We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. The 9 Best Parakeet Foods Our favorite pellets, seeds, and more By Andrew Whalen Andrew Whalen Andrew is a senior editor for The Spruce Pets. He has tested hundreds of pet products, many with the help of his cats Church (pictured) and Wally (shy). His writing has appeared on Popular Science, Inverse, Newsweek, and Vice. Learn more about The Spruce Pets' Editorial Process Updated on 01/02/25 In This Article View All In This Article Top Picks Reviews What to Know About Parakeet Food FAQ Why Trust The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets / Lecia Landis Variety is the key to keeping your pet parakeet well-fed and healthy, emulating what they might naturally eat in the wild while foraging. Parakeets, commonly referred to as budgies for short, enjoy a mix of fruits, vegetables, and nutrient-rich snacks. When selecting the proper food for your budgie, it is important to provide your bird food that will act as a dietary staple, ensuring robust and well-balanced nutrition. Our favorite parakeet food is Lafeber Premium Daily Diet Parakeet Food, which provides a consistent serving of protein, minerals, and fatty acids to help your budgie thrive. However, there are several other snacks and foods that are also fantastic options for your bird. Top Picks Best Overall: Lafeber Premium Daily Diet Parakeet Food at Amazon $33 Jump to Review Best Fruit Pellets: ZuPreem FruitBlend Flavor Pellets Bird Food at Amazon $30 Jump to Review Best Seeds: SALE Wild Harvest Daily Blend Nutrition Diet Parakeet Food at Amazon $10 $6 Jump to Review Best Mix: Dr. Harvey's Our Best Parakeet Food at Amazon $38 Jump to Review Best Budget Mix: Living World Premium Parakeet/Budgie Mix at Amazon Jump to Review Best Snacks: Lafeber’s Classic Nutri-Berries Parakeet Food at Amazon $40 Jump to Review Best for Small Birds: Harrison Bird Food Adult Lifetime Super Fine at Amazon $24 Jump to Review Best Organic: Top's Parrot Food Organic Bird Food at Amazon Jump to Review Snack Recommended on Reddit: Oxbow Alfalfa Hay at Amazon $7 Jump to Review Best Overall Lafeber Premium Daily Diet Parakeet Food Credit: Chewy $33 at Amazon $33 at Chewy What We Like No artificial ingredients, flavors, or preservatives Includes chelated minerals for calcium supplementation Includes omega fatty acids for healthy skin, feathers, and immune system What We Don't Like Lacks flavor variety Based in Cornell, Illinois, Lafeber is a highly trusted brand that released the first commercially available, nutritionally complete bird food pellets in the 1970s. It uses domestic-grown grain in all its pellets. The care Lafeber puts into developing this product is evident in the directions and recommendations for use, which include advice about what fresh fruit and vegetables the pellets should ideally be served with and how to get your bird to transition comfortably to pellet-based meals. Lafeber Premium Daily Diet Parakeet Food is full of antioxidants, chelated minerals, and omega fatty acids that benefit the skin, feathers, and immune system, and contains no artificial preservatives or flavors. While the food lacks flavor variety, it does come in a variety of sizes, including a 25-pound box. Main Ingredients: Ground corn, wheat, oat groats, soybean meal, cane molasses, dried whole egg, corn gluten meal | Sizes: 1.25 pounds, 5 pounds, 25 pounds, 85 pounds Best Fruit Pellets ZuPreem FruitBlend Flavor Pellets Bird Food Credit: Amazon $30 at Amazon $8 at Chewy What We Like Nutritionally balanced Lower in fat than seeds, for cardiovascular health Multiple shapes and colors for variety What We Don't Like Contains artificial coloring Made from natural grains, these fruit-forward pellets cover all the major dietary requirements for your budgie to stay well-fed and healthy. While it’s important to diversify your parakeet’s diet, these cost-effective and tasty high-fiber pellets can fulfill at least 60 percent of their nutritional needs and help maintain healthy digestion with a balance of protein, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Additionally, ZuPreem’s pellets are lower in fat than many seed-based mixes, thus promoting cardiovascular health. ZuPreem FruitBlend Flavor Pellets are a perennial favorite with parakeet owners and also get a stamp of approval from veterinarians and bird specialists. Their shape and size are ideal for small and medium-sized birds, making them a flexible option for a wide range of pet bird species. Main Ingredients: Ground corn, soybean meal, ground wheat, oranges, apples, grapes, bananas | Sizes: 14 ounces, 2 pounds, 10 pounds, 17.5 pounds, 35 pounds Best Seeds Wild Harvest Daily Blend Nutrition Diet Parakeet Food Credit: Chewy $10 $6 at Amazon View on Chewy $10 $6 at Walmart What We Like More nutrient-rich than other seed mixes Has an orange, citrusy flavor Bag is resealable What We Don't Like Includes dyes Wild Harvest Daily Blend Nutrition Diet Parakeet Food is a high-quality seed mix that is excellent for pairing with other mineral-rich items, like fresh fruits and vegetables. This mix is enriched with extra vitamins and minerals—including vitamins A, D3, and B12—to push it above the levels of less hearty seed mixes, making it fortified enough to serve as your bird’s main diet if necessary. And it is infused with orange oil, which brings an orange, citrusy flavor that birds enjoy. This mix comes in a resealable bag to help keep the food fresh and ready for your budgie to enjoy. Main Ingredients: White millet, oat groats, canary grass seed, red millet, rapeseed, orange oil, dicalcium phosphate, soybean oil, maltodextrin, salt, wheat germ oil | Sizes: 5 pounds Best Mix Dr. Harvey's Our Best Parakeet Food Credit: Amazon $38 at Amazon What We Like Contains a wide variety of seeds, nuts, vegetables, grains, and fruits No added preservatives Natural fresh nutrition What We Don't Like Only available in one size This mix designed for hungry budgies from Dr. Harvey's includes a variety of seeds, grains, dried fruits, vegetables, and nuts—a bit of all the options you might hope to put in front of your beloved bird at lunch or dinnertime. Dr. Harvey's Our Best Parakeet Food provides a nutrient-rich profile made up of 34 all-natural ingredients, including 10 different types of seeds, nine kinds of nuts, seven varieties of fruits, seven different veggies, and oat groats as the grain. Plus, the food is made without added preservatives, dyes, or added vitamins. But it is only available in one size, a 4-pound bag, and it is a bit pricier than others on the list. Main Ingredients: White millet, canola seed, canary grass seed, oat groats, red millet, apple, coconut, carrot, mango, pineapple, papaya, hemp seed, sesame seed, flaxseed, anise seed, poppy seed, caraway seed, banana, orange peel | Sizes: 4 pounds Best Budget Mix Living World Premium Parakeet/Budgie Mix Credit: Amazon View on Amazon What We Like Approved by the Hagen Avicultural Research Institute (HARI) Wide variety of seeds, vegetables, and fruits All-natural ingredients What We Don't Like Comes in one size only Combining the best of seed and pellet diets, this budget-friendly mix from Living World includes a variety of seeds, grains, dried fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Each serving of Living World’s Premium Mix provides a nutrient-rich meal made with eight types of grains and nuts that are heavy on essential nutrients. The Canadian-based avian research organization Hagen Avicultural Research Institute (HARI)—which in part specializes in nutritional studies—has given the Premium Mix from Living World its official seal of approval. The food is formulated for parakeets, parrots, and other birds and is beneficial in promoting weight regulation, healthy plumage, bone strength, and high metabolism. Main Ingredients: Papaya, pineapple, coconut, canary seed, oat groats, white millet, flaxseed, rapeseed, hemp seed, niger seed, sesame seed, carrot, caraway seed | Sizes: 2 pounds Best Snacks Lafeber’s Classic Nutri-Berries Parakeet Food Credit: Chewy $40 at Amazon $40 at Chewy View on Lafeber.com What We Like Hulled seeds coated with vitamins and minerals Includes 10 percent pellets for nutritional balance All-natural and non-GMO What We Don't Like Not as protein-rich as other options Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually considered the best snacks you can give your parakeet or budgie. But if you’re looking for a solid store-bought product that can provide the benefit and tasty appeal of those items, Lafeber’s Classic Nutri-Berries Parakeet Food provides a combination of hulled seeds, peanuts, cracked corn, and more. Nutri-Berries are all-natural and non-GMO, covered with stabilized vitamins, chelated minerals, and amino acids, plus this food contains a variety of sweet and savory flavors that encourage foraging. Similar to Lafeber’s pellets, Classic Nutri-Berries are nutritionally complete, which makes this a potential alternative for parakeets that don’t respond to standardized pellets. But for most budgies, this blend is a perfect periodic snack. Main Ingredients: Hulled white proso