7 Best Foods for Lizards: By Diet Type & Species (2026)

Dubia roaches are the single best live feeder insect for insectivore and omnivore lizards. They deliver approximately 22% protein by dry weight, a far better fat-to-protein ratio than crickets, zero odor, and zero escape risk on smooth surfaces — making them dramatically easier to manage than crickets. Their thick, soft body is digestible at all life stages, from juvenile bearded dragons and leopard geckos to large monitors and tegus. Dubias retain gut-load nutrition longer than any other common feeder, so the nutritional effort you put into their food reliably reaches your lizard. They are the top choice for bearded dragons, leopard geckos, blue tongue skinks, ackie monitors, savannah monitors, and any other insectivore or omnivore species. Note: dubia roaches are illegal in Florida and Hawaii — use black soldier fly larvae as your primary feeder if you live in those states.

Pangea Fruit Mix Complete is the gold standard crested gecko diet (CGD) and the best food available for frugivore lizards like crested geckos and gargoyle geckos. Mixed with water to a smoothie consistency and served in shallow cups, it provides a complete balanced diet that can replace live feeders entirely — though offering insects 1–2 times per week is still recommended for enrichment and behavioral health. The formula contains real fruit ingredients (banana, papaya, fig), insect protein from black soldier fly larvae meal, and a balanced vitamin and mineral profile including vitamin D3 and calcium at the correct ratio. Pangea is trusted by professional crested gecko breeders worldwide and has produced multiple generations of healthy geckos on this diet alone. The Fruit Mix Complete formula is the most versatile in the Pangea range — suitable for crested geckos, gargoyle geckos, day geckos, and most other frugivore gecko species.

Repashy Superfoods makes the best omnivore gel diets on the market, and the range covers blue tongue skinks, tegus, omnivore monitors, day geckos, and other species that eat both animal and plant matter. Mixed with boiling water to form a firm, sliceable gel, Repashy products are convenient, shelf-stable before mixing, and nutritionally complete for the species they target. The Savory Slider formula is specifically designed for blue tongue skinks and similarly omnivorous lizards, delivering balanced macronutrients from animal and plant sources without the guesswork of assembling a varied fresh diet. It works best as part of a mixed diet — rotate with fresh vegetables, cooked lean proteins, and occasional live feeders rather than feeding Repashy exclusively long-term. For blue tongue skink owners in particular, this is the most reliable commercial option available.

Zoo Med Natural Bearded Dragon Food is the most accessible pellet-format food for omnivore lizards in the bearded dragon family, and it also works well for uromastyx as a supplemental veggie component. The formula combines plant-based ingredients — dried fruits, vegetables, and grasses — with moderate protein from dried insects. It is designed to complement, not replace, fresh greens and live feeders: use it as a 20–30% component of the overall diet to add nutritional variety and reduce prep time on days when fresh produce is limited. The pellets must be softened with a few drops of water before feeding to prevent impaction risk, particularly for juveniles. Zoo Med is widely available in pet stores, making this one of the most accessible commercial lizard foods for general use.

Mazuri Herbivorous Reptile Diet is the leading commercial food for strict herbivore lizards, including uromastyx, spiny-tailed monitors, green iguanas, and chuckwallas. Formulated by Purina's exotic animal nutrition team, it provides a high-fiber, low-protein, vitamin D3-fortified pellet that closely matches the nutritional profile of the arid grasses and vegetation these species eat in the wild. The high fiber content is critical for uromastyx and iguanas, whose digestive systems are designed for bulky plant matter and will suffer long-term from a low-fiber, high-protein diet. Mazuri is the food of choice at zoos, wildlife sanctuaries, and professional breeding facilities worldwide. It is best offered softened with water and rotated with fresh dark leafy greens such as collard greens, dandelion greens, and endive. For iguana and uromastyx keepers, this is the single most important commercial product to stock.

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), sold under brand names like Nutrigrubs, Calciworms, and Phoenix Worms, are the most nutritionally distinctive feeder insect available for lizards. Their standout property is a natural calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of approximately 1.5:1 — the reverse of every other common feeder insect — which means they deliver a net calcium benefit without any supplemental dusting. This makes them uniquely valuable for preventing metabolic bone disease (MBD), the most common nutritional disorder in captive lizards. At 17% protein and 9% fat, they are slightly lower in protein than dubia roaches but the calcium advantage makes them an indispensable rotation feeder for all insectivore and omnivore lizards. They are also extremely well accepted — their soft wriggling body triggers a strong feeding response in even picky feeders. Offer BSFL 2–3 times per week as part of a varied feeder rotation for maximum nutritional benefit.

Arcadia EarthPro-A is the highest-quality universal reptile supplement available and the best choice for dusting feeder insects or sprinkling on salads for any lizard species. Unlike older-generation vitamin powders that use preformed vitamin A (retinol) and excess D3 — both of which can accumulate to toxic levels — EarthPro-A uses beta carotene as a safe provitamin A source and is engineered to work alongside D3 synthesized naturally through UVB exposure. The formula includes a full trace mineral profile, amino acids modeled on prey animal composition, and no unnecessary fillers. It is the supplement of choice for serious reptile keepers, professional breeders, and reptile-specialist veterinarians across Europe and North America. Use it at every feeding for juveniles and every other feeding for adult lizards, always alongside a quality T5 UVB tube appropriate for your species. EarthPro-A is the foundation of any responsible supplement protocol regardless of whether your lizard is an insectivore, herbivore, omnivore, or frugivore.