Vegetable Nutrition Charts: Variations By Method Served

We have all wondered which foods contain the most nutrition for our birds. Many of us also want to know what nutritional differences exist if foods are served raw, fresh, cooked, sprouted, dry roasted or oil roasted. This is the second in a series of articles which will address these questions. The first article covered seed and nuts. This one covers many of the common vegetables. Future articles will cover many other food areas. The tables below contain information on the nutritional values of these foods prepared in a variety of ways.

Learn which contain the most beneficial vitamins and minerals your pets require and which is the most nutritious way to serve them.

The information included below comes from USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 13 (November 1999). The numbers used are averages. Be aware that nutrient content of foods varies based upon how they are grown and stored. However, you can use these numbers as a guideline in choosing food for your bird’s diet.

Here are some tips to remember when choosing foods. Spinach contains oxalates which can inhibit absorption of calcium. Calcium absorption is dependent upon the presence of vitamin D3 and phosphorous. A 2:1 ratio of calcium to available phosphorous is an accepted guideline for birds. High fat diets can also interfere with calcium absorption. More detailed information is available in our article Calcium, Phosphorus & Vitamin D3 in Your Bird’s Diet.

There is recent information that acids in foods increases the absorption of iron. To avoid this, feed foods with acid, such as oranges, at least two hours apart from high iron containing items.

In the wild, birds obtain animal protein from bugs and small insects (often contained in ripe fruits). There is growing evidence that some animal protein is necessary in the diet.

If you include pellets as part of the diet, be aware that they also contain many of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that your birds require.

The numbers in the tables provide the nutrition found in 1 ounce of food.

VEGETABLES