What Should I Feed My Bearded Dragon Daily? A Complete Feeding Guide

You’re staring at your bearded dragon’s empty food dish, wondering what to put in it today to keep them thriving.

As an experienced owner of several bearded dragons, I’ve learned through trial and error what makes a balanced daily diet, and I’m passionate about sharing that knowledge to support your pet’s wellbeing.

This guide will walk you through the perfect daily salad, safe feeder insects, and how to adjust portions as your dragon grows.

The Perfect Bearded Dragon Feeding Schedule

Getting the timing right for meals makes a huge difference in your dragon’s health and digestion. A consistent feeding schedule aligns with their natural metabolism and helps prevent issues like impaction. I’ve found my own dragons are calmer and more predictable when they know exactly when to expect their food.

Juvenile Daily Feeding Schedule

Baby and juvenile bearded dragons are growing machines. They need a lot of fuel. I call my juveniles my little eating champions because of their incredible appetites. So, how often should you feed juvenile bearded dragons? They typically need multiple small meals per day to support rapid growth.

• Offer live insects 2-3 times per day.
• Space feedings out, such as morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon.
• Each feeding should last 10-15 minutes, letting them eat as many appropriately-sized insects as they want.
• Always provide a small bowl of fresh, chopped greens throughout the day.
• Do not leave uneaten insects in the enclosure overnight.

Young dragons can eat a staggering amount, so don’t be alarmed if they polish off dozens of small crickets in a day. Their bodies are building bone and muscle at an astonishing rate.

Adult Daily Feeding Schedule

Once your dragon hits adulthood, their metabolism slows way down. Their diet and schedule need a significant shift to match their new lifestyle.

• Offer a large, fresh salad of greens and vegetables every single morning.
• Provide live insect prey only 2-4 times per week.
• On insect days, offer one protein meal, not multiple.
• A good portion for an adult is roughly 15-20 appropriately-sized insects per feeding.

The biggest mistake I see with adult dragons is overfeeding protein, which can lead to serious obesity and liver problems. Think of their salad as their main course and insects as an occasional treat.

Bearded Dragon Feeding Chart by Age

This simple breakdown helps you visualize the dramatic shift in dietary needs as your scaly friend grows up. It’s a transition I’ve guided many new owners through.

Age	Insect Prey	Greens & Vegetables	Feeding Frequency
Baby (0-5 mos)	80%	20%	3x daily
Juvenile (5-18 mos)	70%	30%	2x daily
Adult (18+ mos)	20%	80%	1x daily (salad), insects 2-4x/week

Juvenile Diet: The Protein Powerhouse

From my experience, a juvenile’s world revolves around hunting. Their diet should be heavily skewed towards live, moving prey to satisfy that instinct and support rapid growth.

• Staple Insects: Dubia roaches, black soldier fly larvae, discoid roaches, and crickets.
• Occasional Treats: Silkworms, hornworms (for hydration), and bsfl.
• Greens to Offer Daily: Collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, and endive.
• All insects must be smaller than the space between your dragon’s eyes.

Gut-loading your feeder insects with nutritious veggies 24 hours before feeding is non-negotiable for passing on those nutrients. It’s the secret to a truly healthy juvenile.

Adult Diet: The Greens Shift

Watching an adult dragon transition to a salad-based diet is a beautiful thing. It means they’ve reached a stable, mature stage of life.

• Salad Staples (80% of diet): Collard, turnip, and mustard greens. Escarole, arugula, and dandelion greens. Fresh herbs like basil and mint.
• Healthy Veggie Mix-ins (10-15%): Shredded squash, bell peppers, and snap peas. Grated carrot and green beans.
• Fruit & Treats (<5%): Blueberries, raspberries, and mango. Offer these sparingly, like once a week.
• Protein Sources (20% of diet): Stick with nutrient-rich staples like dubia roaches and silkworms.

A vibrant, varied salad isn’t just filler; it’s the cornerstone of long-term health for your adult bearded dragon. I love getting creative with my chop to keep my big guy interested in his greens. Bearded dragons eat spring mix as a base for a healthy, balanced salad. To build the perfect salad, mix spring greens with a variety of safe veggies and a small, protein-rich topping.

