Can Parrots Eat Quinoa? (Everything About It)

There is one ingredient that must exist in every parrot meal, and it is actually the ingredient that most parrots depend on to get what they need from different nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein, and fat. This Ingredient is seeds and nuts. Seeds and nuts should make at least 75% of any meal you serve to your parrot.

Can Parrots Eat Quinoa?

And the answer is yes. Luckily, parrots can eat quinoa and can benefit from the large amounts of protein and fiber that can be in great use when parrots consume and eat quinoa. It also contains a wide variety of other vitamins and minerals.

However, many seeds and nuts have different amounts of nutrients, but quinoa differs slightly from other types of seeds and nuts. Quinoa is one of the most nutritious types of seeds. It contains a lot of the essential nutrients every living being needs.

And in this article, we will dive into everything you need to about how beneficial quinoa can be to your parrot, how to prepare quinoa, and many more. So, let’s get into this.

Quinoa bowl

What is Quinoa?

Technically quinoa is a type of seed, and it’s classified as whole grain. And it makes a great and healthy replacement for rice.

These seeds, or what we recognize as a whole grain, come from the Chenopodium quinoa plant. This plant is native to South America, and it has been spreading to the rest of the world because of the enormous benefits they hold.

The marketing for the leafy and green parts of this plant is not very common, as it is with its seeds. They mostly grow this plant for the seeds. Its green leaves are edible as well, and you can cook, and eat them just like spinach.

This plant is a member of the Amaranthaceae family, and it’s related to many veggies like spinach, beets, and Swiss chard.

What Benefits Can Parrots Get From Eating Quinoa

As a parrot owner is sometimes hard to keep our feathery pet’s diet diversified. And this could lead to a possible diet deficiency for the parrot. But with quinoa seeds, this possibility decrease as you add them to the daily meals of your parrot.

The quinoa seeds contain a lot of what pet parrots need daily. In fact, quinoa seeds are nutritious in protein, and it’s a complete protein because of the existence of the 9 main amino acids. It’s also high in It is also high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E, and various beneficial antioxidants.

And according to the USDA, every 100 grams of uncooked quinoa contain:

  • 13.3 g of water
  • 368 calories
  • 52.2 starch
  • 14.1 g of protein
  • 6.07 g of fat
  • 7 g of fiber
  • 47 mg of calcium
  • 4.57 mg of iron
  • 197 mg of magnesium
  • 457 mg of phosphorus
  • 563 mg of potassium
  • 5 mg of sodium
  • 3.1 mg of zinc
  • 0.59 mg of copper
  • 2.03 mg of manganese
  • 0.487 mg of Vitamin B-6
  • 64.2 g of carbohydrate

And a lot of other nutrients that come in different levels. Read more about it on the USDA Website.

Besides that, quinoa seeds can help to protect the parrot from many diseases like heart diseases, cancer, and obesity. It also can help to prevent inflammation because of saponin’s presence in quinoa. The fiber can also help the satiety and this actually will help to prevent your parrot from gaining more unneeded weight.

How to Prepare Quinoa For Parrot

Luckily, you don’t have to do a lot to prepare quinoa for parrots. Parrots can eat quinoa whether it’s cooked, uncooked, or sprouted.

And for us people, there are various ways we used to cook and prepare quinoa for ourselves. However, cooked quinoa for parrots should differ from our own.

If you want to cook quinoa for your parrot, you should only boil them until they absorb the water, for 100 grams of quinoa, this could take up to 10 minutes. a larger amount can take longer.

And of course, there is no parrot who can eat 100 grams of cooked quinoa, so you have to measure them before cooking, or you can prepare the patch for the next week, or whatever is suitable for you. And after you cook the quinoa, you can add them to any meal, and use it as a treat to your parrot.

You can use carrot, cucumber, and other good veggies along with the cooked quinoa.

If you want to serve quinoa after they sprout, then it is ok to do and add them with other ingredients.

Personally, I prefer to give my parrot uncooked quinoa, as they are healthier and more natural for parrots. Besides that, uncooked quinoa comprises most of the nutrients, unlike cooked quinoa.

However, to serve raw quinoa to parrot, you can add them to seed mix in your parrot’s bowl, or you can sprinkle them all over any treat you use with your feathery pet.

How Much Quinoa is Good For Parrots?

The more quinoa you serve to your parrots, the better and healthier for them. And it’s also better to quinoa as a permanent ingredient in the meals or food bowl.

The only thing you need to know is that quinoa can stay fresh in the closed pack for almost 3 years, and when you open the pack you need to store the quinoa in the fridge. Cooked quinoa can stay only 3-7 days in the fridge.

So make sure you are saving them well and serve these nutritious seeds to your parrot as fresh as possible.

Can Cockatiels Eat Quinoa?

Of course, cockatiels can eat, and benefit from eating quinoa seeds. You can add quinoa seeds to the cockatiels diet, or you can sprinkle them on the fruit or the vegetable you are serving to the bird.

Do You Have to Cook Quinoa for Parrot?

No, you don’t have to cook quinoa seeds for your parrot or any other birds. Most birds can eat and digest any type of seeds if they are able to swallow them, and this includes quinoa. However, cooked, uncooked, or sprouted quinoa are all safe for parrots to eat.

How to Sprout Quinoa for Parrots?

Sprouting the quinoa seeds is very easy. You put the seeds in a jar spray water in it and then close tightly and wait for a few days. And for faster sprouting, you can soak the seeds for one or two hours and then put them and a jar and close them tightly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, quinoa can make the best addition to your parrot meal. In fact, quinoa is the best source of the vegetable protein that every parrot needs, along with some other nutrients like fiber, vitamins, minerals, and more that exist considerably in quinoa seeds.

Besides the low price of quinoa and the small amounts that you need to give to your parrot every day, I don’t really see any reason not to give your feathery pet this type of seed. Even for you as an owner, quinoa seeds can make a greater and healthier alternative to rice, And I highly recommend adding quinoa into your diet.

And yes, that’s about, hope you find this article informative and easy to digest. Thank you for reading…