7 months old and eating her first benefical table food!!!!!!!

[Robyn]

Riley's table food that she will actually eat up until tonight has been limited to Popcorn (air popped and plain), whole wheat bread and corn bread. Granted the whole wheat bread isn't bad but that being said tonight I really wanted some apple juice. So I decided to cut up apples to put in the juicer and was like hey I wonder if I dice this up into really small bits and mix it with her seeds if Riley would eat it. She did not eat it as enthusiastically as my first tiel did but she ate a little bit of it so I am happy. Yes I know apples aren't the best but this is a big step since other than the above mentioned foods Riley won't eat table food.

[plax]

Plain air-popped popcorn is actually very nutritious food. The skins are packed full of antioxidants. You can probably give her as much of it as she wants. Just keep it air-popped and plain. Popcorn is Salsa's favorite thing ever!


The University of Scranton reported a study in 2012 that found the antioxidant concentration of popcorn to be much higher than anticipated. In fact, the study found the concentration of polyphenols in popcorn surpassed that of most fruit. This nutrient was found within the hull and so popcorn without the hull may not contain this healthy antioxidant. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, polyphenols possess numerous health benefits, including the prevention of degenerative diseases such osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes.

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[Lady]

Go Riley, one step at a time. I didn't realize air popped corn was so good, looks like I might just have to go and price one. Hubby likes popcorn too so it's a win win.

[Mare]

My birds love popcorn, too (not Amigo) but I didn't know apples were on the "not so good list"..?

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Hi all, I just mentioned to Margaret that popcorn is good for parrots and she asked "Is that the sort you put in the microwave?"

[plax]

My birds love popcorn, too (not Amigo) but I didn't know apples were on the "not so good list"..?There's nothing wrong with apples -that I'm aware of- other than that the non-organic ones are purported to be loaded with pesticide residues. I read somewhere that apples hold one of the highest positions on the pesticides levels list for fruit... I'll have to check to confirm the validity of that claim, though. The only other thing is that, like most fruits, apples contain natural sugars... but they as well offset the negatives of those sugars with their natural fiber content.

[plax]

Hi all, I just mentioned to Margaret that popcorn is good for parrots and she asked "Is that the sort you put in the microwave?"No. Stay away from that stuff! It typically contains salt and unhealthy oils. Get a hot air popcorn popper and use that instead. Air poppers require zero oil so all you get is the nutritious popped popcorn.

[94lt1]

Yup.. Air pop for the win.. And its good for people too... At our house.. Its Starburst approved lol

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Ah, another single purpose gadget that gets used a couple of times and then gets put in the cupboard with the ice-cream maker and the bread maker, etc. Can I make one out of a hot air paint stripping gun (also found in the 'never used' cupboard) and a tupperware box or something? :th_smile:

[plax]

Ah, another single purpose gadget that gets used a couple of times and then gets put in the cupboard with the ice-cream maker and the bread maker, etc.A couple of times? I use mine quite frequently. Maybe you should do the same thing... unlike many common foods, popcorn is extremely nutritious!


Can I make one out of a hot air paint stripping gun (also found in the 'never used' cupboard) and a tupperware box or something? :th_smile:If you're somewhat good at electromechanical device engineering, perhaps you can. The trick would be configuring it to blow enough hot air up through the kernels to keep them moving enough not to become scorched, but not so much that the air flow blows them out all over the room. Then you would need to craft some type of channeling effect to funnel the popped kernels into a container or bowl as they progressively reach a certain level in the popping chamber. Not a complicated thing...but the dimensions of the parts and the intensity and temperature of the hot air would be key factors.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Hmm, seems like I am going to have to buy one to find the best parameters for making one (being a bit lazy in the R&D direction). :th_smile:

[Lady]

No YOU CAN make your own in a brown paper bag. No oil needed either. Here is a U tube video to show you just in case.

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[plax]

That's interesting, Alice. I just searched on that topic and it seems quite a few folks make brown bag popcorn. Here's a link to a discussion stemming from concern about using staples: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

I should emphasize that the issue of using staples is not whether your microwave oven may "blow up"... it won't. The concern is that because metal being bombarded with intense RF energy is prone to produce sparks, the scenario may result in a fire. Conceivably, even one staple could spark and ignite the paper bag and certainly any oils that may be present inside of the bag. While a fire such as this isn't likely to occur, it's still possible.

[Lady]

I agree, I just fold the bag twice and sometimes just a little corn escapes.

[Robyn]

It's not that apples are bad it's just that they are mostly sugar and tiel are mostly veggie eaters so I was hoping that her first really good food would be a veggie. But I did get her to try carrots yesterday but idk if she actually ate any.

[Macaw Lover]

Why not just buy a microwave popcorn popper? Fast, safe and easy, no oils or salt and definitely no chemicals in those popcorn bags.

Two things I leaned when I took lessons on how to cook meals using the microwave was that you can use aluminum in a microwave BUT you must have more food vs the foil and that foil cannot touch itself as that is what will cause the arcing and if long enough, will damage the unit.

I once cooked a turkey in the microwave and that would be an example of using aluminum, to cover the legs to prevent them from overcooking while the rest of the bird still needs more cooking time.

[plax]

Why not just buy a microwave popcorn popper? Fast, safe and easy, no oils or salt and definitely no chemicals in those popcorn bags.I don't have one of those but they seem like a good idea. Most of them appear not to require the use of bags. Here's one: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] <- something like that or an air popper should be extremely safe and useful.


Two things I leaned when I took lessons on how to cook meals using the microwave was that you can use aluminum in a microwave BUT you must have more food vs the foil and that foil cannot touch itself as that is what will cause the arcing and if long enough, will damage the unit.

I once cooked a turkey in the microwave and that would be an example of using aluminum, to cover the legs to prevent them from overcooking while the rest of the bird still needs more cooking time.I still wouldn't recommend using aluminum foil in a microwave oven. There's too much potential for arcing along the edges. Kitchen fires are no fun and can be very dangerous. Have a look at this article: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]