the body. It reduces the danger of cancer and tumors in macaws. It should be offered in dried form also.

Mangoes

A healthy and nutritious diet for macaws contains Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, B12, potassium, and iron. It is anti-inflammatory. Being an antioxidant, it improves digestion and prevents constipation.

Papayas

Macaws eat papaya by piercing it with their strong curved beaks. Flesh and seeds are edible and rich in vitamin C, protein, fat, and fibers. It helps the immune system and reduces stress.

Pomegranate

Macaws eat pomegranate seeds along with juice as an occasional healthy treat. Because of its nutritional value, it improves the overall health of the macaws. Vitamin C, potassium, protein, and sugar improve the mental health of macaws and reduce the stress induced by any external or internal factor.

Peaches

It is safe and edible for macaws except that its stone contains cyanide, leading to oxidative stress and tissue damage. You should not feed it daily. To avoid obesity, add small amounts of peaches to your macaw’s diet weekly. It is rich in Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, copper, potassium, fiber, and manganese. It is beneficial for;

• Bone structure
• Immune system
• Eyesight
• Hearing
• Healthy muscles and bones
• Maintain blood sugar level

Passion fruit

Macaws like to eat passion fruit that contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and folate. Taste is sweet and tart, so do not feed it as a whole to your macaw. Adding it with other food should be a good option. It not only improves the immune system, health of the kidneys but helps strengthen the heart muscles. 

Cranberry

Very delicious and safe fruit for macaws as well. It helps the strong bones, muscles, and immunity level. Being rich in vitamin C and fiber, it is perfect for skin and feathers health. Frozen and dried passion fruit is also used. Macaws are fun-loving and play with cranberries because they are firm.

Coconut

Macaws eat coconut. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, fibers, fats, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium that help maintain a better digestive system. Fresh coconut is highly preferred. At the same time, desiccated coconut and coconut cream are not allowed.

Cherries

All macaws eat fruits according to their taste development. Cherries are good like all other fruits for maintaining their overall health. Fruit is good except the seed/pit inside it, poisonous and should be avoided. The seed contains contaminated material that, if taken, leads to many health problems.

Kiwi 

Berry fruit is also known as Chinese gooseberry. Sweet and tart in taste. Macaws peel it with their beaks and eat its edible inner portion. It is rich in Vitamin A, C, E, K, and manganese, etc.

Melon

Melons are rich in Vitamin C and fibers. They make the digestive tract strong and increase immunity to fight off diseases. Macaws are like all those fruits which a human can. Your macaw feed must consist of 15 % fruits, so keep in mind that you are also giving other fruits in your macaw feed. So, you should provide a moderate amount of every fruit.

What vegetables can macaws eat?

Like fruits, vegetables are also essential for the macaws. Fresh and washed vegetables are very healthy and full of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. All parrots can eat vegetables depending upon their choice and the taste they have developed. 

Fruits are a rich source of Vitamin C, while vegetables are rich in Vitamin Vitamin A. Deficiency of Vitamin A causes a disease called Hypovitaminosis in macaws.

Macaws can eat a wide variety of vegetables;

Asparagus

Not only attract the parrots because of their fresh green color but highly nutritious. Fresh and washed asparagus should be offered as a part of other feed for maintaining your macaw in better health conditions. Asparagus contains Vitamin A, C, E, K and fiber, folate, and chromium. All these would help your macaw by increasing immunity, eyesight, and feathers skin.

Bell peppers

Due to its attractive colors, macaws eat them although it is a little bit spicy. It is available in red, green, yellow and orange. Having reasonable amounts of Vitamin C and low sugars helps them to reduce obesity in larger macaws. 

Seeds and the whole vegetable is edible and safe for the macaws. Potassium, folic acid, and fibers help the digestive system.

Beets

Fresh beets are very healthy for macaws as they are full of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It also contains protein and fiber. All of it is very important. Parrots eating beets in their diet will have fewer chances of tumors.

You can offer it as a whole, chopped or slightly cooked when cooked, do not add oil and spices.

