Diet Figure 2: Daily Menu

Diet Figure 2: Daily Menu and those foods never to feed

Authors: Karen Grant RN, Amy Epperley of Phoenix Gate Rattery, and
Brandi Saxton, author/publisher It’s a Rat’s World magazine

Suggested Daily Menu Per Rat

Table 1

Daily Staple

Should be 80% of the daily diet. Choice of quality lab block, rodent pellets/kibble, nuggets, or quality homemade mix. Daily serving size can be split into two portions to be fed twice a day. Remove any spoiled or stale foods from previous feeding.

Daily vegetable and fruits should be 20% of the daily diet

Use discretion for portions sizes. Suggested portions of vegetables approximately 1 – 2 teaspoons daily and approximately ½ – 1 teaspoon of fruit daily will help prevent overfeeding. Remove any perishable foods from the cage within 6 hours.

Daily Vegetables Examples

(Can choose up to 3 for each day)

Kale
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Bok Choy
Mushroom
Sprouts
Carrot
Asparagus
Zucchini
Arugula
Peas
Green Beans
Pumpkin (1/2 inch cube)
Squash (cooked)
Sweet potatoes (cooked)
Corn (only feed once a week)

Daily Fruit Examples

(Choose 1 for each day)

Strawberry
Blueberry
Raspberry
Blackberry
Peach (de-pitted)
Pear
Kiwi
Melon
Tomato
Banana
Cherry (de-pitted)
Apricot (de-pitted)
Nectarine (de-pitted)
Grape (or raisin)
Plum (or prunes)
Apple (de-seeded)

Table 2 – A Weekly Menu Example

The following examples of fruits and vegetables should be washed well and cut into rat-sized portions. When cooking food, cook it thoroughly and then cool or refrigerate prior to giving your rats. When giving the staple diet, check packages for the serving size to be given per rat, per day. Those portions can be split into two and given twice a day.

Day 1:

Staple: quality lab block, rodent pellets/kibble, nuggets, or quality homemade mix
Veggies: broccoli, carrot, spinach
Fruit: grape

Day 2:

Staple: quality lab block, rodent pellets/kibble, nuggets, or quality homemade mix
Veggies: cauliflower, bok choy, peas
Fruit: apple

Day 3:

Staple: quality lab block, rodent pellets/kibble, nuggets, or quality homemade mix
Veggies: radish, kale, mushroom
Fruit: orange

Day 4:

Staple: quality lab block, rodent pellets/kibble, nuggets, or quality homemade mix
Veggies: asparagus, butternut squash (cooked), green beans
Fruit: banana

Day 5:

Staple: quality lab block, rodent pellets/kibble, nuggets, or quality homemade mix
Veggies: sweet potato, zucchini, arugula
Fruit: strawberry

Day 6:

Staple: quality lab block, rodent pellets/kibble, nuggets, or quality homemade mix
Veggies: carrot, cauliflower, corn
Fruit: cherry (de-pitted)

Day 7:

Staple: quality lab block, rodent pellets/kibble, nuggets, or quality homemade mix
Veggies: broccoli, green bean, spaghetti squash (cooked)
Fruit: cantaloupe

Table 3 – Choices of Treats Safe to Feed in Moderation

Treats
(Only 1 or 2 bite-sized amounts)

Plain popped popcorn (caution with elderly rats)
Yogurt drops
Avocado (do not give the pit or skin!)
Dark chocolate chip sparingly
Chicken, turkey, or beef (cooked or boiled)
Baby fruit puffs
Nylabones for chewing
Foods high in nitrates such as beets, celery, eggplant, lettuce, cucumber, radishes, spinach, collards and turnip greens
Soy/almond/rice/cashew/oat milk
Black/pinto/kidney beans (cooked)
Dandelion
Tofu (cooked)
Yogurt
Scrambled/hard boiled/soft boiled/poached (can even have shell)

Things to Never Feed!

Carbonated/fizzy drinks
Orange peels/pulp orange juice (for males. Pieces of the orange “fruit” are okay after washing)
Raw dry beans
Raw peanuts (contain anti-nutrients that destroy vitamin A, digestive enzymes, causes red blood cell clumping)
Raw sweet potato
Green bananas (inhibits digestion of starch)
Green potato skin and eyes (contains a toxin)
Apple Seeds
Pits from fruit
Wild insects
Raw bulk tofu
Moldy cheese (blue cheese)
Raw oysters/clams
Dried corn
Licorice (suspicions of neurological poisoning)
Raw red cabbage (contains anti-nutrients that destroys thiamin)
Raw artichokes (inhibits digestion of protein)
*Sticky foods
*Thick foods

*Foods like peanut butter, honey, and mashed potatoes, to name a few, are safe as an ingredient, but when given straight, can pose a choking hazard. If something seems too thick, thin it out first.

Disclaimer: The above information is gathered from rat nutrition-based sources. Each owner is encouraged and advised to make educated choices about what is in the best interest for their rats and to make their own assessment of the information herein as with any source. The menu tables above are for educational purposes within the home only and not to be publicly distributed in any way.