Bearded dragons eat live insects and fresh leafy greens, and the balance shifts with age. Babies get insects twice a day and need about 60–80% of their food as protein. Adults get greens every day and insects only 2–3 times a week, about 20–30% protein. Gut-load the insects, dust them with calcium, keep fresh water out, and never feed fireflies or avocado.
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Feeding schedule by age
| Age | Insects | Greens and vegetables | Share of diet that is protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchling (0–6 months) | 2 times a day | Daily | 60–80% |
| Juvenile (6–12 months) | Once a day | Daily | 50–60% |
| Adult (over 12 months) | 2–3 times a week | Daily | 20–30% |
Schedule and proportions are from the ReptiFiles care sheet, which also notes that skipping an occasional feed is fine and helps keep an adult at a healthy weight. VCA’s vets give similar guidance: young dragons eat once or twice a day, adults every 24–72 hours (VCA Animal Hospitals). Offer as many insects as your dragon eats in a feeding session, then remove the leftovers so loose crickets don’t pester it overnight.
Best insects for bearded dragons
| Insect | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dubia roaches | Staple | Can’t climb smooth walls or fly, are quiet and easy to keep, and come in sizes from nymph to adult. |
| Crickets | Staple | Widely available. Remove uneaten ones, since they nibble a sleeping dragon. |
| Black soldier fly larvae | Staple | Small, so they suit babies and juveniles well. |
| Silkworms and hornworms | Staple and variety | Soft-bodied. VCA lists both as suitable. |
| Mealworms | Variety | Hard shell. Better for adults than babies. |
| Superworms and waxworms | Treat only | High in fat. VCA advises limiting them. |
| Fireflies | Never | Toxic to lizards (VCA). |
Rotate at least two or three feeders. ReptiFiles calls variety the key to a balanced diet. Feed insects no wider than the space between your dragon’s eyes. That rule is widely used by keepers rather than drawn from a study, and it matters most for babies. Wild-caught insects can carry pesticides and parasites, so buy captive-bred feeders. Digestion also depends on heat: the setup that keeps your dragon warm enough is in the enclosure guide.
Best greens and vegetables
| Feed often | Feed sparingly | Never |
|---|---|---|
| Collard greens, dandelion greens and flowers, cactus pads (prickly pear), arugula, spring mix, pea shoots, bok choy, carrot greens, alfalfa, hibiscus leaves and flowers, green beans, bell pepper | Spinach, Swiss chard and beet greens (oxalates bind calcium). Kale, cabbage and mustard greens (goitrogens). Fruit (high in sugar). | Avocado (contains persin, likely toxic to bearded dragons). Fireflies. |
The “feed often” list combines the safe vegetables in the ReptiFiles care sheet with the vegetables VCA lists. The “sparingly” list is VCA’s. The avocado warning is from a veterinarian-written answer on The Vet Desk. Chop greens small, mix three or more kinds, and serve them in a shallow dish in the morning so your dragon eats while warm.
Calcium, D3 and vitamins
Insects are low in calcium compared with phosphorus, so dust them. VCA’s schedule is a light dusting of phosphorus-free calcium on food daily, and calcium with vitamin D3 two to three times a week. ReptiFiles pairs a calcium powder without D3 with a multivitamin that contains D3. Either way, D3 only covers part of what UVB does. A dragon without proper UVB lighting will still develop metabolic bone disease (see setting up UVB).
Gut-load feeders for 12–24 hours before feeding them off. VCA says within 12 hours of feeding. Give them greens, carrot or a commercial gut-load diet, so the nutrition passes on to your dragon.
Supplements and feeding gear we would buy
- Calcium without D3: Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3. Phosphorus-free calcium for routine dusting.
- Calcium with D3: Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3. For the 2–3 dustings a week on VCA’s schedule.
- Multivitamin: Rep-Cal Herptivite. A reptile multivitamin to rotate in once or twice a week.
- Gut-load: Repashy SuperLoad. A dry gut-load for crickets and roaches between greens.
- Feeding dish: Escape-proof worm dish. Keeps mealworms and larvae in one place instead of buried in the substrate.
Use one calcium routine, either VCA’s or ReptiFiles’. Doubling up on D3 powders risks oversupplementing.
Common feeding mistakes
- Feeding an adult a baby’s diet. Daily insects for an adult lead to obesity. Cut insects to 2–3 feeds a week after the first year.
- Too few greens for babies. Offer a salad every day from the start, even if a baby ignores it, so it learns to eat plants.
- Skipping calcium, or giving D3 at every feed. Both cause problems. Follow one schedule.
- Relying on iceberg-style lettuces and fruit. They are mostly water or sugar. Base the salad on dark leafy greens.
- Feeding in a cold enclosure. Dragons need a hot basking spot to digest. Feed after the lights have been on a while.
Bearded dragon food FAQ
What do bearded dragons eat?
Live insects (dubia roaches, crickets, black soldier fly larvae, silkworms, hornworms) and fresh vegetables, mostly dark leafy greens such as collard and dandelion greens. Babies eat mostly insects. Adults eat mostly greens.
How often should I feed my bearded dragon?
Babies under 6 months get insects twice a day, juveniles once a day, and adults 2–3 times a week. Fresh greens go in every day at every age.
How many crickets should a bearded dragon eat?
There is no fixed number. Offer as many as it eats in one feeding session, then remove the rest. Babies often take dozens of small insects a day, while adults take far fewer.
Can bearded dragons eat fruit?
Only as an occasional treat. Fruit is high in sugar, and ReptiFiles advises generally avoiding it.
Can bearded dragons eat spinach or kale?
Sparingly. Spinach contains oxalates that bind calcium, and kale is a goitrogen. VCA advises feeding both in moderation rather than as staples.
Do bearded dragons need water?
Yes. Keep a shallow bowl of fresh, clean water in the enclosure every day.
Sources
- ReptiFiles: Bearded dragon care sheet (PDF)
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Bearded dragons, feeding
- The Vet Desk: Can bearded dragons eat avocado? (Dr. Luqman Javed, DVM)
More guides: enclosure size and setup, day-to-day care, substrate.