I’m working to incorporate more vegetables into my diet and recently tried swiss chard.
The colorful leafy greens are similar to kale and very tasty when cooked.
I had some leftover chard, which got me thinking about adding it to what I feed my parrots, but I wanted to make sure it’s safe, which led me to wonder: can parrots eat swiss chard?
Yes! Swiss chard is a great option for parrots. Standard swiss chard has a red stem and big green leaves, but there’s also chard with white and golden stems that is often sold as rainbow chard and all are a nutritious vegetable to add to your parrot’s diet.
Swiss chard is a leafy green that is not as tough as kale, but not as thin as spinach and is part of the beet family of vegetables.
It has a thick stem and crinkly green leaves and it has a bitter taste that can be minimized by cooking it.
This article will examine what swiss chard is, if it is safe for birds to eat, how to prepare it, and outline its health benefits.
Can parrots eat swiss chard stems?
Yes, swiss chard stems are perfectly safe and healthy for your parrots to eat, but they are thick.
If you want to ensure your parrot can eat them safely, it is recommended that you cut the stems and leaves finely, either chopping them up and mixing the chard into your bird’s feed or cooking them to make the chard easier to digest.
Can parakeets eat swiss chard?
Yes, but in limited quantities.
About one leaf a week is best because of swiss chard’s oxalic acid, which can cause digestive issues.
If you’re looking for an alternative leafy green for your parakeet, romaine lettuce is a good option and provides good nutritional value.
Can conures eat swiss chard?
Yes, conures can eat swiss chard.
Much like other parrots, swiss chard offers high nutritional value to strengthen the diet of your conure and the calcium in swiss chard is especially good for their skin and feathers.
It’s important to cut the chard up into smaller pieces because of the tough texture of the leaves and stem.
That’s also why cooking swiss chard rather than serving it raw could be a good option.
I prefer to eat swiss chard cooked or steamed to reduce its bitter taste.
Cooking swiss chard enhances its earthy and savory taste.
How should I prepare swiss chard for my parrots?
Parrots can safely eat swiss chard cooked or raw.
When I cook swiss chard I chop the leaves and use a little olive oil in the pan, but chard – much like spinach – retains water so it doesn’t require oil to cook.
You can simply put chopped up swiss chard in a pan or pot with a little water.
Although olive oil is completely safe for parrots – in fact olive oil has the same health benefits for parrots as it does for humans – if you have concerns about how oil will affect your parrot, you don’t have to use it.
The thick stems of swiss chard take longer to cook than the leaves, which cook down quickly.
Cooking chard reduces its bitterness, but it also reduces some of its nutritional benefits as well.
The best way to retain all the health benefits of swiss chard is to eat it raw, but because of the toughness of swiss chard’s leaves, it is probably best to finely chop the chard to make it easier for your parrot to eat or offer a raw leaf for them to munch on.
When it comes to choosing to cook swiss chard or offer it raw, consider giving your parrot both to see which they prefer.
Does Swiss Chard have any nutritional benefits for parrots?
Vitamin and Antioxidant-Rich
Swiss chard is very healthy, with high levels of vitamin A – a critical part of a parrot’s diet – as well as vitamin C and vitamin K.
In fact, swiss chard provides three times the recommended daily vitamin K intake, which helps reduce blood clotting and high blood pressure.
Swiss chard also includes high-levels of polyphenols and antioxidants, which have been found to protect against heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Stronger Bones & Low-Calorie
Swiss chard is a great source of potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium, which strengthens bone health and is ideal for your parrot.
Swiss chard is also a low-calorie food that has been found to regulate blood sugar levels, making it good for weight loss.
Endurance
Studies have also shown that swiss chard can improve athletic performance, increasing oxygenation, which helps with endurance.
Medical professionals recommend that anyone who takes blood thinners limit their intake of swiss chard since it reduces blood-clotting.
Where can I find swiss chard?
Swiss chard is sold at farmer’s markets or in the produce section of your grocery store and it is often sold in bushels of 4-8 leaves.
It’s frequently sold as red chard or rainbow chard, which is a combination of red, white, and gold-stemmed leaves.
Avoid purchasing any wilted-looking leaves – you want fresh, healthy looking stems and leaves on your chard.
Make sure you thoroughly wash the leaves and cut the stem about an inch from the bottom.
This article has outlined what swiss chard is, if your parrot and other birds can eat it, how to prepare it, and its health benefits.
Swiss chard is a great leafy green to incorporate into your parrot’s diet to add some color and nutritional value.
The same way you introduce any new foods, moderation and variation at first is key, but we’ve learned that swiss chard is a healthy and tasty option that your parrot is likely to enjoy.