Your Bearded Dragon’s Daily Menu: Live Insects & Greens

Creating the perfect daily plate for your beardie is like packing a balanced lunchbox. You need a mix of protein-packed insects and a hearty salad of greens to keep them thriving. If your bearded dragon won’t eat greens, you’re not alone—this is a common issue many owners face. The good news is there are practical tweaks you can try to fix it and get greens back on the menu. I’ve found that getting this balance right is the single biggest factor in a healthy, active dragon.

Best Live Insects for Daily Feeding

Think of insects as the main course. They provide the essential protein that fuels your dragon’s growth and energy. Variety isn’t just the spice of life; it’s the key to preventing nutritional deficiencies. I always rotate between these three staples to keep my dragons interested and well-nourished.

• Dubia Roaches: My absolute top pick. They are meaty, not too jumpy, and pack more protein than crickets with less chitin (that hard-to-digest shell).
• Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Calciworms®/Phoenix Worms): These are a fantastic convenience food. They are naturally high in calcium, so you often don’t need to dust them, and you can just keep them in the fridge.
• Discoid Roaches: A great alternative to Dubias if you live in a place like Florida where Dubias are restricted. They are just as nutritious and easy to breed.

I keep a colony of Dubias and a tub of BSFL in my fridge at all times. This two-insect system ensures I never run out of quality feeders and my dragons get a perfect calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.

Essential Daily Greens and Vegetables

This is the salad bar that should be available to your dragon all day, every day. A fresh pile of greens in the morning is non-negotiable in my routine. A robust daily salad provides vital hydration, vitamins, and fiber for a healthy digestive system. I call these my “go-to greens” because they are safe, nutritious, and my dragons devour them.

• Collard Greens & Mustard Greens: These are the backbone of a great salad. They are calcium-rich and have a great texture that beardies seem to love.
• Dandelion Greens: Don’t just pull these from your yard unless you’re 100% sure no pesticides are used. Store-bought is safest, and they are a powerhouse of nutrients.
• Butternut Squash: I grate this finely and mix it in. The bright color attracts my dragons, and it’s a great source of Vitamin A.
• Bell Peppers (any color): Another colorful mixer that adds a nice crunch and a boost of hydration and vitamins.

I make a big batch of this salad mix every few days to save time. Watching my dragons eagerly munch on their colorful salad is one of the most rewarding parts of my day. It’s a clear sign of a happy, healthy pet.

Prepping the Feast: Gut Loading and Supplement Dusting

You wouldn’t send your kids to school on an empty stomach, and you shouldn’t feed your bearded dragon a nutritionally-empty insect. Think of the bugs you buy as little delivery vehicles, and it’s your job to load them up with the good stuff before they reach your dragon. This two-step process of gut loading and dusting is what separates okay care from exceptional care. It’s also important to choose insects carefully—our bearded dragon eating guide explains which bugs are safe, which can be toxic, and how to avoid risky options.

How to Gut Load Live Insects

Gut loading simply means feeding your live insects a highly nutritious diet for 24-48 hours before they become your dragon’s dinner. I keep a separate container just for “fattening up” my feeder insects. Bearded dragons often eat hornworms, mealworms, and superworms, so these are popular choices to gut-load for maximum nutrition. By gut loading these bugs, you ensure the nutrients your dragon actually consumes are top-notch. What you feed the bugs is what ultimately fuels your bearded dragon.

Here is what I use to create a powerhouse gut load:

• Dark, leafy greens like collard greens, dandelion greens, and mustard greens.
• Orange vegetables like slices of sweet potato, carrots, and butternut squash.
• A small amount of high-quality commercial gut load food for extra vitamins.

Avoid these for gut loading:

• Low-nutrient items like iceberg lettuce or celery. They are mostly water.
• Anything from the allium family (onions, garlic)-it’s toxic to your dragon.
• Dog food, cat food, or processed human foods. They have the wrong nutrient balance.

The Right Way to Dust with Calcium and Vitamins

Dusting is the final, crucial step. You’re sprinkling a fine powder of essential supplements onto the insects right before feeding. Getting the dusting routine right is the single best way to prevent Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), a common and devastating illness. I’ve seen dragons recover from early MBD with proper dusting, and it’s a powerful reminder of why we do it.

