If you have recently welcomed a cute little turtle to your home, you probably wonder what your turtle can eat and what not? Can turtles eat kale?

Yes, they can eat kale; it is a safe and healthy food to feed your turtle. Kale is rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. So, it would be good to feed kale to your turtle.

We know that kale is a wonderfully rich diet that provides so many benefits that we will mention in this article, but do your turtle-like to eat kale.

You should know that turtles are not picky eaters, and they tend to eat whatever you offer to them. However, adult turtles are more inclined to eat vegetables and fruits.

If we talk about juveniles, they are more inclined to eat animal-sourced protein. They might try to avoid veggies as much as they can.

Now that we know adult turtles tend to eat vegetables, why not should we feed them kale? Let us see some nutritional benefits kale will provide to your cute turtle.

Do turtles need to eat kale?

Can turtles eat kale? Turtles are mostly omnivores, and they nearly feed on a balanced diet to meet the nutritional requirements. Therefore, they need both veggies and animal origin foods, especially when they are young.

Their food must contain carbohydrates, fiber, and protein as major components. They get most of their proteins from animals. However, the fiber and carbohydrates come from veggies like kale.

Turtles need fiber, and kale is rich in fiber. Turtles need vitamins, not all but some. Kale is rich in vitamins K and A that can serve the purpose.

Both of these vitamins are necessary for the normal metabolism of the body. Vitamin A deficiency leads to blindness, rough skin, and a weak immune system.

However, vitamin K deficiency leads to weak bones and shells. Vitamin K is responsible for clotting blood after an injury, and it keeps the bones and shell of your turtles strong. If these vitamins are so much vital to your turtle, why shouldn’t you feed kale to the turtle?

Health benefits of feeding kale to turtle

Kale is a nutrient-rich diet that you can add to your turtle’s meal. It is rich in minerals, vitamins, and energy nutrients. It can provide several health benefits to your turtle.

You may consider it indispensable for your turtle’s health and wellbeing. It is low in sugar and has good calcium to phosphorous ratio. Let us see how specifically it can benefit our turtle and can turtles eat kale?

A great source of calcium

You may find it the best source of calcium and phosphorous. Calcium and phosphorous are discussed together whenever we talk about minerals. The reason is that both these minerals have an impact on each other.

If the ratio between these two minerals remains 2:1, they work efficiently. But if the ratio disturbs, the activity of both the minerals is compromised.

To your surprise, kale contains a 2.3:1 ratio of calcium and phosphorous, close to what we want to have in the diet.

Therefore, it is a good source of minerals. Being rich in calcium, kale provides good strength to your turtle’s bones and protective shell.

Good phosphorous concentration helps strengthen the bones along with calcium. It is a part of proteins and DNA.

If it is deficient in the body, it can lead to retarded growth, general body weakness, and weakness of bones. Kale, a diet rich in calcium and phosphorous, keeps the body healthy and strong.

Low sugar content

Overfeeding may lead to obesity, which leads to several other health problems. But if you are feeding kale to your turtle, you won’t need to worry about your turtle getting obese.

Kale is not rich in sugar contents, and therefore your turtle won’t suffer from obesity-related health problems – heart diseases and liver disease.

How much kale should you feed to your turtle?

You can feed a handful of kale and other food to your turtle. It is not advised to stick to kale only diet.

You should also ensure that you feed other foods to make complete balanced nutrition for your turtle.

How should you feed kale to your turtle?

First, you should pick fresh and green kale for your turtle and wash it thoroughly. You need to cut the stalk and chop the leaves before offering them to your turtle. Finely chopped leaves would be easier for your turtle to handle.

Should you feed kale to your turtle? Can turtles eat kale?

Can turtles eat kale? Yes, you should feed kale to your turtle. It would be a great addition to your turtle’s diet. Your turtle would get benefits like a strong body, strong bones, healthy skin, and a strong immune system.