Almonds

[greys4u]

How many almonds can Valentine have in a day, they still have the skin on them

 

[Destiny]

What kind of parrot is Valentine?

Almonds are high in fat, so they should be given in moderation, as an occassional treat or reward, rather than a regular part of the diet. I would recommend just one to three whole almonds a day. Or less than that, if you are offering other treats.

For smaller parrots, you can offer almond pieces, instead of a whole almond, but the total amount of almond should remain small.

 

[greys4u]

Valentine is a conure, I give one in her food and one at bedtime, looks like she will be given one that is broken up. I also got her some dehydrated mango today.

 

[Destiny]

Sounds good to me.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Here is a handy dandy table of nuts. Note it give saturated/unsaturated fat values too.

Nutrients per 1 ounce (weight)
Nut Variety	Approx # of nuts	Calories (kcal)	Protein (g)	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Mono- unsaturat- ed Fat (g)	Poly- unsaturat- ed Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)
Almonds	23	160	6	14	1	9	3.5	6	4
Brazil Nuts	6	190	4	19	4	7	6	3	2
Cashews	18	160	4	13	3	8	2	9	1
Hazelnuts	21	180	4	17	1.5	13	2	5	3
Macadamia Nuts	11	200	2	22	3.5	17	0.5	4	2
Pecans	19 (halves)	200	3	20	2	12	6	4	3
Pine Nuts	165	190	4	20	1.5	5.5	10	4	1
Pistachios	49	160	4	18	1.5	7	4	8	3
Walnuts	14 (halves)	190	4	18	1.5	2.5	13	4	2

 

[Destiny]

To understand that table, "approximate number of nuts" refers to the number of nuts in a one ounce serving of that type of nut/see, right?

That's not a recommendation on how many nuts to offer each day, I assume.

 

[Hankmacaw]

No, the number of nuts is related to the weight To find the nutrient value of one nut you would need to divide each value by the number of nuts.

Although my Jasper may have eaten 165 pine nuts given the opportunity.

 

[budgieluv3]

Nuts are very fatty, so being fed as a treat in moderation is ok.

 

[Hankmacaw]

@budgieluv3
If you read the chart above there are nuts that have less fat and the fat they have is mostly unsaturated an monounsaturated - good fats. Additionally, several nuts are high in Omega 3. Considered excellent for the heart.

Macaws, in particular need nuts.

 

[budgieluv3]

@budgieluv3
If you read the chart above there are nuts that have less fat and the fat they have is mostly unsaturated an monounsaturated - good fats. Additionally, several nuts are high in Omega 3. Considered excellent for the heart.

Macaws, in particular need nuts.

I did not know that! I thought all nuts were bad fats! Thank you for correcting me.

 

[Destiny]

For a nice article that talks about Omega 3 and 6 in nuts, check out this link:

The Omega 3 to 6 Fat Ratio of Common Nuts [Data] | VegFAQs

Nuts are one of the best vegan sources of fats, and have some protein too. But, there’s that pesky issue of having a ton of omega 6 fats, and not many omega 3 fats. If you’re reading this, I suspect you already know why keeping a high ratio of Omega 3:6 fatty acids is a […]

vegfaqs.com

It has a chart of all the nuts and how they compare.

A similar article also does the same break-down for certain seeds.

Omega 3 to 6 Fat Ratio of Seeds [Data] | VegFAQs

Seeds are one of the best vegan sources of fats, and also a great vegan source of calcium. After making a page about the ratio of omega 3 to 6 fats in nuts, it only made sense to do the same for seeds. I collected basic nutritional data for all the common seeds I could think […]

vegfaqs.com

Of note, flax and chia seeds are a much richer source of omega 3 fatty acids, than even the best nuts (walnuts and macademia).

 

[Hankmacaw]

But do macaws digest whole flax and chia seeds? They are both far too small to shell.

 

[Destiny]

It is also worth considering that parrots may not benefit from the same ratio of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids as humans. Both of those articles were written from the perspective of human vegans or vegitarians, not for birds.

 

[taxidermynerd]

When Jade had her heart arrhythmia scare, the vet recommended almonds and walnuts for her heart. Almonds are still one of her favorites. I offer 1 nut a day, either an almond, cashew, pistachio or walnut.

 

[Hankmacaw]

The reason I ask about the chia and whole flax seeds is that macaws shell their seeds and nuts, before swallowing, and because of the tiny size and very hard shells I don't think they can shell those two.