Parrots don't just love seed, and don't have to be restricted solely to pellets, these are some of the recipes some owners use to make tasty dishes for their feathered friends.

Please note that the 'mashes' can be cooled and then frozen in 'serving size' pieces (ice cube tray is great) and then reheated when you need it. Whilst all parrots love warm food you must be careful it isn't too hot as this can result in burnt tongues, throats & crops.

If you put a finger in the food/mash and hold it there for about 20 seconds and you don't have to pull your finger out as its too hot for you, it will be fine for a parrot (rather like testing a babies bottle). Alternatively serve things that are just warmed through, i.e. lukewarm

Please go to the Links Page for more websites with recipes.

Omelette No.1

1 egg

3 tbs grated carrot

2 tbs cup beans (haricot, lima, black eyed or your choice)

3 tbs (chopped broccoli, chopped green pepper and sweet corn)

Beat the egg in a microwavable bowl then add all the other ingredients and mix well. Cook in microwave. I like to cook a few seconds at a time then stir. do this till the mixture is almost cooked them finish cooking after the final stir. Leave to stand till cool enough for birdies to eat then serve.

Eggs a la Palm Nut

3 hard boiled eggs (no salt in water)

1 tbs of palm nut extract

put in electric food processor and whizz the lot up. Egg shells included!

Eggy Bread

Beat an egg and pour on a plate then soak a slice of bread in the egg on both sides then fry. Mostly I fry it in a little virgin olive oil but I keep meaning to try frying it in palm nut oil.

Mash no 1

Serves 5 hungry parrots

1 large Sweet potato

1/2 large butternut squash

1 chopped clove garlic per parrot

1/2 cup quinoa

2 large grated carrots

Peel the sweet potato and the butternut squash. Scoop out the seed from the squash. Cut into 1" cubes, add the chopped garlic and boil till almost tender then add the quinoa and continue till Quinn is cooked (you will know when it is cooked because it seems to "sprout" and looks like a little leg lol. add the grated carrot and boil for a further 2 mins. Next strain and mash. I also like to add a good dollop of palm nut oil to this mixture while its piping hot (to enable the oil to melt) That's it! Done!

You can add as much or as little to this mash as you like. You can add chopped nuts, sweet corn, peas, chopped broccoli.............the list is endless really. Serve it warm to your parrots and watch them dive in.

Mash no 2

half a cup of brown rice, quarter cup of white rice

boil to soft. add 3 whole hard boiled eggs (inc shells)

1tsp of palm oil

2tsp sunflower hearts

5ml of calcivet

mash the lot together and hey presto!

Mash no 3

1 cup of mixed beans (soaked for 24 hours)

1 cup mixed pulses

1 cup wholemeal rice

whatever fresh vegetables/fruit you have in, chopped into parrot size pieces

Boil up the lot in a pan (NOT TEFLON) for the time that the beans need to be cooked (will be stated on the packet)

cool, place in ice cube trays, and freeze

optional ~ when reheating add a small amount of palm nut extract and mix well, serve to your parrots

Parrot Porridge

Parrots love porridge oats. Don't make it with milk though. Use apple juice and cook as per instructions but do not add salt or sugar. When it's cooked chop some fruit (apple, pear, satsuma, mango etc) and just stir in and serve.

Parrot Popsicles

a good one for hot days, and also people who hate waste

take any fruit/vegetables (if hard boil in water until soft) and put in a blender, mix until they have a 'smoothie' consistency

put in ice cube trays and freeze

on hot days pop out of the ice cube tray, put in a parrot bowl and leave to defrost for 10 minutes, then give it your parrot, they will love to lick at the cool 'fruit ice'.

Optional ~ if you can get paper or wood 'lolly sticks' you can place these in before you freeze, this gives the parrot a new 'foot toy' to hold onto

I have made for my parrots ~ apple & banana, mixed fruits, pepper & tomato, carrot (needs softening by boiling) & tomato

Sprouted Seeds

Parrots usually love sprouted seed (I only use sunflower hearts) and mixed pulses.

Do both using the same method

1. Wash the seed/pulses thoroughly

2. Cover the seed/pulses with fresh cold water and let stand for 24hrs

3. Wash thoroughly, and drain off excess water. leave them damp though, don't dry them out. cover with a suitable cover i.e. a towel, a dinner plate etc. anything that keeps the light out. leave for 24 hrs

4. repeat no.3

after 4 days you have perfectly sprouted seeds/pulses!

give them a good rinse in plenty of cold water, and serve up straight away.

Fling it around egg rice

Boil one egg then smash it to bits including shell.

