Healthy People Foods for an African Gray Parrot

African gray parrots are medium-sized parrots that are treasured as pets for their intelligence and speaking abilities. They need lots of personal attention and like to be included as part of the family. They also have some additional nutritional needs for calcium and vitamin A, which can be satisfied with some healthy "people" food.
  1. Leafy Greens and Vegetables

    • Because African gray parrots need more vitamin A than some other parrots, it's vital to feed them additional supplements. The best supplements are fresh vegetables like broccoli, mustard greens, collard greens, and dark lettuce like romaine and spinach. Put large chunks and whole leaves of lettuce in for African grays to shred and eat. Other positive vegetables are carrots, celery, and butternut squash. Use brightly colored vegetables to visually stimulate African grays.

    Fruit

    • African grays are also fond of fruit as both food and toys. Cut up and provide apples, pears, nectarines, and oranges for grays. As a breed, African grays tend to be particularly fond of grapes, although each individual bird may have personal preferences for something else. Always serve vegetables and fruit in their raw form.

    Cheese and Nuts

    • African grays require more calcium than parrot food provides. Cheese snacks are an excellent source of calcium and should be offered once a month or so. Since cheese is not part of a bird's natural diet, it should be fed as a treat rather than as a daily offering.

      African grays also enjoy whole peanuts, sunflower seeds, and almonds--unsalted nuts are recommended.