You will typically need two types of powder:

• Calcium with D3: D3 helps your dragon absorb the calcium. This is your most frequently used dust.
• Multivitamin: This provides a broad spectrum of other essential vitamins and minerals.

Here is the dusting schedule I follow for my adult bearded dragons. It’s simple and effective.

Supplement Type	Frequency
Calcium with D3	4-5 insect feedings per week
Multivitamin	2-3 insect feedings per week

My method is foolproof. I take a plastic bag or a dedicated deli cup, pop the insects inside, add a tiny pinch of powder, and gently shake them until they’re lightly coated-like a faint ghost of powder. You want a light, even coating, not a thick, pasty mess that the insects can shake off. Feed them to your dragon immediately after dusting for the best results.

Hydration and Feeding Safety

Keeping your bearded dragon hydrated is just as vital as their diet, but it can be a bit tricky. Many beardies won’t recognize a still water bowl, so you have to get creative. In my experience, watching for subtle signs of dehydration is key-like sunken eyes or loose skin that doesn’t snap back quickly. When you do use a water bowl, keep it shallow and clean and use dechlorinated tap water. Hydration mainly comes from drinking rather than skin absorption, so rely on a reliable water source rather than long soaks for hydration.

How to Provide Water

You have a few excellent options to ensure your dragon gets enough fluids.

• Misting: I lightly mist my dragons and their salad greens with a spray bottle. They often lick the water droplets right off their snouts and the leaves. It’s a simple, effective method.
• Shallow Baths: A lukewarm, shallow bath for 10-15 minutes a few times a week encourages them to drink and can help with hydration. Always supervise bath time closely.
• Dripping Water: You can create a “raindrop” effect by gently dripping water onto their nose from your fingers or a leaf. This often triggers a drinking response.
• Water Bowls: While some dragons will drink from a bowl, don’t rely on it. Always provide fresh, clean water daily, even if you rarely see them use it.

Critical Feeding Safety Rules

Safety during feeding is non-negotiable. I’ve learned these rules through both research and a few scary moments with my own pets.

Avoid Choking Hazards

This is the number one rule for live feedings. When it comes to tomatoes, this rule still applies. Never offer a food item that is wider than the space between your bearded dragon’s eyes. Tomatoes should be offered in small pieces and only occasionally as part of a balanced diet. This simple visual check prevents them from trying to swallow something too large, which can lead to choking or impaction.

Prevent Impaction

Impaction is a serious, life-threatening bowel blockage. You can prevent it by managing two main factors.

• Substrate: I am a strong advocate against using loose, particulate substrates like sand, calcium sand, or walnut shell. My dragons live on non-adhesive shelf liner, tile, or paper towel because it’s completely safe if they accidentally ingest it while hunting.
• Basking Temperature: Your dragon needs the right heat to digest their food properly. Without a proper basking spot of 95-110°F, food can sit and rot in their gut, leading to impaction.

Supervise All Live Feeds

Never just dump crickets or roaches into the enclosure and walk away. I always watch my dragons during their entire “bug time” to ensure every insect is caught and eaten. The best time to feed is when they’re most active—usually in the morning after basking. Keep feedings short, about 10-15 minutes. Leftover prey can stress out your beardie or even nibble on them while they sleep.

Know the Unsafe Foods

Some common human foods are toxic to reptiles. Always double-check an item’s safety before offering it. A few common foods to absolutely avoid include:

• Avocado
• Rhubarb
• Fireflies (and all other glowing insects)
• Buttercups
• Spinach and beet tops (they bind calcium)

Limit Feeding Time

When offering live insects, I set a time limit of about 10-20 minutes. This prevents overfeeding and mimics a more natural hunting scenario. Any uneaten bugs should be removed from the habitat afterward.

