Tear, chop and grate food into very small pieces and mix together. Sprinkle a pinch of reptile vitamin and calcium on a small amount of chopped veggies and mix well. Put the supplemented food on top to ensure your pet eats the vitamins. Do not over-supplement (twice a week for young iguanas - hatchlings to 2 years old, once a week for juveniles and adults - 2+ years and older).
Feed your iguana a balanced, varied diet EVERY day, not every other day as some books suggest. And try to avoid feeding defrosted, frozen vegetables as much as possible. Frozen, pre-packaged vegetables lose much of their vitamin content in the freezing/storage process. Feed only frozen (defrosted, room-temperature) peas and lima beans as a protein source but all other vegetables should be purchased fresh from the market or grown in the garden. Prepared iguana food and frozen vegetable mixes do not contain the necessary nutrients for a healthy iguana diet.
Remember to wash all edibles thoroughly and never feed any plant material that has been previously sprayed with insecticide. Always offer your iguana fresh water to drink.
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The most important thing, however, is to feed your iguana a VARIED diet using the following, well-rinsed foods:
Greens (40%-50% of the daily mixture):
Mustard Greens - Collard Greens - Dandelion Greens - Turnip Greens - Rapini - Mulberry Leaves - Grape Leaves - Hibiscus - Escarole (outer, dark green leaves only - do not feed pale, bleached leaves).
Vegetables (40%):
Green Beans - Peas - Turnip - Rutabaga - Parsnip - Butternut Squash - Acorn Squash - Sweet Potato - Zucchini - Carrot - Lima Beans - Cassava - Jicama - Chayote
Fruit and Flowers (10-20%):
Papaya - Pear - Strawberries - Raspberries - Mango - Grapes - Apricot - Peach - Cantaloupe - Casaba and Honeydew Melon - Kiwi - Figs - Nasturtium - Hibiscus - Rose Petals (no pesticides)
Occasional Foods and Treats (10%):
Kale - Parsley - Beets/Beet Greens - Banana - Apple - Rose Petals - Spinach - Pasta - Bok Choy - Broccoli - Cauliflower
Do not feed your iguana large quantities of broccoli flowerettes, corn, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bananas, grapes, carrot, or tomatoes because they contain higher amounts of phosphorous, oxylates, phytates and other components that can hamper your iguana's healthy growth processes.
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