Wholesome Home Cooking for Your Feathered Friend: Nutritious Recipes for Your Pet Parrot

Parrots are not just colourful companions; they're intelligent, social creatures that deserve the best care, including a well-rounded diet. 

While even the best commercial bird foods are convenient, they may lack the variety and freshness that homemade meals offer. 

Cooking for your pet parrot can be a rewarding experience, ensuring they receive the nutrients they need while enjoying tasty treats.

Let's explore some wholesome and delicious recipes tailored to your feathered friend's dietary requirements.

Fresh Fruit Salad:

Parrots adore fresh fruits, and a colourful fruit salad can make a delightful addition to their diet. Combine diced apples, oranges, grapes, and berries in a bowl. You can also add slices of banana or kiwi for extra flavor. Avoid giving avocados, as they can be toxic to birds. Serve the fruit salad in small portions, ensuring it's fresh and free from any seeds or pits.

Nutty Quinoa Bowl:

Quinoa is a nutritious grain that's packed with protein, making it an excellent choice for your parrot's diet. Cook quinoa according to the package instructions and let it cool. Mix in chopped almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds for added crunch and flavor. You can also add finely diced vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, and cucumbers for extra nutrients. Serve the quinoa bowl as a wholesome meal that your parrot will love.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries:

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals, making them a healthy snack for your pet parrot. Cut sweet potatoes into thin strips and toss them with a little olive oil. Spread the fries on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven until they're crispy. Let them cool before serving to your parrot. Sweet potato fries are a tasty treat that provides both flavor and nutrition.

Veggie Omelette:

Eggs are a great source of protein for parrots, and they can be incorporated into various dishes. Whip up a veggie omelette using eggs, spinach, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Cook the omelette until it's set, then let it cool before cutting it into small pieces. Serve the veggie omelette as a nutritious meal or snack for your feathered friend.

Homemade Birdie Bread:

Birdie bread is a popular treat among parrot owners, and it's easy to make at home. Mix together whole wheat flour, cornmeal, eggs, and water to form a thick batter. Add in diced vegetables like carrots, peas, and corn for added flavor and nutrition. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan and bake it until it's cooked through. Let the birdie bread cool before cutting it into small squares. This wholesome treat is sure to be a hit with your pet parrot.

Cooking tasty and wholesome foods for your pet parrot is a wonderful way to ensure they receive the nutrition they need while enjoying delicious meals. By incorporating fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein sources into their diet, you can provide your feathered friend with a balanced and flavorful menu. Experiment with different recipes to discover your parrot's favorite dishes, and enjoy the bond that forms through sharing meals together. Your parrot will thank you with chirps of delight!

There are many online resources for you to check if certain foodstuffs are harmful for your parrot. Just use Google to learn what they are. Or check with an avian vet.

Home frozen bananas make an excellent treat

Home frozen bananas make a nutritious, tasty and cooling treat for those hot summer days. And I offer my thanks to my wife, Anni, for coming up with this idea.

Peel your bananas, place then in a suitable freezer proof container, perhaps employing freezer boxes or freezer bags and then place them in your freezer.

Leave them in your freezer for a suitable period of time (at least several hours) and then taken them out and enjoy them as a very tasty, frozen treat.

Yes, we admit to being inspired by the folks over at Pukpip who produce very tasty chocolate dipped banana lollies. You can read about them, here https://thatsfoodanddrink.blogspot.com/2023/07/pukpip-on-path-to-rapid-growth.html.

However, my wife does have a chocolate allergy so her idea of non-dipped frozen bananas is very helpful to herself and anyone else who has a chocolate allergy. 

Frozen bananas will make an excellent sweet but low sugar snack for any time of the year and I feel they'll make a great treat for Christmas, perhaps especially if served with typical Christmas sweet spices such as ginger, all spice, cinnamon, etc. That is if you can stop people from eating them as soon as they are frozen!) 

(Image courtesy of Guilherme Machado from Pixabay)

Plan ahead for Halloween with Trewithen Dairy

Serve your ghouls and goblins trick or treat scones this Halloween with a Trewithen Dairy twist on the classic cream tea. These trick or treat scones are the perfect mix of spooky and surprisingly scrumptious - if you are a fan of yeast extract!

Ingredients

For 6 scones

350g Self-raising flour, sieved

Pinch of salt

100g Trewithen Dairy unsalted butter

110ml Trewithen Dairy whole milk

Black food paste

Trick topping - quantity per scone

1 tbsp Yeast extract

1 tbsp Cornish clotted cream

Drizzle of honey

Sprinkle of chilli flakes

Treat topping - quantity per scone

1 tbsp Blackberry jam

1 tbsp Cornish clotted cream

1 Blackberry

Method

Start with the scones. Preheat the oven to 190c. Grease and line two baking trays.

Using your fingertips only, rub the butter into the flour to create fine breadcrumbs. Mix the black food paste in with the milk and stir until fully combined. Now, stream the black milk in slowly to the breadcrumbs, using a knife to gently mix until it just forms a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a thickness of 2cm and cut into rounds with a cutter. Don't twist them out of the cutter, otherwise they will warp in the oven.

Place on the baking trays (you don't need to egg or milk wash these scones) and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

For the trick scones - break the scone in half and spread a layer of yeast extract over the surface. Top with a big spoonful of Cornish clotted cream, before drizzling with honey and sprinkling with some chilli flakes.

For the treat scones - simply split the scone in two and dollop blackberry jam over one side. Pull a generous scoop of Cornish clotted cream and place on top of the jam. Finish with a blackberry.

https://www.trewithendairy.co.uk/