millet, hulled canary grass seed, hulled oats, maltodextrin, peanuts, red millet, soybean meal, ground corn, wheat flour, corn syrup, glycerin, hydrolyzed soy protein, canola oil, ground limestone, ground rice, dicalcium phosphate, carrageenan, iodized salt | Sizes: 10 ounces, 4 pounds, 14 pounds Best for Small Birds Harrison Bird Food Adult Lifetime Super Fine Credit: Amazon $24 at Amazon View on Harrisonsbirdfoods.com What We Like Nutritionally balanced Certified organic and non-GMO Veterinarian-formulated What We Don't Like Available in only one size Harrison’s Bird Food is a widely respected purveyor of nutritionally balanced, veterinarian-formulated bird diets. If you are looking for an ideal primary meal source for your small, growing parakeet, budgie, or parrotlet, Harrison’s Adult Lifetime Super Fine is a fine-grained mix that is meant to make up 75 percent of a healthy bird’s diet. Its ingredients are certified organic and non-GMO. Main Ingredients: Corn, hull-less barley, hulled gray millet, toasted soybean meal, peas, lentils, peanut kernels, sunflower kernels, toasted oat groats, alfalfa, brown rice, chia, calcium carbonate | Sizes: 1 pound Best Organic Top's Parrot Food Organic Bird Food Credit: Amazon View on Amazon View on Chewy What We Like USDA-certified, non-GMO organic ingredients No corn, soy, sugar, or peanuts Cold-pressed ingredients to keep nutrition intact Made without artificial flavors or colors What We Don't Pellets can be too big for smaller birds For parakeets, and smaller parrots like lovebirds and parrotlets, Top's offers complete nutrition made with USDA-certified organic ingredients in mini pellet form. The ingredients in Top's Parrot Food Organic Mini Pellets Bird Food are cold-pressed to preserve more of the natural nutritional value in each piece, including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. The food is free of fillers like sugar, corn, soy, or peanuts, and it's made without artificial flavors or colors. Natural preservatives—rose hips, rosemary, lemon, and orange peel—are used to preserve the freshness and the natural appeal of the pellets to birds. However, the mini pellet size might still be too big for very small birds, but you can crush up the pellets into smaller pieces—just be aware that each piece is likely to crumble rather than provide a clean break. Main Ingredients: Alfalfa, hulled millet, barley, rice, hulled sunflower seeds, unhulled sesame seeds, whole quinoa, pumpkin, hulled buckwheat, dandelion leaf powder, carrot powder, spinach leaf powder, purple dulse, kelp | Sizes: 1 pound, 4 pounds Snack Recommended on Reddit Oxbow Alfalfa Hay Credit: Chewy $7 $6 at Amazon $6 at Chewy $10 $6 at Petco What We Like High in protein, fiber, and calcium Good source of digestible energy Grown on Oxbow's family-owned and -operated farms What We Don't Like Can have lots of dusty crumbs Adding alfalfa hay, such as this high-quality one from Oxbow, is a great way to supplement your parakeet's diet. One Reddit user on the budgie forum wrote, "It's an excellent source of nutrition and doubles as enrichment." Grown on Oxbow's family-owned and -operated farms, this alfalfa hay is high in protein, fiber, and calcium and a good source of digestible energy as well as essential minerals like phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, zinc, and selenium. We should note that some bags may have more dry dusty crumbs than others, which means you'll have less usable product. Main Ingredients: Alfalfa hay | Sizes: 15 ounces, 9 pounds Final Verdict Recommendations differ, but higher-fat seeds should constitute only a small portion of your parakeet’s diet. Our favorite staple food for most parakeets is Lafeber's Premium Daily Diet Pellets, which are nutritionally complete, available in a wide range of sizes, and made entirely from premium natural ingredients. We also love ZuPreem’s FruitBlend Flavor Pellets Bird Food. Made from natural grains, FruitBlend pellets are high in nutrients, low in fat, and rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that are missing from most seed-based mixes. What to Know About Parakeet Food Seeds or Pellets? Seeds are popular with parakeets but are inadequate in their nutritional value, lacking in certain amino acids, vitamins, and minerals—plus they're high in fat, which means that an all-seed diet can have negative effects on enclosed birds that do not have an opportunity to be active, or larger birds. However, since a diversity of sourcing is key to a truly superior parakeet diet, a varied seed mix along with