African grey parrots thrive on structure: a consistent, nutrient-dense base diet paired with daily fresh foods for variety and enrichment. For most households, that “best foods” foundation is high-quality pellets plus carefully selected produce, balanced in the right proportions and prepared safely.
Recent veterinary and manufacturer guidance broadly converges on a pellet-first approach (often around 75, 80% pellets) with the remainder coming from vegetables and a smaller amount of fruit. At the same time, updated toxic-food guidance (including strong warnings about avocado, chocolate, caffeine, and certain seeds/pits) matters just as much as choosing the “right” greens.
1) Why pellets are the foundation for African greys
African greys are long-lived parrots with precise nutritional needs, and day-to-day “mix and match” feeding can unintentionally miss key vitamins and minerals. Pellet diets are formulated to be complete, helping prevent the slow nutritional drift that can happen with seed-heavy or people-food-based menus.
This matters acutely for African greys because clinical literature notes that hypocalcemic-induced seizure activity is commonly diagnosed in neurologic African grey parrots. While seizures have multiple causes, that association underscores why consistent nutrient adequacy, often easier to achieve with pellets than with improvised diets, can be so important.
Pellets also simplify planning: you can reliably measure intake, track appetite changes, and maintain a stable baseline while you add fresh produce for enrichment and additional phytonutrients. Think of pellets as the “nutrition insurance policy,” and produce as the daily upgrade that keeps meals interesting.
2) Evidence-based ratios: how much pellets vs. fresh produce?
Multiple current sources align on a pellet-first ratio. VCA Animal Hospitals’ feeding targets commonly describe pellets as the basis of the diet (often about 75, 80%), with fresh produce offered daily, and fruit kept comparatively low (commonly ≤10% of the total diet).
Harrison’s guidance similarly emphasizes pellets as the main component, often in the 75, 80% range, paired with roughly 15, 20% vegetables and low-sugar fruits. Harrison’s product directions (including High Potency Mash guidance) repeat this ratio and highlight darker leafy and dark yellow produce as preferred choices within the fresh-food portion.
You may see older or product-label-style guidance that differs. For example, one pellet brand page historically suggested fresh fruits and vegetables at about 20% of the total diet for African greys, while an alternate retailer copy for the same product has cited about 33%. When in doubt, veterinary-style targets (pellets ~75, 80%, produce ~20, 40%, fruit limited) provide a practical, conservative framework, especially for birds prone to selective eating.
3) Choosing the best pellets (and using them correctly)
“Best pellets” means complete, reputable, species-appropriate formulated diets (not colored cereal-like bits or sugary mixes). Your goal is consistent daily intake: pellets should be readily available and fresh, with portions adjusted so your African grey eats them reliably rather than waiting for treats.
Transitioning matters as much as brand choice. Many African greys are suspicious of new textures, so conversions often work best by gradual mixing, offering pellets at peak hunger times (morning), and reducing competing high-value foods (like seeds or fatty nuts) during the transition.
Pellets can also be used strategically for enrichment. Produce-forward formulated options (for example, Nutri-Berries featuring real pieces of carrots, peas, broccoli, and corn) can function as foraging items or variety boosters, helpful for mental stimulation, while still being more structured than random table foods.
4) Fresh vegetables: the daily produce workhorse
Within the fresh-food portion, vegetables should do most of the heavy lifting. Guidance that emphasizes “dark leafy” and “dark yellow” options reflects their typical nutrient density, useful for African greys that benefit from robust micronutrient support.
Practical, commonly recommended choices include leafy greens and colorful vegetables such as kale, collard greens, bok choy, carrots, sweet potato, bell pepper, broccoli, and other mixed vegetables. Rotate frequently to broaden nutrient exposure and reduce the risk of picky, repetitive eating.
Serve vegetables in multiple forms to encourage exploration: finely chopped “chop,” larger hand-held pieces for shredding, lightly steamed options for aroma, and skewers for climbing/foraging. Aim for fresh, clean produce, offered daily, and remove leftovers to prevent spoilage.
5) Fruit: beneficial, but keep it limited
Fruit can be valuable for variety, hydration, and training, yet most modern guidance keeps it modest because of natural sugars. VCA’s targets commonly cap fruit at about 10% of the total diet, reserving more space for vegetables and pellets.
When selecting fruits, lean toward lower-sugar options and small portions: berries, kiwi, papaya, or melon can work well in rotation. Use fruit strategically as a topper or reward rather than a large bowl that crowds out vegetables.
Preparation safety is essential with fruit. PetMD notes that fruit pits and seeds (including apple seeds and stone-fruit pits) can pose a cyanide risk, so remove pits/seeds before serving. Offer bite-size pieces to reduce mess and help you monitor what’s actually eaten.
6) Fresh-food safety: what to never feed (and why)
Some “healthy for humans” foods are dangerous, or even rapidly fatal, for birds. Avocado is a top concern: both veterinary toxic-food sources and poison-control guidance emphasize that birds are especially sensitive to avocado poisoning, with signs of distress potentially appearing within hours and death reported within 24, 48 hours. Updated food-hazard guidance (as of Nov 2025) continues to treat avocado as a critical exclusion item for bird diets.
Chocolate and caffeine are also strict no-go items. PetMD highlights that chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine (methylxanthines) that can cause severe toxicity, including seizures and death, and poison-control guidance similarly warns chocolate/coffee/caffeine can trigger abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures, and death.
Finally, avoid onion and garlic as routine foods; PetMD notes they can cause issues involving blood cells and may affect the liver and kidneys. Combine these exclusions with the fruit-seed/pit rule above, and you’ll eliminate a large share of preventable fresh-food risks in African grey feeding.
7) Putting it together: a practical daily menu template
Start with pellets as the “always available” core, targeting roughly 75, 80% of intake, consistent with common veterinary and manufacturer recommendations. If you measure food, measure pellets first, then use produce to fill in the remaining daily allotment rather than the other way around.
Next, add a daily fresh mix that’s mostly vegetables (often about 15, 20% or more depending on your chosen target within the 20, 40% produce range), emphasizing dark leafy/dark yellow items. Keep fruit small (often ≤10% of total diet) and rotate types so no single fruit becomes the default.
Use enrichment to improve compliance: hide pellets in foraging toys, skewer vegetables, and reserve fruit or a formulated “produce-forward” treat for training. Track droppings, weight, and appetite changes, and consult an avian veterinarian if your bird refuses pellets, becomes selective, or shows neurologic signs, especially given African greys’ known susceptibility to hypocalcemia-related seizure presentations.
The best foods for African greys are rarely a single “superfood.” Instead, the most reliable approach is a high-quality pellet base complemented by daily vegetables and smaller amounts of fruit, balanced in proportions that protect nutrient intake while keeping meals interesting.
Just as important as what you include is what you exclude: avocado, chocolate, caffeine, onion/garlic, and unsafe pits/seeds can turn a well-intended fresh menu into a medical emergency. With the right pellet-first structure and careful produce choices, you can feed an African grey diet that supports long-term health, stable behavior, and enthusiastic eating.