Broccoli

It carries different nutrients like calcium, potassium, and iron, which help it become strong and healthy with strong immunity. Other than Vitamin A, B, and K, it has Vitamin D, which is very helpful for healthy bone formation. 

In the wild, macaws can have access to sunlight, and they get the energy and vitamin D directly from the sun. But in captivity, where macaws do not have access to direct sunlight, they may get bone-related diseases. Giving them fresh or chopped broccoli would save them from vitamin D deficiency.

Butternut

Another healthy food for your macaw is butternut, filled with Vitamin A, C, E, and B. Some minerals like calcium, zinc, and magnesium are also present in butternut. Both raw and cooked butternut is acceptable for all macaws but freshly washed, cut into smaller pieces would be better.

Carrots

A rich source of Vitamin C and minerals keeps the macaw healthy. Offering freshly washed carrots or cutting them into smaller pieces would have good impacts on health. Macaws are joyful and like to play with toys and treats as well. Carrots are more like a toy and treat.

Leafy greens

Spinach, collard greens, and dandelion greens are very healthy like all other vegetables because of their nutritional value. It is rich in Vitamin C and can be offered as a whole, chopped, and cooked.

Corn-on-the-cob

Delicious food is rich in protein, iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese, copper, and Vitamin B. In the wild, parrots find their favorite vegetable and eat them as a whole. As far as corns are concerned, macaws like to eat corn-on-the-cob than separated corns. It acts as an antioxidant and keeps your macaws in good health.

Spinach, Lettuce, and Kale are leafy vegetables rich in iron necessary for making hemoglobin. It contains essential fatty acids and low fats. You can serve it as raw or slightly cooked. You should add them in moderation along with the daily diet of the macaw.

Artichoke is a vitamin-rich vegetable that can be served raw or cooked. But it should be in moderation. Otherwise, it can disturb the digestive system of macaws. The outer leaves are slightly stiff, and macaws enjoy chewing these leaves.

Chewing is their instinctual behavior that is very helpful to keep macaws busy for some time and reduce stress. You can serve them raw, cooked, frozen, or slightly steamed.

Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants and vitamins and help promote the immune system by reducing the chances of being sick. On alternate days, you can feed them raw, cooked, mashed, or grated sweet potatoes. It depends on your choice.

How would you offer fruits and vegetables to your macaw?

Macaws can eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. In the wild, they search for their favorite food the whole day and become successful. But in captivity, they are totally dependent on their owners for their daily meals. What should be offered? Can they eat whole fruits and vegetables? How many fruits and vegetables should be offered?

For all these queries we will discuss the ways in which you can offer fruits and vegetables to your macaw for better results. Following are the different ways of feeding fruits and vegetables to your pet.

• Fresh fruits and vegetables are nutritious.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables should be washed with clean water to avoid the risk of harmful pesticides.
• Bigger-sized fruits and vegetables should be cut into smaller pieces.
• Cooked fruits and vegetables can be offered but cooking may reduce the contents so avoid giving too much-cooked food.
• Drying some fruits and vegetables is also another way to offer. Dries coconut and grapes are common. Dried fruits have more quantity of sugar so do not offer too many amounts. More sugary geed is the cause of obesity in larger macaws. Always try to give a moderate amount of sugary food.
• Macaws can eat frozen fruits and vegetables if necessary. 
• Chopped fruits and vegetables help macaws to play and chew with their feed.
• Although fruits and vegetables can be offered in various ways but freshly washed are best.

How many fruits and vegetables should be offered to macaws?

Both fruits and vegetables are an important source of energy for macaws. Macaws need 20-25% of fruit and vegetables in their daily diet. So, keep in your mind that you are not serving your macaw the only fruits and vegetables. Giving them so many fruits and vegetables may lead to their bad health condition. Along with the daily routine diet of macaw, you should offer an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables. It must be weekly or monthly.

Conclusion

Macaws can eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables because of their nutrition. They can eat whole, cooked, frozen and chopped fruits and vegetables but the freshly washed fruits are highly preferable. They should not be added to the daily diets of macaws. A moderate amount of fruits and vegetables should be added as a part of their daily diet for keeping them in good health.