List of Best Foods for Tegus

If you are thinking of buying a tegu or if you already own one, it is important to know the answer to "What can I feed my tegu?" The answer is a balanced, varied diet of prey, meat, fruit, vegetables with appropriate supplements.

We often hear from owners who rely solely on easy but unvaried diets, such as only scrambled eggs or leftover vegetable scraps. While these options will keep your tegu fed, they may not provide the valuable variety of nutrients flavors which can lead to a happy and healthy.

We have built a full alphabetized list of food for tegus from our experience and research online. ﻿Download a printable PDF below! Don't have time to read the whole list, check out our collection of prepared tegu food and bowls.

Remember, to balance fresh food with prepared foods!

Whole Prey



Meat

Soft-boiled or scrambled eggs

Raw meats: turkey, lamb, venison, fowl, beef - be sure to add calcium - Zoo Med Reptile Calcium without D3, Zoo Med Reptile Calcium with D3

Fresh fish filets

Organ meats: liver, hearts, gizzards

Seafood: Crab, Scallops, Shrimp



Fruits

Apples - in moderation

Bananas - in moderation, peels can be fed if grown organic

Berries

Blackberries



Blueberries



Raspberries



Strawberries - in moderation, high in oxalates and giotrogens

Cantaloupe

Casaba

Cherries

Concord grapes - higher in oxalate

Dates

Figs - fresh or dried

Grapes- Thompson seedless; green and red

Honeydew

Kiwi

Mango

Melons

Papaya

Peaches- high in goitrogens

Pears- high in oxalates

Pumpkin

Tomatoes - high in oxalates

Watermelon



Veggies

Acorn squash

Alfalfa

Asparagus

Bell peppers

Butternut squash

Chicory greens (Escarole)

Collard greens

Dandelion greens

Endive

Escarole

Green beans

Green peas, snap peas

Kabocha squash

Leeks

Mustard greens

Okra

Parsnip

Prickly pear cactus

Radish

Rapini

Snap peas

Spaghetti squash

Turnip greens

Yellow squash

Yucca root - cassava- tough, should be shredded

Zucchini

In Moderation

Beets and Beet greens - in moderation, high in oxalates



Bok choy - in moderation, high in goitrogens



Parsley- good source of calcium



Broccoli - in moderation, high in oxalates



Brussels sprouts- high in goitrogens



Cabbage- in moderation, high in goitrogens



Carrots and tops - in moderation, high in oxalates



Cauliflower - in moderation, high in goitrogens



Celery- low in nutrition



Coriander - in moderation, high in oxalates



Corn - feed rarely or never, low in Ca and high in Phosphorus



Cucumber - low in nutrition



Flowering plants like- Nasturtiums, Dahlia or hibiscus, - be careful of pesticides and herbicides



Lettuces - low in nutrition



Rutabaga



Spinach - feed rarely or never, high in oxalates and goitrogens



Sweet potato - feed rarely



Swiss chard - feed rarely or never, high in oxalates

Bread

Cooked pasta or rice

pasta or rice Whole wheat bread

Lentils-cooked

Supplements

Prepared Food

List modified from: Tegu Talk: A Community for Tegu Keepers

Other helpful tips about feeding your tegu

Feeding schedule: Tegus are fast growers with active metabolisms, so regular feeding is important. Juvenal tegus should be fed daily - typically the amount of food that they can eat in about an hour. As they reach adulthood, tegus should be fed small, adequate meals several times a week (every other day or every second day). Decrease feeding during the winter when tegus hibernate. After each meal, clean up all leftover food from the enclosure.

We recommend feeding your tegu with tongs to prevent accidental figure biting!

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