Fresh fruit and vegetables play an important role in healthy nutrition of budgies and several other birds who are kept by humans. Not only do fruit and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals, but also bring some tasty additions to your bird's diet.

Another important aspect is that fresh food trains the bird's senses: Smell and consistency differ a lot if you compare, for example, an eggplant with a banana. With their fleshy tongue budgies and many other parrots carefully sample their food; this trains their mental abilities as well.

Although for most bird keepers only the best is good enough for their budgies, one should not permanently offer them their favourite food. Spray millet is a very popular treat. All seeds that contain a high percentage of oil (like hemp, niger seed or sesame) lead to overweight if served too often.

Many pet birds are kept in their cages most of the time. This causes a lack of exercise - another reason for overweight. In combination with fatty food this could be a great danger for the health of a parrot.

Fat birds tend to become ill. Some suffer from excoriated soles of their feet. Others develop so-called adipose tumours on their breast or their belly. Those fatty tumours are usually benign, but tend to grow in an uncontrollable way and may kill the bird when getting too big.

Even more dangerous than those "life belts" is the fatty degeneration of the inner vitals. If a bird is overweight, fat deposits put an enormous strain on the inner vitals and damaging them. Do not serve rich food like spray millet too often to prevent such problems and give your budgie the opportunity of daily free flight.