Here’s how I pick my foods. Some I cook and freeze others not. I'll put that on another thread.

These are percentages and it may be different for each species….this is ballpark. And seasonal. This is the methodology used by other feeding groups, I didn’t make it up but it makes it really easy. Just visualize a “clock” or pie on a plate at first if you don’t like math lol….by the time you get back to 12 you’re done. Every 15 minutes is 25% lol...Or use a scale or a set of mixing cups.

Seasonal Greens 25%
Seasonal Orange Veggies 15%
Seasonal other veggies 5-10 %
Grains 30%
Legumes 10% (most people feed about 15%)
Seasonal Fruits 10%

This is what's available to me, I may have forgotten stuff just subsititue your own. Fresh is better than frozen frozen is better than dried. If dried please use sulfite free.


Dark leafy greens 25%:

Arugula
Collard
Mustard Greens
Kale
Dandelion
Endive
Escarole
Chicory/Frizee
Turnip greens
Water cress
Romaine
Chards (limited-binds calcium)
Spinach (But I don’t’ really give it- binds calcium)
Bok Choy
Mesculin Lettuce mix
Various San Choi

And other veggies like:
Broccoli
Cabbage
Brussel sprouts
Zucchini
Chayote squash
Snap peas
Cucumber
Kohlrabi
Green beans
Jalapeno

Seasonal Orange 15%
Carrots
Squash (many kinds of winter available)
*Sweet Potato (not for pluckers there’s anecdotal info)
Pumpkin
Orange Cauliflower if you can find it

Seasonal Other 5%

Parsnip
Turnip
Beets
Jicama
Celery
Corn
Chili pepper
Red pepper
Misc other peppers
Cauliflower
Potato (limited)
Radish
Tomato
Green pepper

Grains 30% Sprouted or cooked

Millet-hulled, yellow
Oats
Rye berry
Kamut
Quinoa
Amaranth
Buckwheat
Barley
Brown rice (small amount preferably added to other grains)
Wild rice (this is actually a grass and and grains should accompany it)
Spelt berry
Red proso (millet)
White proso (millet)
Spray millet
Red Rice (small amount and should always be accompanied by other grains)
Basmati rice (small amount and should be offered with other grains)
Black rice (small amount and should be offered with other grains)
Rice noodles VERY limited amount
Kasha (roasted buckwheat)
Pasta Very Limited
CousCous I always include in a frozen mix it keeps it moist when thawing

** An easy way to do the grains is to buy the Kashi Whole Grain packets in the box by the oatmeal single serving stuff. They have alot of these grains in there and they're the same. But the texture ends up a bit different but it's super easy to cook a packet or even a partial packet. 5 minutes in the microwave on defrost after bringing to a boil on high first).

Legumes 10% for Parrotlets

Adzuki
Mung
Lentils
Dried Peas only in summer
Fresh Peas and frozen

2/3 grain to 1/3 legume makes a complete protein. Legumes MUST HAVE A ½ inch tail or be fully cooked to prevent gi problems.

Seasonal Fruits 10%

Orange fruits:
Papaya
Mango
Cantelope
Apricot
Peach
Watermelon

Other

Limited grapes
Oranges
Apples
Banana
Mango
Papaya
Cranberry
Blueberry
Raspberry
Strawberry
Grapes
Cherries (pitted)
Dried fruit (unsulfured)
Lemon
Kiwi
Pineapple
Melons
Pears
Blackberry
Peaches
Passion Fruit
Fresh dates
Fresh Figs

Additions

Seseame Seed for unique 8 essential amino acids
Sprouted seed and regular seed - See my other thread on Sprouts for the brands and types
Nuts species specific
Seasonings, occasional ginger, cinnamon in cooking only, chilli powder, cumin, cooking only tumeric, lemon or orange peel
Aloe
Braggs ACV (apple cider vinegar) if it's necessary say, for sprouting in summer
Udo's oil once a week
occasional dry alfalfa, spirulina, barley grass but only in breeding season and only say, sprinkled on the grains now and then

Pellets

My Parrotlets insist on Foundation Formula and TOP Pellets so I give them free choice. (even thought pellets are risky for Plets, these at least dont have chemical man made additives)

Supplements:

Calciboost or Morning Bird Calcium Plus in water twice a week
A Multivitamin once a week (like Nekton or now I bought AviVita Plus)
Avian Trio (sparingly)

***NOTE: Although I feed this excellent diet I believe you can't see what they swallow. And chemical vitamins are bad for the liver and kidneys. If I had good bloodwork without the supplements I definitely wouldnt give them. But you cant draw bloods on small birds easily so I risk the chemicals for now. *********

I'm on my way to Whole Foods so I thought I'd post this while I'm thinking about it. These trips are tough on the wallet since each bunch is 2.95 or so and I never use all of it. And although I try and stick to three of each it's so TEMPTING LOL. Luckily I eat all this stuff myself. For the extra I freeze it or steep it for the water to cook with but still......maybe somebody around here wants to co-op together?

JR, I realize you and Gary have to get probably QUADRUPLE this amount and are probably thinking "I should be so lucky to be feeding 4 30 gram pip squeeks"

Thank you so much Cindy! That is an excellent reference guide.

OK here's what we're eating this week a coupla times at least.

2 days

Mustard Greens
Collard Greens
Escarole
Baby Bok Choy
Watercress

delicata squash
acorn squash
gold beets
serrano pepper

rice and mixed grains
green peas

apple, mango
fig

dash ginger, crushed red pepper
dash sesame seeds


2 days

same as above but these changes:

Mustard Greens
Collard Greens
Escarole
Baby Bok Choy
Watercress


jalopeno pepper
pumpkin instead of squash
a little corn
a little orange cauliflower
couple wax beans

rice and mixed grains

a little orange and the juice
dash cinnamon cooked

cranberries, coconut, pineapple and

fig again (because it's Pipe's very favorite food on the face of the earth....." yay for fig season " )

(these are too sweet to have too many days in a row but we're celebrating fall !!)

I'm having the same thing but with mushrooms and onions

very nice! i think i need to hire you as my cook lol

Now now emily cindy lives closer to me...so she should be my cook...j/k

i had first dibs

it's so good to have you back

This is really excellent Cindy! I especially hear you about not being sure what your parrots are eating. However, aren't the pellets already fortified with vitamins? I did try the TOP Pellets and ended up having to throw it all out because everyone left it behind. Is the Foundation Formula that green stuff you have written about? Are you giving the vitamins in response to poor blood work?

The variety is breathtaking. Are you giving one from each group a day? Thanks for a very useful list.