8 Human Foods Safe for Turtles: A Guide to Healthy, Delicious Choices

They may not be as affectionate as dogs or as adorable as cats, but turtles have at least one huge advantage over those other pets: They won’t beg for food every time you sit down for a meal.

Still, the urge to share your dinner with your pets is real, and it extends to reptiles as well. Before you break off a piece of whatever you’re eating and toss it in their tank, though, you should do research to make sure that it’s safe for your turtle to eat.

After all, while there are some human foods that are perfectly fine for turtles to consume, there are others that may kill your little buddy. Here, we look at the human foods that are safe for sharing, so you can finally tell your turtle to turn off their puppy-dog eyes.

Disclaimer: There are many different species of turtles in the world, and they can’t all eat the same things. While the foods on this list are generally safe for turtles, you should always research what’s safe for your particular species of turtle before sharing your supper.

8 Human Foods That You Can Share With Your Turtle:

1. Fresh Fruits and Veggies

If you have fresh fruit or vegetables in your fridge or pantry, chances are that your turtle will be just as happy to snack on them as you are. They especially like leafy green veggies, so kale, collard greens, and mustard greens are both healthy and delicious for them. They’ll also chow down on carrots, squash, green beans, and peas. As far as fruits go, you can give them bananas, apples, and pears, among other things.

A few words of warning, though: Always wash any produce before feeding it to your turtle, as there may be stray pesticides on it that could be harmful to them. Also, there are a few fruits and veggies that you shouldn’t share, including onions, garlic, shallots, spicy peppers, citrus, and iceberg lettuce.

2. Canned Fruits and Vegetables

You may not have had the chance to head down to the farmer’s market recently, so you’re completely out of fresh fruits and veggies. Don’t worry, your turtle will happily gulp down the canned stuff as well. The list of acceptable canned fruits and vegetables is almost the same as the list of fresh fruits and veggies, with a few exceptions.

You don’t want to give your turtle anything that’s been sitting in oil, and avoid foods with additional salt (ideally, you wouldn’t give them any salt at all). Also, don’t give them anything that’s been pickled.

3. Canned Fish

This one makes sense — turtles live in the water and fish live in the water, so it’s only a matter of time before one would eat the other. Canned whole fish can make a great treat for your turtle, so feel free to break out the can opener and share your sardines, anchovies, and other fishy delights.

As with canned fruits and veggies, though, don’t give your turtle anything that’s been swimming in salt and oil. You should rinse the fish off in cool water before throwing it in the tank, just to remove any traces of salt, pesticides, or other harmful debris.