Can Turtles Eat Cheerios? Yes, But After You Read This!

Cheerios may be a healthy diet option for you. But you shouldn’t share it with your turtle without knowing whether it is beneficial or harmful to the turtle.

So, can turtles eat Cheerios? Turtles can eat Cheerios, but you shouldn’t give it to them. Cheerios don’t have the necessary protein content for turtles. It is also high in carbohydrates, which turtles can’t digest. And eating too much Cheerios can prevent them from eating healthier foods.

Before you offer Cheerios to your turtle, learn about its nutritional value and feeding risks. You will also find the healthier alternatives to Cheerios for turtles at the end. Let’s begin.

Can Turtles Eat Cheerios? If Not, Then Why?

Turtles eat a lot of things in the wild as they are mostly omnivorous during the early years of their lives. During this period, they eat animals and plants for protein, vitamins, and minerals. As they grow, they depend more on plant-based food.

Even though Cheerios are plant-based foods, they aren’t suitable for turtles. The most important factor here is the lack of necessary protein. Turtles need about 40% of protein in their diet for healthy growth. They also need a lot of vitamins and minerals for their bone and shell growth.

But Cheerios doesn’t have the necessary amount of protein for turtles. So, eating this doesn’t provide any nutritional benefits to turtles. On top of that, Cheerios contain a high percentage of carbohydrates. The gluten found in Cheerios isn’t suitable for turtles.

They don’t have the right enzyme to digest such elements. So, turtles can’t absorb the nutrients in Cheerios. Similarly, turtles can’t digest dairy items. So, turtles shouldn’t eat cheese either.

In fact, Cheerios do more harm than good to turtles. This is why you should avoid giving Cheerios to your turtles. Some other risks are also associated with feeding Cheerios that I will cover in a minute. Before that, you should check the nutritional value of Cheerios.

Nutritional Chart of Cheerios

I have the nutritional chart of Cheerios from the US Department of Agriculture. Take a look at it to understand how good or bad it can be for turtles.

Name	Amount (per 100 g)
Water	3.76 g
Energy	372 kcal
Protein	12.4 g
Total fat	6.6 g
Carbohydrates	73.2 g
Total dietary fiber	10.1 g
Total sugars	4.5 g
Calcium	357 mg
Iron	28.9 mg
Magnesium	114 mg
Phosphorus	357 mg
Potassium	633 mg
Sodium	497 mg
Vitamin C	21.4 mg
Niacin	17.9 mg

The protein content in Cheerios is just over 12%, which is too low for turtles. They need a high-protein diet when they are hatchlings. It is required for them to grow faster. But Cheerios doesn’t have that kind of protein. So, it isn’t good food for turtles.

Besides, the carbohydrate content is too high in Cheerios. The digestive system of turtles isn’t adapted to break Cheerios down. The same thing applies to bread. Turtles shouldn’t eat bread because it has a high amount of carbohydrates.

What Happens If Turtles Eat Cheerios?

If turtles eat Cheerios for a long time, they can face the following problems.

Their Growth Rate Will Drop

Young turtles need plenty of protein for optimal growth. They get that protein mostly from animal-based foods, such as meat, insects, worms, small fishes, fish eggs, etc.

If you feed Cheerios continuously, they will not get the necessary protein. So, their growth will be hampered. However, adult turtles may eat some Cheerios as they don’t depend much on protein.

It Causes Nutrition Deficiency

Turtles eat a wide range of foods in the wild, which is crucial to maintaining a healthy life. When their food is limited to specific items, especially something that isn’t nutrient-rich, turtles face nutrition deficiency. It weakens their immune systems.

Lack of Protein Causes Irregular Shells

As you might already know, turtle shells have a keratinous structure. This protein is necessary for improving their shell growth. If they are deprived of enough protein for a long time, it will affect the size and shape of their shells.

Are There Any Benefits of Feeding Cheerios to Turtles?

Yes, but the list is too small. Have a look

Feeding Cheerios to turtles occasionally can bring some change to their palettes. It may be a good thing once in a while.
Cheerios may not make the turtle tank as messy as other human foods.

Do Turtles Like Cheerios?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t take the opinion of all turtles. But some turtles seem to just love Cheerios. Whenever you give Cheerios to them, they seem interested in the food and quickly approach to grab some Cheerios.

But you should be careful about giving Cheerios to them. As turtles like Cheerios, they can easily eat too much Cheerios. It will harm them in the long term.

How Many Cheerios Can Turtles Eat?

It depends on the species, size, and age of the turtle. If you have a carnivorous turtle, it should stick to a meat-based diet. But if you have an omnivorous turtle, it can have a small amount of Cheerios.

Adult turtles can eat about one or two teaspoons of Cheerios per week. Remember, you shouldn’t give the whole amount at once. Instead, break it down across days so that turtles eat other healthy foods.

Healthier Cheerios Alternatives for Turtles

An ideal turtle diet should contain protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins. These nutrients are available in a wide range of animal-based and plant-based foods. Here are some lists of healthy food items that you can give your turtles instead of Cheerios.

Live or Dried Animals

The following items are rich in protein, minerals, and vitamins. So, you should give them to your turtles.

Insects like grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, etc.
Worms like earthworms, mealworms, waxworms, etc.
Snails and slugs
Feeder fishes like killifish, guppies, bluegills, crappies, etc.

Fruits and Vegetables

Turtles can eat a wide range of leafy greens, vegetables, and fruits. Feel free to give these items to your turtle.

Leafy greens like collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, etc.
Cucumber
Carrots
Broccoli
Bell peppers
Apples
Melons
Grapes
Strawberries

Before giving other fruits and vegetables, you should confirm that those items are safe for your little pet. Check this video of a turtle eating fruits and vegetables:

Readymade Pellets

Besides eating natural foods, commercial pellet foods are also suitable for turtles. Pellet foods are made with the right combination of the necessary nutrients for turtles. So, it is beneficial for the turtle’s health. You should provide at least 20% of pellet foods with their regular diet.

Conclusion

Processed foods like Cheerios lack the necessary nutrients for turtles. As it doesn’t seem downright dangerous, many turtle owners tend to give Cheerios to their turtles. But can turtles eat Cheerios?

Though turtles can eat Cheerios in small amounts, it isn’t a healthy option for turtles. Cheerios don’t have the protein turtles need. And turtles don’t have the enzyme for digesting carbohydrates. So, they will face trouble digesting Cheerios.

Long-term feeding of Cheerios will incur other problems, like poor bone growth, irregular shell structure, etc. You can only allow a very tiny amount of Cheerios besides healthy foods like insects, cooked meat, fruits, and vegetables.