a carefully selected collection of other safe fruits, vegetables, and nuts may be the ideal option for your bird. Pellets are generally considered preferable to seeds as a central dietary staple because they are rich in vitamins and minerals, but parakeets usually have to be trained over time to accept pellets into their diet, which involves gradually integrating pieces of pellets into their meals. After about six weeks or so, they can move to a full pellet diet. Despite this bit of hassle, pellet products are generally the most nutritionally full-bodied options for a single-source diet. Supplementing With Fresh Foods Most fruits—including basics like bananas, oranges, berries, apples, and grapes—are safe for birds to eat, with grapefruits and mangos as top-tier options because they're high in potassium and vitamin D, respectively. However, while fruits are rich in vitamins and usually a hit with parakeets, they're also high in sugar and should only be included in a few meals per week. Don’t get anywhere near mushrooms, onions, potatoes, eggplant, and avocados (these contain ingredients toxic to birds), but most other vegetable options make great snacks for your budgie. Leafy green vegetables, especially kale and spinach, are highly beneficial, along with tomatoes and carrots, which are high in vitamin D. Additionally, parakeets can be fed the most common nut varieties, from almonds to cashews to hazelnuts, but you should avoid serving them anything roasted, salted, or flavored. Feeding It will take some trial and error to find a suitable blend of food sources for your parakeets and figure out the correct daily portion size—particularly one that is well-balanced but not too hearty for your bird’s size or level of activity. In addition to a primary dietary source—be it pellets or seeds—and sides of vegetables and fruits, it is crucial to make sure your budgie has access to fresh water at all times. To keep things sanitary and prevent illness, feed your budgie different food sources in separate dishes, and make sure to thoroughly clean food and water dishes daily. FAQ What foods are best for parakeets? Many kinds of foods are great for parakeets, and your birds can (and usually should) try several of them, so you should figure out which foods your budgie actually enjoys. Pellets, seeds, fruit, vegetables, and nuts are all options that are on the table, but it’s important to make sure the specific items you select for your parakeet’s daily meals are not too heavy on fat and sugar. It is crucial to balance out the protein-rich food sources with a suitable amount of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Can parakeets eat cockatiel food? In many cases, yes, but since cockatiels are larger than parakeets, it is important that your parakeet doesn’t bite off more than it can chew, literally. Some seeds will be hard for them to crack or chew, especially sunflower seeds, which should be avoided in budgie diets. Because they are larger, cockatiels also need and be able to consume more protein at once than parakeets, so it’s important to reduce the recommended serving size of cockatiel food if you are going to give some to your budgies. What human foods can parakeets eat? Many fruits, vegetables, and nuts are fair game for parakeets and are usually recommended as an addition to their diet. Parakeets enjoy a surprisingly wide range of recognizable foods:Vegetables:BroccoliBeetsAsparagusCarrotsMustard greensParsleyRadishSweet potatoesCornPeasWatercressCucumberPumpkinCauliflowerFruits:ApplesStrawberriesMangoRaspberriesPapayaKiwiGrapesBlueberriesBananasCherries (no pits)When contemplating other snacks, you should avoid giving your bird any human food that is high in calories, fat, and sugar. Make sure you research specific items before you introduce them as part of a meal to ensure there are no toxic ingredients such as persin, found in avocados, which can be deadly for birds. Why Trust The Spruce Pets This article was written by Andrew Whalen, a senior editor for The Spruce Pets. He has tested hundreds of pet products and regularly consults with our expert panel of veterinarians. The options prioritized on this list are pellet diets because they have been shown to be the most nutritionally well-balanced. However, his research shows that these, like every item on the list, should be paired with side offerings of fruits, vegetables, and other non-toxic human foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals. How to Care for a Pet Parakeet Explore more: What to Buy Small Pet Products Advertisement