You may have noticed the influx of diet blogs we've been posting! The fruits (or veggies, we suppose) of our labor is here: The Guinea Pig Vegetable Master List.
Of course, this doesn't include every single vegetable that exists on planet Earth, but it does include the common ones that you can find at your local grocery store! It's important for you as guinea pig parents to know what is safe for your piggies to eat, as well as how often and how much. This is the cornerstone of taking good care of your guinea pigs!
Guinea pigs need around one cup of fresh fruits and vegetables to supplement their regular diet of hay, so it's important to include a balanced variety.
Below is a chart linking to each vegetable's blog post, along with some quick nutrition and serving facts. Each blog goes into detail about the vitamins and other nutrients in vegetables for guinea pigs. We recommend doing all your reading and homework here on anything you may be considering adding to your guinea pig's diet!
We've also taken the liberty of including the Ca:P (calcium to phosphorus) ratio, so you can quickly gauge which veggie combos work for your guinea pig! All of these nutrient amounts are for 100 g portions.
Click on each blog to learn more about nutritional benefits of each individual vegetable for guinea pigs.
| THE GUINEA PIG VEGETABLE MASTER LIST |
| Vegetable Name | Vitamin C |
Ca:P |
Suggested Serving Amount | When | Yes or No? |
| Asparagus | 5.6 mg | 0.5:1 |
2-3 half in. slices |
1-2x/week | Yes, they're pears of deliciousness. |
| Beets | 4.9 mg | 0.4:1 |
1-2 quarter in. slices
|
1-2x/week | Is this going to stain? Maybe a little! Can they eat it? Yes! |
| Bell Peppers |
Green 80.4 mg, Red 127.7 mg |
Green 0.5:1, Red 0.5:1 |
2 half in. slices |
2-3x/week | Your piggy's favorite colorful snack. Yes! |
| Bok Choy | 45mg | 0.35:1 | 1 stalk | 2-3x/week | Yes, and it's sooo good for them! |
| Broccoli | 89.2 mg | 0.7:1 | 1 in. floret | 1-2x/week | Can the piggies eat the mini trees? Yes, in moderation. |
| Brussels Sprouts | 85 mg | 0.6:1 | 3-4 leaves | 1-2x/week | They look like tiny cabbages, but should your piggy eat them? Yes, very sparingly! |
| Cabbage | 36.6 mg | 2:1 | 1 leaf | 2-3x/week | Yeah, cabbage is kind of boring, but can your piggy eat it? Yes! |
| Carrots | 5.9 mg | 0.6:1 |
1-2 one in. slices |
2-3x/week | Is it as good as it it crunchy for your guinea pig? Yes! |
| Cauliflower | 48.2 mg | 0.5:1 | 1 half in. floret | 1-2x/week | The mini trees part two! Only a little bit though. |
| Celery | 3.1 mg | 1.6:1 |
2-3 one in. slices |
2-3x/week | Crunchy water...is it good for them? Yes! |
| Cilantro | 27 mg | 1.4:1 | 10-20 stems | 1-2x/week | It may taste like soap to you, but what about your guinea pig? Yes, they can have it! |
| Corn | 5 mg | 0:02:1 | 2-3 kernels | 1x/week | Not that great for them, but they can have it occasionally! |
| Cucumbers | 2.8 mg | 0.7:1 |
1-2 one in. slices |
2-3x/week | Crunchy water part two! (And yes, they can have it.) |
| Green Beans | 16.3 mg | 1:1 |
1-2 full beans |
2-3x/week | Guinea pigs are the cutest beans, but are green beans good for them? Yes! |
| Kale | 93.4 mg | 2.4:1 | 1-2 leaves | 1-2x/week | Super food, but is it super good for your guinea pigs? Only in small amounts! |
| Lettuce | 1.9 mg | 0.8:1 | 1 leaf | almost daily | There's different kinds...better read up on 'em all! |
| Okra | 23 mg | 1.3:1 | 1 full piece | 1-2x/week | Crunchy and tasty. (And yes, they can have them) |
| Pumpkin | 9 mg | 0.5:1 |
2-3 half in. cubes |
1x/month | Are they good for your guinea pigs or are they spooky and bad? Kinda spooky, kinda good. Only have a little! |
| Rosemary | 21.8 mg | 0.2:1 | 2-3 leaves | 1x.week | Only in very small emounts! |
| Spinach | 28.1 mg | 2:1 | 4 leaves | 1-2x/week | Yes, the Popeye effect is imminent! |
| Sweet Potatoes | 2.4 mg | 0.8:1 | 1 half in. cube | 1x/month | Yes, but never give them regular potatoes though! |
| Tomatoes | 13.7 mg | 0.2 | 1 in. cube | 1x/week | Is this technically a fruit? Yes. Did we include it here anyway? Also yes. Can they eat it? Also yes. |
| Turnips | 21 mg | 1.1:1 |
1 half in. cube |
1-2x/week | Yes, crunchy munchy and so good to your piggy. |
| Watercress | 14.6 mg | 2:1 |
2-3 stalks with leaves |
1-2x/week | Yes! Water-rich and great for hydration. |
| Zucchini | 17.9 mg | 0.4:1 | 1-2 in. slice | almost daily | Just as tasty as it is good for them! |
Of course at the end of the day, this is just a guide for you to refer to, but the best thing to do when figuring out what is best for your guinea pig's diet is to carefully monitor them and their bodies' reactions! If there are changes in their behavior, their urine, or poops, then it's a sign to either reduce the amount of something you're giving them, or stop altogether!
14 comments
Hi George – yes, your assumption is correct, the veggies should be raw. Raw vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are important for a guinea pig’s overall health.
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I assume all of these are raw right? Even the sweet potato, corn and pumpkin?
This info is very much needed. Maybe some will discontinue giving a pizza size plate of fruits and vegetables every day for each gp.
Also helpful for seniors getting back into cavies to learn information not available 30 or 40 years ago. Thank you for sharing this with us.
should i give them like a fruit cup like carrots bell peppers watermelon oranges all together or just one thing a day
Thank you for all your information on fruits and veg. It seems I was feeding my 2 Boys Way too much fruit and veg. Wow I didn’t realize I was giving apples daily carrots daily. I just feel like sometimes they’re so bored and all they want to do is eat, but thank you so much for your advice. I will definitely put this concept into feeding times.