Is My Bearded Dragon Eating Well? Health Monitoring Signs

Watching your bearded dragon eat is one of the simple joys of being a pet parent. But how can you be sure their daily diet is truly working for them? The best way to know is to become a keen observer of their overall health and behavior. I always tell new owners that the food bowl is just one piece of the puzzle. To make this a complete feeding guide for pets, many keepers look at what wild bearded dragons eat and adapt it thoughtfully. This context can help answer questions like ‘do bearded dragons eat’ and ensure your plan covers balance, variety, and supplements.

Positive Signs of a Healthy, Well-Fed Dragon

When your dragon is thriving on their diet, you’ll notice a collection of good signs. These are the little victories that let you know you’re on the right track.

• Consistent, Bright-eyed Alertness: Your dragon should be active and curious during their awake hours, with clear, bright eyes free of any crust or swelling.
• Firm, Well-Rounded Body: A healthy dragon has a plump tail base and a body that is full but not overly fat. Their belly should not be sunken in.
• Strong, Regular Appetite: They should show eager interest in their food most days. It’s completely normal for appetite to dip slightly right before they shed.
• Regular, Well-Formed Droppings: This is a huge one. Their poop should be a firm, brown log with a separate, white, chalky urate. This shows they are well-hydrated and digesting properly.
• Smooth Shedding: Their skin should shed in large pieces over a few days, not get stuck in patches for weeks.

Behavioral Cues to Watch For

Your dragon’s behavior is a direct line to how they’re feeling. I’ve learned to read my own dragons’ moods just by watching their daily habits.

• Basking Properly: After eating, a healthy dragon will spend time under their heat lamp. This is vital for digestion.
• Exploring Their Enclosure: They should move around their home, glass surf only occasionally, and generally seem engaged with their environment.
• Normal Hydration: You might see them lick water droplets from decorations or their snout after you mist the tank. Their skin should spring back quickly if you gently pinch it.

Red Flags: When to Be Concerned

Sometimes, our pets tell us something is wrong. Catching these signs early can make all the difference. If you notice any of the following, it’s time for a closer look at their care or a visit to a reptile vet.

• A sudden, complete loss of appetite that lasts more than a couple of days.
• Lethargy or weakness; they are not moving much or seem unable to support their own body.
• Sunken eyes or wrinkled skin, which are classic signs of dehydration.
• Runny, foul-smelling, or unusually colored droppings.
• Visible weight loss, especially a thin, bony tail.
• Consistently refusing their staple greens while only wanting insects.

From my own experience, one of my dragons, Puff, once went off his salads for a week. It turned out I was offering the same two greens every single day, and he was just bored! A simple rotation of his veggies brought his appetite right back, reminding me that variety is just as important for them as it is for us.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of feeding dish is best for my bearded dragon?

Use a shallow, heavy-bottomed ceramic or plastic dish to prevent tipping and make it easy for your dragon to access food without injury. Avoid deep or lightweight bowls that could cause stress or spills during feeding.

How do I adjust feeding times as my bearded dragon grows from juvenile to adult?

Juveniles thrive on 2-3 insect feedings spaced throughout the day, while adults do best with a single morning salad and insects only a few times weekly. Gradually shift the schedule over several months to match their slowing metabolism and prevent overfeeding.

What should I know about feeding crickets to my bearded dragon?

Crickets can be a staple insect, but always gut-load them with nutritious greens and dust with calcium before feeding to boost their value. Supervise feedings to ensure all crickets are eaten and remove uneaten ones to avoid stress or bites on your dragon.

Final Thoughts

Your bearded dragon’s daily menu really boils down to a simple, powerful formula: a platter of fresh, dark leafy greens, a measured portion of live insects, and a reliable dusting of supplements. This consistent trio is the absolute foundation for a vibrant, healthy life. In a complete guide on bearded dragons, you’ll learn which foods are safe and how to balance portions. It also covers safe foods, prep, and feeding frequency.

Stick with this routine, pay close attention to their appetite and energy levels, and you’ll be well on your way. From my own experience, watching them thrive on a diet you’ve carefully provided is one of the most rewarding parts of being a beardie owner.

Further Reading & Sources

• The Complete Bearded Dragon Diet Plan | Bearded Dragon Care – Dragon’s Diet
• Bearded Dragon Complete Food Guide – Zen Habitats
• Feeding Bearded Dragons | VCA Animal Hospitals