Learn About Turtle Food

Turtles eat all types of different foods, but what would we call turtle food?

In general, a turtle should eat about half plant matter and half meat. In the wild, a turtle’s diet will often depend on;

1. What the turtle can find
2. What stage of a turtle’s life cycle it is in
3. What type of turtle it is

Here is a list of turtle food (foods which are ok to feed a turtle):

Meat-based turtle food

• Sardines (drained)
• Crickets
• Moths
• Mealworms
• Tofu (not a meat)
• Hard boiled eggs (not a meat)
• Reptile pellets
• Bird pellets
• Trout chow
• Other fish chows

Plant-based turtle food

• Vegetables rich in Vitamins
  • Collard greens
  • Broccoli (in small amounts)
  • Spinach (in small amounts)
  • Alfalfa hay
  • Chow
  • Bok Choy
  • Corn
  • Okra
  • Kale
  • Parsley
  • Green beans
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Cabbage
  • Green peas
  • Mustard greens
  • Turnip greens
  • Bell peppers
  • Cactus
  • Squash
  • Flowers (counts as a vegetable)
    • Carnations
    • Hibiscus
    • Roses
    • Avoid Azaleas which are toxic to turtles
• Fruits
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Figs
  • Papaya
  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Bananas
  • Grapes
  • Peaches
  • Kiwis
  • Melons