Boil a handful of Brown Rice and when rice is starting to soften mix in some pieces of butternut squash, broccoli and cauliflower,

Leave all to cool and mix together and place in cage for your parrot.

Waste Not Want Not

Those of you who feed your parrots pellets, does your parrot leave you with lots of crumbs in the bottom of the bowl? Mine do and I hate waste so I put them in a plastic container and store them in the fridge till I have a good amount then I make up this recipe.

First of all as I have a parrot that wont eat nuts (and as we all know nuts are very good for us and full of nutrition) and I insist that he does. I grind mine down fine like ground almonds or I even use ground almonds but dead expensive. You can just chop them into small pieces if your parrot eats them.

So you need half a measure of chopped (human grade) nuts of your choice.

Half a measure of the pellet crumbs )

1 measure of cede egg food (I use the one for parrots but if you can only get canary then that will do fine) available at most pet shops.

1 tablespoon of palm nut oil (the solid coconut oil will do if you cant get the palm nut oil),

Mix the dry ingredients together. Melt the palm nut oil and add to the mixture and mix till all is covered. Next you need a small dish or tin. Press the mixture well into the dish, you need to press it in hard. Put it into the fridge for a few hours or overnight so that it hardens well. When hard you can cut into small squares and give to your parrot as a treat. You can give 2 to 4 a day. They are nutritious and parrots love them (especially the African parrots).

Parrot Pasta

My lot wont eat pasta plain so I cook it in the usual way then I warm some palm nut oil and add some crushed garlic. I leave that to steep for a few minutes then I add the pasta and coat it all in the oil and garlic. Then I add some chopped parsley and a little grated cheese. Sometimes I add a good sprinkling of cayenne pepper or chilli powder (cos not only do they love it hot, hot, hot its good for the digestion too). I serve it still warm but not hot and they dive straight in and eat the lot!!!!

Oven Fried Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Palm Nut Oil

1-2 cloves garlic

Paprika

cayenne pepper or chilli pepper/flakes

Grated Hard Cheese

Preheat the oven to about 200 degrees Centigrade. Using some palm nut oil and a pastry brush, oil a large baking tray (NOT TEFLON!!). Crush the garlic with a garlic crusher into the palm nut oil that you are using and leave to steep for a few minutes. Wash the sweet potatoes. 

Slice the potatoes about 1cm thick and lay them on the greased tray. Warm the oil and garlic in the microwave so that it is easy to brush over the potatoes. Brush over the potatoes lol, making sure they are completely covered. Then sprinkle with the paprika and cayenne pepper to taste. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes till crisp and golden. Sprinkle with the grated hard cheese as soon as you remove from the oven. Allow to cool and then serve.

Cinnamon Toast

What about this very simple Cinnamon toast? Cinnamon is a great natural detoxifier. I give this to my birdies and they love it.

Toast a slice of bread and then brush with a little palm nut oil then sprinkle with a little ground cinnamon. Then just cut and serve. If your birdie doesn't like palm nut oil you can always lightly spray the toast with water and then sprinkle the cinnamon.

(Ground cinnamon can be used on soft foods as a mild anti-fungal treatment for candida and other types of yeast, and aspergillus. Cinnamon also has a mild anti-bacterial effect against strep and staph bacteria. It can be sprinkled on fresh foods in hot weather to help prevent the growth of pathogens on bird food)

Rice and Pasta Veggies

1 cup cooked rice (brown or wild)

1 cup cooked pasta (any colour or shapes)

some frozen mixed vegetables

2 cloves garlic chopped or crushed

a sprinkling of basil (for flavour so use whatever your birdies like)

Some hot stuff lol (cayenne pepper or chilli etc)

warmed palm nut oil

put some frozen mixed veggies in a bowl and cover with boiling water. When the water has cooled the veggies are ready to use.

In a large bowl mix the rice, pasta and veggies together. Add the garlic, basil, and hot stuff and mix well. Add a good drizzle of palm nut oil and mix thoroughly. That's it is is ready to serve!

My birdies love this warm so I just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. Please remember to give it a good stir when you take it out and check for hot spots.

Also my parrots will pick out and eat only their favourite foods lol so more often than not I mash it all with a masher and it works wonders.

Dandelion Delicious

Dandelion Greens (a tasty side dish for fish)

2 bunches dandelion greens

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup onion, finely chopped

2 tsp chopped garlic

salt and freshly ground pepper

tbsp balsamic vinegar

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil on high heat. Trim stems from greens and discard. Add leaves to pot. Boil until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Heat oil on medium heat. Add onion and saute until softened. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add greens and saute until heated through. Stir in vinegar and season well with salt and pepper.