by Pajarita » Wed Oct 13, 2021 10:51 am
Well, I guess that steamed veggies could count as soft food but, in reality, when we talk about soft food, we refer to things that are complete meals in themselves -meaning, they have protein, fiber and vitamins/minerals (low fat is always a plus for parrots). Gloop is a soft food that adults also should eat because it's made with lightly cooked whole grains and frozen veggies so it not only provides everything but it is also the most nutritious because frozen veggies are, by far, the most nutritious of all the veggies (you mix the unthawed frozen veggies with the already cooked whole grains and pulses which you allow to cool before mixing in the frozen veggies, split into daily portions and thaw one portion at a time).
Steamed veggies sound good and I am sure the baby likes them because they are soft and warm (like the parents would feed the baby) but, in reality, they are not providing much of the things they need to eat because the heat kills the phytonutrients in them and, if you use fresh veggies for it, they are pretty much useless in terms of nutrition unless we are talking about veggies that are high in betacarotene. You would be much better off giving him raw produce -which is what they evolved to eat and need for the phytonutrients and enzymes (gut flora). My birds eat gloop and raw produce for breakfast, seeds/nuts for dinner and get a multivitamin/mineral supplement two or three times a week.
Also, no spinach, please. Spinach has way too much iron for birds (good for people but not for birds) and is also too high in oxalic acid which inhibits calcium absorption (always an issue with captive birds that do not get enough direct sunlight as they should).