Healthy Halloween Bird Treats
Trick or treating brings hordes of unhealthy snacks into the house. When our pets see the rest of the flock munching on candy and other treats, they will expect to do the same. Whatever you do, don't share chocolate with your pet bird as it is toxic. Even better, instead of feeding them unhealthy sugary options, plan ahead and make these healthy Halloween bird treats to have on hand:
Peanut Butter Crunchies
Birds love to crunch. This recipe offers satisfying crunch, only requires two ingredients and is easily adapted to the size of your bird. You don't have to make a ton of these at a time, because they are satisfying. They are so easy you can make them as needed. My Amazon crunched the first one down with decadent delight, and then savored his second like it was his last meal.
Ingredients:
- Low-fat peanut butter
- Uncooked macaroni (whole grain is preferred). Macaroni noodles work best for small to medium birds, ziti for medium to large birds and penne for larger birds.
Directions:
Fill pasta with peanut butter. Don't fill it 100%. Peanut butter stuffed into the ends of the pasta is ideal. To fill smaller pasta, scoop a small amount of peanut butter on the tip of a butter knife and work it into the ends by spreading the knife blade over each end of the noodle several times.
Jack-O-Lantern Treat
Another option is to let your parrot help carve the pumpkin, or give them a small one of their own as a treat.
Cinnamon Popcorn
Do not use microwave popcorn for this treat. Microwave popcorn is full of fat and salt. Ideally, it is best to use air popped popcorn, but if you don't have the equipment to do that, you can always pop popcorn the old fashioned way—on the stove top. This lets you limit fat content and eliminate the salt. Sprinkle the popcorn with ground cinnamon while still hot. Serve to your pet when cooled.
Healthy Snacks for You and Your Bird
If your bird expects to eat what you eat, then it's time to opt for healthy snacks for yourself, too. Kashi recipes offer a number of snacks that can work for you as well as your feathered friend. Here are a few to try this Halloween season:
Limit Snacks
It is important to limit snacks high in fat, simple carbohydrates, and salt. These foods work the same way in our parrots and other pet birds as they do on us. The more we eat them, the more we want, and if were not careful, it leads to overweight.
Even when choosing healthy snacks, they should be limited. Snacks are not meant to be a meal, but an occasional treat—even at Halloween.
