One of the best staple greens available — high calcium, low phosphorus, and low oxalate, so it should form a large part of the daily salad for any dragon over about 3 months old. Chop finely for hatchlings and juveniles so it's easy to eat alongside insects. Widely available and cheap enough to feed daily without much thought.

Excellent calcium content and a strong Ca:P ratio, making it one of the pillars of a healthy daily salad. Slightly peppery — most dragons take to it readily, especially mixed with other greens. Rotate with collard and turnip greens rather than relying on just one.

Another strong staple green with a good Ca:P ratio and high vitamin A content. Slightly bitter, so mixing it into a chopped salad rather than offering alone tends to get better acceptance. Rotate through the staple greens rather than feeding the same one every day for dietary variety.

A genuine staple — high in calcium, vitamin A, and readily accepted by most dragons, including picky ones. Foraged dandelion greens are fine as long as they're from a pesticide- and herbicide-free area, well away from roadsides. Flowers are also safe and often enjoyed as a treat-like topper on the daily salad.

A good staple vegetable to bulk out the daily salad alongside leafy greens. High in beta-carotene and reasonably balanced calcium to phosphorus. Grate or finely dice raw squash — cooking isn't necessary and reduces nutrient content.

The best staple feeder insect for the protein portion of the diet. Highest protein of common feeders, low fat, and a Ca:P ratio that beats crickets and mealworms outright — still needs dusting, but a much better base. Cannot climb smooth surfaces, no smell, near-silent, and gut-loads exceptionally well. Size feeders no wider than the space between the dragon's eyes to avoid impaction, especially in hatchlings and juveniles.

The only common feeder insect with a Ca:P ratio close to ideal — Phoenix Worm brand comes in at 1.52:1, making it the single best natural calcium source in the feeder rotation. Do not gut-load: their nutrition is locked in already. Excellent as a staple protein source for both fast-growing juveniles and adult dragons that need a lighter insect portion.

High protein and low fat, but a Ca:P ratio of just 0.08 means dusting every single feeding is non-negotiable. Their erratic movement triggers a strong feeding response and hunting behaviour that dragons of all ages find stimulating. Downsides: noisy, short-lived, can carry parasites from poor suppliers, and loose crickets left overnight will nibble on a sleeping dragon. Remove uneaten crickets within 10–15 minutes.

Kale is nutrient-dense and dragons generally love it, but it's goitrogenic — heavy regular feeding can interfere with thyroid function over time. Fine once or twice a week as part of a mixed salad; don't make it the default daily green. The same caution applies to other brassicas like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.

Good hydration and vitamin C, but a poor Ca:P ratio on their own, so they work best chopped in as part of a varied salad rather than a base green. Most dragons enjoy the colour and crunch, especially red and orange varieties which are sweeter than green.

A reasonable rotating vegetable — decent fibre, low sugar, and generally well tolerated. Not a nutritional standout, so use it to add bulk and variety to the salad rather than as a primary component.

High in beta-carotene but a poor Ca:P ratio and fairly high in natural sugar, so it should stay a rotating addition rather than a staple. Grate finely — whole chunks are a choking and impaction risk, especially for younger dragons.

Higher fat than mealworms and a poor Ca:P ratio — not a nutritional upgrade over dubia or BSFL. Their tough chitinous exoskeleton and size make them adults-only: never feed to hatchlings or juveniles, where the risk of impaction and their aggressive bite to unprepared prey is a real concern. Do NOT refrigerate — unlike mealworms, cold kills superworms.

Lowest fat of any common feeder and very high moisture content. Soft-bodied, easy to digest, and safe for dragons of most ages in appropriately sized portions. Should supplement rather than replace higher-protein staples like dubia. They require a specific diet (mulberry leaves or artificial chow) and die quickly without it, making them harder to keep in bulk than roaches.

The highest moisture content of any common feeder — excellent for hydration and for dragons recovering from illness or a stuck shed. Low protein means they can't serve as a staple. Use as an occasional treat or targeted hydration boost. They grow very fast, so order small batches; difficult to find in shops and usually ordered online.

Cheap and widely available, but a hard chitin exoskeleton makes them harder to digest than roaches, and the worst Ca:P ratio of the common feeders means they should never form the bulk of the diet. Fine as an occasional treat for sub-adults and adults; many keepers avoid them for hatchlings and small juveniles given the exoskeleton-to-body-size ratio.

Fat content of 22% makes these the most calorie-dense feeder available — dragons find them extremely palatable, to the point some will start refusing healthier staples once they've had waxworms regularly. Reserve strictly for appetite stimulation during illness, brumation recovery, or as a very rare reward. Cannot be gut-loaded meaningfully.

Fruit is a treat category for bearded dragons, not a daily food — high natural sugar and a poor Ca:P ratio mean it should stay to roughly once a week or less, in small chopped pieces. Berries are well tolerated and enjoyed by most dragons; remove any uneaten fruit promptly since it attracts insects and ferments quickly.

Lethal. Fireflies produce lucibufagins — defensive steroid toxins that are acutely poisonous to bearded dragons and cause rapid death, often within minutes of ingestion. There is no safe amount and no antidote. This applies to every firefly species regardless of whether it visibly glows. Never feed any wild-caught insect, and be aware that dragons kept outdoors in enclosures during summer evenings are at real risk if fireflies can get in.

Contains persin, a fungicidal toxin that's dangerous to many animals including bearded dragons, potentially causing cardiac and respiratory distress. Every part of the plant — fruit, skin, pit, and leaves — should be kept away from the enclosure. There's no established safe amount.

Extremely high in oxalic acid, concentrated heavily in the leaves but present throughout the plant. Can cause acute kidney damage and calcium deficiency even in small amounts. Never feed any part of the rhubarb plant.

Not acutely toxic, but very high in oxalates that bind calcium in the gut and actively work against everything the calcium-dusting routine is trying to achieve. Feeding these regularly is a common, avoidable contributor to metabolic bone disease. Fine as a rare, occasional addition — never as a staple or daily green.

Contain thiosulfate compounds that can damage red blood cells and cause anemia in reptiles, similar to their toxicity in cats and dogs. Never intentionally feed, and check that any pre-mixed salad greens haven't been cross-contaminated.

Not toxic, but almost pure water with negligible nutritional value — filling a dragon up on iceberg lettuce displaces the calcium-rich staple greens it actually needs. Skip it entirely in favour of collard, mustard, or turnip greens.

Any insect from your garden, field, or outdoor space carries pesticide residue, herbicide contamination, and parasite risk. There's no reliable way to test or clean a wild insect sufficiently. Only feed captive-bred insects from a reputable supplier.