Bok choy (also known as pak choi or Chinese cabbage) is a cruciferous vegetable that makes a great addition to a variety of dishes, from stir fry to soup. If bok choy is one of your favorite veggies, you might be asking, can bearded dragons eat bok choy? Find out if bearded dragons can safely eat bok choy, and if so, how often you can add it to their salad.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bok Choy?
Yes! Bearded dragons can eat bok choy. However, they shouldn’t eat it every day, primarily due to goitrogens. Peaches, green cabbage, kohlrabi, and cauliflower are some other foods that are goitrogenic.
What are goitrogens?
Goitrogens are compounds in foods that can cause thyroid problems if bearded dragons consume too much of them. If your bearded dragon were to eat bok choy (or any goitrogenic food) every day for a prolonged period of time, his thyroid could become enlarged, which would cause hormone imbalances and other health issues.
How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bok Choy?
Bearded dragons can have bok choy once a week. It’s a great addition to their salad!
Despite the goitrogens, bok choy has a lot of nutritional value to offer. Here are some highlights:
- Vitamins A, C, and K, which are great for your dragon’s vision, immune system, and blood.
- Potassium, which helps regulate the muscles, blood pressure, and nervous system.
- Calcium, which every bearded dragon needs for healthy bones, muscles, tissues, and more.
- A great calcium to phosphorus ratio (2.8:1), which means that the amount of phosphorus won’t deplete your dragon’s calcium.
- Low in fat and sugar, which is good news for bearded dragons, who can easily become obese in captivity if they eat too many sugary or fatty foods.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Baby Bok Choy?
Baby bok choy is just regular bok choy that has been harvested earlier and has a sweeter taste. Nutritionally, the two are the same. So bearded dragons can eat baby bok choy once a week.
How to Serve Bearded Dragons Bok Choy: Cooked or Raw?
Like most greens, when you serve bok choy to your bearded dragon, you just need to rinse it thoroughly and then chop it. There’s no need to cook it, although you can if you don’t use any other ingredients (not even oil or basic spices). Fresh veggies are generally better for bearded dragons than cooked veggies anyway.
Pro Tip: Food pieces should be no larger than the space between your bearded dragon’s eyes.
What Other Veggies Can Bearded Dragons Eat in Addition to Bok Choy?
In addition to staple greens, there are a lot of vegetables your bearded dragon can enjoy with bok choy:
- Asparagus (weekly)
- Bell peppers (a few times a week)
- Carrots (a few times a week)
- Green beans (a few times a week)
- Peas and snap peas (every other week)
- Squash (a few times a week)
Not to mention you can offer apples, raspberries, and blueberries as treats.
Does your bearded dragon like bok choy? Do you have any questions or feedback for us? Email us at [email protected]
