Bearded dragons are omnivores, but the ratio is not fixed — it inverts with age. Hatchlings run almost entirely on insect protein; adults flip to a mostly plant-based diet with insects as a supplement, not the main course. Carrying a juvenile's insect-heavy ratio into adulthood is the most common bearded dragon feeding mistake.
What to Feed
Dubia roaches are the best staple feeder at every life stage — high protein, low fat, and a better calcium-to-phosphorus ratio than crickets. Mealworms are an occasional feeder for sub-adults and adults; their chitin exoskeleton is hard to digest and should be withheld from dragons under about a year old. Superworms run higher in fat with an even tougher exoskeleton — an adult-only treat, never a staple or a hatchling/juvenile food.
Feeding Schedule by Age
- Hatchling (0–3 months): Roughly 80% insects to 20% vegetables. Offer insects two to three times daily, as much as the dragon eats in 10–15 minutes.
- Juvenile (3–12 months): Shifting toward plants, moving through roughly 50/50 by the end of this stage. Insects once or twice daily; greens available at all times.
- Sub-adult (12–18 months): Roughly 30% insects to 70% vegetables. Insects offered once daily.
- Adult (18+ months): Roughly 20–25% insects to 75–80% vegetables. Insects offered 2–3 times weekly, not daily — overfeeding insects here drives obesity and fatty liver disease.
Gut-Loading & Dusting
Bearded dragons are highly prone to metabolic bone disease when calcium falls short. Gut-load every feeder insect for 24–48 hours before offering it — see our gut-loading guide — then dust with plain calcium at nearly every feeding, calcium with D3 once or twice a week, and a multivitamin once or twice a week on separate feedings. Hatchlings and juveniles, building skeleton fastest, need the most consistent schedule.
Common Mistakes
No insect should be wider than the space between the dragon's eyes — oversized prey, especially superworms, is a leading cause of impaction. Don't let insects dominate the diet to the point a dragon refuses vegetables. Never leave live insects in the enclosure overnight; uneaten crickets and roaches will bite a sleeping dragon. And don't carry juvenile insect ratios into adulthood — the biggest driver of overweight, fatty-liver dragons.