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Banana Leaves

What is Parrot Chop?

You might have heard people talking about chop. It's a super healthy, fun way for birds to explore new foods or enjoy thier all time favorites.

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Let's talk about what it is, how you make it and share some shopping lists and recipes so you can try it out with your flock!

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Why do birds love chop so much?

Parrots are highly intelligent creatures. Just like people, they tend to love variety in their foods with taste, color and shape. Even the pickiest parrot can find joy in chop. 

So what is it and how is it prepared?

Chop consists of several healthy foods chopped up into small pieces. It usually contains veggies, grains, nuts and legumes. You take all of your ingredients and chop them to roughly an equal size. The idea is to get everything finely chopped but not mashed. It's a great way to not only get your bird to try new foods, but to also sneak in some of the foods they stubbornly refuse. They have no choice but to get some of the healthy stuff because it's mixed in with those sweet potatoes they love so much. 

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Here is a fun video explaining more about what chop is and how it is prepared.

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What can I use in chop?

For fun recipe ideas, please click below to read some of our community recipes! They're provided by other local parrot families. We'll also include some safe foods that you can try to incorporate into your own chop recipes. 

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Remember, less sugar and fat is always best. We'll include a general ratio to help you decide how much of what to add.

 

Have fun with it! It's about giving your bird a combination of what they love with the foods that you struggle to get them to try. Each parrot is different and so try to customize it to your bird's tastes and needs. Always ask your avian vet if you're unsure if your bird can have certain foods. This is just meant to be a guideline. 

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How much of what?

We suggest that you aim to have roughly 1/3 of the chop be what your parrot is familiar with. Aim for 50% veggies, 40% cooked grains/legumes and the rest dry ingredients. Here are some suggestions on what you can try! You can copy and paste ingredients into a new document to create a shopping list to take with you.  

Veggies 

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  • Kale

  • Bok Choy

  • Parsley

  • Broccoli

  • Brussel Sprouts

  • Carrots

  • Pumpkin

  • Sweet Potato

  • Bell Pepper

  • Peas

  • Parsnips

  • Cauliflower

  • Corn

  • Chilis (parrots love hot peppers!)

  • Sweet Potato

Grains (Cooked per label instructions)

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  • Quinoa

  • Oats

  • Barley

  • Rye

  • Whole grain pasta or rice

  • Chickpeas

  • Lentils

  • Beans

Dry Ingredients

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  • Rolled Oats

  • Barley Flakes

  • Millet

  • Chia Seed

  • Flax Seed

  • Sesame Seed

  • Crushed Almonds

  • Crushed Walnuts

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