Coriander?

[Nicola_]

So it turns out my boys are very fussy eaters and I've been really struggling to find veggies that they like which are also safe to feed regularly with a good amount of vitamin C. So when I discovered they loved coriander I thought great, it's on the safe to eat list and as I hadn't seen any warnings about it anywhere I've been feeding it to them quite generously! However, I've just read that they should only have a sprig each every day, now I'm really worried I've caused them harm by feeding them too much of it?

The main part of their diet is made up of mixed salad leaves (no iceberg) with additional carrot, broccoli and babycorn but not everyday as I've heard these should all be fed in moderation. There's not an awful lot else they'll eat and I'm really worried they're not getting enough goodness out their veg. They do eat the Burgess excel nuggets so I'm hoping that makes up for it?

They also eat plenty of hay

(They don't drink much water but there's enough wee around the place, I'm presuming they're getting enough from all the salad?)

Thanks for any advice offered, I'm in such a quandary here!

 

[theoretikos]

Hi, mine are in a similar situation. I have been giving them the husk of sweetcorn recently to try and add different foods, they like it. The nuggets do have the vitamin c so I feel what you are feeding will be fine. Have you tried them with bell pepper?

 

[AbiS]

I have 2 very fussy little men as well. I have also heard that they should only be given 1 sprig a day. I would just cut down on the amount you give them. Am sure they wont have come to any harm.

There is loads of stuff that they wont eat so every day they get coriander, cucumber, pepper and celery then on one day they get parsley, broccoli and melon and the next day they have babycorn, basil and a little bit of apple.

 

[jenniferanneharris]

Mine can be quite fussy, 1 piggie like some things, the other doesn't and likes something else. Mine are also huge coriander fanatics.

 

[Rodentopia]

They go through phases with food I have found. Firstly you won't have harmed them, just give the coriander a break a couple of days a week. Mine love coriander, dill, mint, basil, parsley, coriander is the only herb safe to use daily but if feeding in a larger amount on one day just give it a break the next day, mine only get it twice a week if that as mix it up with other herbs.

Mine have a staple in the veg bowl each day consisting of cucumber, celery, peppers and dark greens like spring greens. Then I add other stuff to it and alternate what I add so broccoli, kale, cauliflower leaves, sweetcorn, pea pods, mangetout, beetroot, carrot, squash, courgette, sweet potato, mixed salad leaves, spinach, herbs, dandelions, apple, pear, orange, tomato, banana. Obviously the acidic foods I feed less only once a week but the other stuff I alternate over the week.

If you are worried about vitamin c intake you can give them vit c supplement but if feeding good quality pellets and varied diet I wouldn't overly worry.

 

[Wiebke]

I would either feed 1-2 sprigs daily for the long term or a bit bigger portion every few days. Coriander/(US) cilantro is the mildest (i.e. least high in calcium and minerals) herb, all the others should not be fed daily and preferably only in small quantities. Feeding vitamin C rich veg (apart from peppers) is not quite easy, as most herbs and veg also tend to have quite some calcium or are fruit and therefore high in cheilitis causing acids.

If yours are eating vitamin C rich broccoli, I would feed some coriander on those days they don't have it. Have you considered feeding small quantities of sweetheart/pointed cabbage every few days in rotation? Cabbage is also a decent source of vitamin C; sweetheart cabbage is not quite as gassy as some other varieties. Spring greens and savoy cabbage are somewhat higher in calcium; kale and any Asian cabbages are very high in calcium and therefore should be fed only occasionally.

 

[Nicola_]

Thanks everyone. I might give the coriander a break for a few days then and go back to it in smaller quantities thereafter. Unfortunately they won't touch peppers (so inconvenient of them! ) they also won't touch courgette either. Sam eats the odd fine bean and one of them/ or both (have never actually caught them in the act!) will eat mangetout and pea pod shells.

I think I'll just need to stop worrying so much about it all - they eat plenty of Burgess Excel pellets so hopefully that'll make up for anything they don't get in their veg, there's not too much I can do if they're going to be fussy