Most parrots should be fed a diet that resembles their natural diet as much as possible, and this usually means allowing them plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. You should be sure that all fruits and vegetables are washed thoroughly to remove all traces of pesticides, fertilizers, insecticides, or other harmful chemicals. Many nutritious pellet diets are also available for purchase, and can form a good basis for many captive birds' diets. You should carefully control the amount of food you offer your bird, as many parrots may overeat. Some people allow their parrots free access to food at all times. Others prefer to feed their birds twice daily. Because parrots can store food in their crops, offering food for about one hour twice daily can allow your birds to have appropriate nutrition all day. Also, food can be prevented from spoiling in this manner. Because parrots can be quite suspicious of dietary change, they may stop eating if their food or dietary regime is interrupted or changed. For this reason, you should try to change foods slowly, mixing new items into old food items. New food items can also be offered in the form of special treats to help accustom your parrot to them. When feeding your bird, you should use separate bowls for dry food and for fresh foods.

Usually, parrots will accept and enjoy a large variety of vegetables, which may make up a majority of their diets. Vegetables like zucchini, corn, squash, carrots, string beans, peas, and broccoli, either cooked or uncooked, are also commonly offered. Sprouted seeds in addition to beans or bean mixes can be very nutritious choices as well. Cooked or sprouted grains like brown rice and quinoa are often nutritious options.

Fruits should be offered in smaller amounts than vegetables, since they are higher in sugar. Some good choices that can be offered in small amounts include pineapple, oranges, or other fruits that can have the outer layer, which may have been affected by pesticides, peeled off. If you have washed the fruit particularly well, apples, grapes, and sometimes berries may be good choices.

Usually, a high energy food like pellets or seed mix is offered to form the basis of a parrot's diet. Sometimes, this is rotated with or replaced by recipes that parrot owners concoct in their own kitchens. Many parrots are reported to like a mix made from soaked and boiled bean soup mix, stirred into cooked pasta and chopped vegetables. Other, similar mixes can be made using your creativity and items readily available from the grocery store. When creating such foods, you should keep in mind that nutrition is paramount. You may even wish to consult your veterinarian when developing your own food. If you are looking for recipes for parrot food, your veterinarian or breeder may help you, and you can also consult other resources, including your local library or the Internet.

If you are feeding your parrot a well balanced diet, it will probably not be necessary to supplement its food with vitamins. In fact, vitamins in excess can actually cause health problems, just as vitamin deficiencies can. Vitamin deficiencies are not uncommon, and in order to help prevent them, you should try to feed your birds as wide a variety of foods as possible, since some foods may be richer in some nutrients than others are. Vitamin A deficiencies have been known to cause runny noses or cold-like symptoms in some birds. Many birds, especially females, may experience calcium deficiencies. For this reason, females may need diets higher in calcium than males, and breeding females may also have higher protein requirements.

Some parrots require grit or cuttlebone to aid them in digestion. Some people choose to leave the entire cuttlebone in the cage in order to allow their parrots to use it at will. Others may shave small bits of cuttlebone into the bird's food, since, although rare in occurrence, cuttlebone bits can cut a bird's digestive tract.

Although seeds and nuts are part of a parrot's natural diet, they should not be the main part of a captive diet, since they can quickly cause a bird to become obese or develop other problems. However, seeds and nuts can make nice treats for your birds from time to time. Sometimes, foods like bits of bread with peanut butter on them, bits of cooked pasta, or other carbohydrate foods in small amounts may make good treats. Other treats can be made at home of mixed foods. Many people offer low fat yogurt, small amounts of cheese, or cooked eggs as highly nutritious treats, especially for birds needing extra calcium and protein. Such items can be offered once daily to aid your bird in obtaining calcium and protein. Many people will also feed breeding birds such items as a regular dietary component. Raisins and bananas may be nutritious and tasty treats, but they can cause constipation and should only be fed in moderation. Dried fruits can be a tasty choice, but they are high in sugar and should be fed only as a treat.

There is a great deal of controversy concerning seed versus pellet diets. This is because although seeds and nuts form a part of a parrot's natural diet, and pellets do not, it would appear that a good seed mix would be a better dietary choice. However, many captive parrots have become ill when kept on seed only diets. Also, many parrots have a tendency to pick their favorite seeds out of the seed mix and leave the rest, effectively limiting their range of nutrients and the variety of their diet. Also, they may pick out the fattier, tastier seeds, and thus become obese. If you are feeding a seed mix, you should choose a fresh one. Generally, freshness can be determined by whether or not the seeds will grow. Try to sprout a few seeds, and if they do not sprout within a few days, the seed mix is probably not fresh. Although pellets are not a part of the parrot's natural diet, they are specially formulated to provide complete nutrition for such birds. Although they should not form the entire diet of a parrot, they can be a good alternative to a seed mix, since they contain more nutrients and less fat. Although wild birds eat fatty seeds, it should be kept in mind that they probably expend a great deal more energy than captive birds do.

You should never feed your parrot avocado, as it is toxic for these birds, particularly those that originate in Africa. Most junk foods, or foods high in fats, salt, or oils should be avoided as well. Alcohol should not be offered to birds, as it damages their livers. Also, foods containing theobromine, for example chocolate, tea, and coffee, should not be offered to your bird. Parsley, iceberg lettuce, and cabbage should also be avoided.

Part Two - Housing	Part Four - Pro-Active Care
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