Parrot treats are special snacks designed to provide pet birds with a delicious and nutritious supplement to their regular diet. These treats serve various purposes, such as offering entertainment, promoting foraging behavior, and providing essential nutrients.   For more delicious and nutritious recipes, feel free to explore The Science of Avian Nutrition, a labor of love created from over ten years of hands-on parrot care experience.

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Not all Parrot Treats are Healthy

When it comes to bird treats, not all of them are necessarily healthy. It's important for bird owners to read the ingredients listed on the packaging to ensure that the parrot treats are made from wholesome and nutritious ingredients. Some treats may contain additives, preservatives, or other ingredients that may not be suitable for a bird's diet. By carefully examining the ingredients, bird owners can make informed choices to provide their feathered friends with treats that contribute positively to their health and well-being. 

Unhealthy Caitec Oven Fresh Bites Apple Cinnamon

Upon studying the ingredients on these popular bird treats there are some major issues:  two sugars and shortening. Even though Caitec claims no sugar was added, two sugars were clearly added to this product. Shortening is purely fat with no health benefits and being the second ingredient in the product means it's mostly a shortening treats.

Nutritional Information for Caitec Oven Fresh Bites

Ingredients: Oatmeal, Vegatable Shortening, Rice Syrup, Millet Flour, Oat Flour, Honey, Flax, Diced Apples, Cinnamon, Whole Dry Egg, Whey, Witamin E (Mixed Tocopherols)

 

Sugars in Caitec Oven Fresh Bites Apple Cinnamon 

Discrepancy between the product's claim of having no added sugar and the actual presence of sugars in the ingredients can arise due to different names for sugar or sugar-containing substances that might not be immediately recognized. 

It's crucial for consumers to carefully read the ingredient list on food packaging to identify any hidden sugars or sweeteners that may not be explicitly labeled as "sugar." Ingredients like sucrose, fructose, glucose, and various syrups are examples of sugars that might be present.

As for Caitec Oven Fresh Bites Apple Cinnamon there are two sugars added:

Rice Syrup: Rice sugar is a liquid sugar that’s derived from brown rice and can be used as a substitute for honey or sugar. 

Honey: Honey contains mostly sugar, as well as a mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc and antioxidants. 

Vegetable Shortening in Parrot Treats

Although not toxic, shortening is 100% fat and is very high in calories. While shortening is usually made from vegetables, it is low in vitamins and minerals, which is not beneficial to parrots. Excessive consumption can trigger many health issues in parrots.

Two points you should take form shortening:

Healthy Copycat Recipe for Caitec Oven Fresh Bites Apple Cinnamon Parrot Treats

Creating a healthy parrot treats for your parrot involves using natural and nutritious ingredients. Including a variety of nutritious treats not only adds excitement to their meals but also provides additional essential nutrients. 

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PDS Apple Cinnamon Parrot Treats

1 cup oats
1 cup millet flour
½ cup buckwheat flour
4 oz applesauce
4 oz water
1 tsp chia seeds
½ tsp ceylon cinnamon
½ apple
2 tsp coconut oil

Directions:

Turn the oven on to 350. Grease a cookie sheet with coconut oil and set aside. Measure out oats, flours into a bowl. In a second bowl measure out and mix the apple sauce, water, chia seeds, and cinnamon. Chop the apple into small pieces. Add the applesauce mixture and chopped apples to the flour. Mix until all the flour is moist. Eyeball about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Slightly flat the ball to form a disk. Place on the cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Completely cool before serving. 

How to store your parrot treats

Keep the apple cinnamon parrot treats in the fridge for 3 to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months. There are no preservatives in this recipe. 

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