How to work out this Amazon diet

[sharkbait]

Hi! Just got a Yellow Naped Amazon (9 years old) a few days ago. I was rather horrified to find that her previous owners fed her a diet of seed mix (which consisted of sunflower seeds, corn and some peanuts tossed in) he mentioned how she loves mangos, grapes and cucumbers but didn't say how often she would get offered fruits and veggies. I have since started mixing her paltry diet in with some pellets and offering fresh fruits and veggies ( however I am awful at the whole fresh foods thing and barely eat enough my self as it is because it always goes bad before I can eat it and I hate shopping more than once a week!) I also have a 4 mo old baby that demands to be held 24/7 so cooking and preparing foods is difficult. Any suggestions on how to transition her diet and make her healthy and any tips on preparing and storing food would be great and very much appreciated. (I haven't owned a bird since my parrotlet died when I was 14).

[Wolf]

I would start of with some cooked whole grains such as found in Kashi 7 grain pilaf, cooked al dente, with a small amount of her seed mixed into it. When she begins to eat this readily then I would stop mixing the seeds in it and start adding cooked vegetables in it starting with sweet corn and then peas and then carrots and so on. I would also start adding fully cooked white beans and lentils when I stopped the seeds. I would also change to a good quality seed mix for feeding the bird for its evening meal. When the bird is eating these things I would start introducing her to fresh raw vegetables, fruits and leafy greens, one of each daily before the whole grains.

[liz]

Shame on you. Eat your veggies. Not only do you need them but a child will learn a healthy diet. I get so angry when I see a fat parent with fat kids eating fast food. There should be a penalty for having fat kids. They probably don't even see a veggie at home. Eat your veggies in front of the bird. Myrtle will try any thing I give her off my plate.

The frozen mixed veggies are a good start. They are already bite size and have a variety to try. I always have a bag in the freezer for my down days. (I am auto immune and on a down day I can't make myself do anything.)

Bagged baby carrots are a favorite food that will last a long time in the frig. I cut them so they are just right to hold in their hands la la la.
Broccoli slaw in the fresh food section of the produce section is also a fast way to feed. Keep it in a zip lock bag to hold it for a week.
Any veggie you make for your family can be given if you separate a portion before you add salt and butter.
When properly rapped, romain lettuce will last a week in the frig.
Apples cut to hand size for them will also work. If you don't like them turning brown just put a little citrus fruit juice on it.
When I put grapes in their mixed fresh food, they go for them first.

You are doing a good job juggling bird and baby. Both need maximum attention.

[sharkbait]

Thank you guys and I know what you mean about the unhealthy food. When I was on the plane a very heavy child of maybe 5 (I hate seeing fat kids it makes me sad) was walking be down the aisle with a fist full of chocolate :/

I'm not fat though lol I work out, I just hate most veggies (love broccoli and green beans and potatoes and that's about it) love fruit though but I read fruit should be limited due to high sugar content.she loves grapes apparently but didn't touch much else if I use frozen mixed veggies do I thaw then or cook them before giving them to her? I was also curious, can an "older" Amazon still learn more words or is she basically done? I read somewhere that by two they know the majority of what they will say but I feel like that can't be true. Any one have experience with that?

[Wolf]

I have a 16 year old Yellow Naped Amazon hen who came with an extensive volcabulary but she is constantly picking up new words and phrases from us. Some of them she picks up on after hearing them one time.
I use cooked whole grains for my birds breakfast and all day munching because they are lower in fat and protein than seeds and higher in other nutrients, I mix in lightly cooked frozen mixed vegetables, just using the heat from the freshly cooked whole grains to cook the vegetables.

[liz]

Rambo is constantly adding new word and he rearranges them in phrases to explain himself.