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Can a Bearded Dragon Eat Bread? (Will it expand?)

If you are wondering what the best food is for your Beardie (Click here, to learn from this guide, if you are making the wrong food choices and putting your Beardie in danger) you may be curious about bread.

Can a bearded dragon eat bread? No, bread is not good food for Bearded Dragons. This is because it has a low level of essential nutrients, not a natural choice that they would consume in the wild and there are rumors that it can expand in their stomach.

Now that you know that bread is not ideal for your Beardie. Keep reading to learn some benefits of bread, more detail on the risks, the rumors about it expanding their stomach, and much more.

What is bread?

Sliced Bread

Sliced Bread

For clarity, in this section, I will explain what bread is. I understand that the chances are you already have your view of bread. But, let’s make sure we are on the same page.

In general

Bread is one of the oldest known man-made foods. It is often eaten as a breakfast choice in European countries and used in some religious ceremonies.

Its appearance

Bread is typically soft in the middle with a crusty exterior. I say “typically” because, in reality, it can vary a lot depending on the type you choose, or how it is served, are you with me?

Some of the different types have grains inside (more on this later). However, you can get many that are grain-free. Such as wholemeal bread or the well known white bread.

What is the nutritional content of bread?

Now that you have the background on bread. In this section, I will give you the nutritional facts on one type of bread. The reality is, there are so many different types, but this example will give you an idea of what they have in them.

Source: Wikipedia (Whitebread, per 100g *)

Name Amount Unit
Calories 265 Kcal
Protein 9 g
Carbs 49 g
Fat 3.2 g
Sodium 491 mg

* View the source for a full nutritional breakdown

What are the benefits of bread?

Olive oil and bread

Olive oil and bread

Now that you know the nutritional content, you may be wondering what benefits bread can offer your Beardie. Therefore, in this section, I will explain some of the benefits of bread.

Bread with grains

As mentioned earlier, some bread has grains in it. An example of this is granary bread. In fact, I quite like the taste of this myself actually. Anyway, these grains are beneficial. According to this site, they may help to reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

However, with that being said, the grains in their full form are known for this. But, these bread sources contain the grains broken down into minute pieces, cracked grains. In this form, they do not offer as much benefit.

Whole wheat bread

The whole wheat bread options are also better, especially when compared to the conventional white bread. This is because it is usually higher in fiber, protein, and micronutrients.

The taste

All other facts aside, let me be honest, the bread tastes delicious. Especially when toasted and covered in butter. Obviously that’s my opinion, and you would never give your Bearded Dragon toasted bread with butter to be clear.

Are there any negatives or risks with bread?

Now that you know some of the benefits of bread. What about the risks, are there any that you should be concerned about for your Beardie? Let’s see…

Not a natural choice in the wild

As you may be aware, Bearded Dragons do not eat bread in the wild. Why? because it is a man-made food. As a Beardie owner, the objective is to emulate their natural food from the wild (Click here to learn, from this guide, what your Beardie should be eating), right?

This is one of the reasons why you supply them with live food, the movement of these insects invokes a natural hunting instinct in them, which we emulate in captivity, are you with me?

So, my point is this, bread is a natural choice, and therefore a negative choice, in my opinion.

Expand his stomach?

There are some rumors that bread can expand a Bearded Dragons stomach and make them sick. I haven’t seen any real evidence to back this up. But, I would still take caution, just in case, there is any merit in these rumors.

Low in essential nutrients

One of the issues with bread is the fact that it low in essential nutrients. The problem is, bread is quite filling and gives the feeling that you are full. But, this illusion is dangerous, because you will be full without getting the necessary nutrients.

This is the same rule for Bearded Dragons as humans, bread just does not offer much nutritional value. It is mainly consumed for its taste, price, and filling feeling, are you with me?

Contains Gluten

You may have heard people or adverts talk about “gluten-free”. Why is this? Well, gluten is used in many bread products because it helps the dough rise. But, the issue is, some people have issues with this.

When I say issues, I mean it can be difficult for them to digest it, give them stomach aches, or just feel bloated, are you with me?

This is why there is now a market for “gluten-free” products. With this is mind, we have to be careful that these same issues we face, could affect your Bearded Dragon, right?

Should you feed your Beardie bread?

Now that you know the benefits and risks of bread you are likely to want to know my opinion on it for your Beardie, should you feed him with it or not?

To be blunt, no, you should not feed your Bearded Dragon bread. This is because of the issues discussed above and in general, why bother when there are so many other viable food sources to choose from?

How about a baby Bearded Dragon?

Now you know I do not recommend bread for your adult Beardie, what about a baby Bearded Dragon? Is it viable for them?

No, I would not advise you to feed your Baby Bearded Dragon bread. This is for the same reasons above. And, even more so for a baby Beardie. Why? Well, they are still growing and need a high-quality diet to maintain their growth, are you with me?

Related Questions:

In this section, I will answer some questions related to Bearded Dragons eating choices and their weird behaviors. If you have any other questions feel free to contact me.

Q: Do Bearded Dragons eat larger animals?

No, Bearded Dragogons do not naturally eat larger animals like turkey (Click here to see why). So, it is not advisable to try and feed them in captivity. The reality is, if you serve it to them, they will try and eat it, but it’s not beneficial for them, are you with me?

Q: Do Bearded Dragons eat citrus fruits?

No, citrus fruits, like clementines should not be fed to your Bearded Dragon (Click here to see why). These foods have a high sugar content and quite acidic. There are many other options available that are better for them that you can consider.

Q: Are you allowed to pick up your Bearded Dragon?

Yes, you can pick up your Bearded Dragon. But, when they are new to you, they will need time to adjust. in time your Bearded Dragons will enjoy human contact (Click here to learn how to get to this stage) if you train him correctly and make him look forward to seeing you.

Q: How do you know if your Bearded Dragon is not happy?

The easiest way to see if your Bearded Dragon is not happy is his stress marks (Click here to see what they are and how to get rid of them). But, sometimes the signs are more subtle. For example, he may not be eating as much as usual. So, you need to look out for the signs closely.

Wayne
 

Hi, this is me with my daughter and my Lizard friend. I hope you enjoy my research. Please feel free to check out my "About Me" page to find out more about me.