Good & Bad Foods For Rats...Submitted by AMJ from Rat Forum

This was contributed by AMJ from 

What is good for your rats to eat

Essentially, if it is ok for you to eat, then it is generally ok for the rats to eat. To make a comprehensive list of everything a rat could eat would take forever. So here is a list of particularly healthy things for your rat:

Fruits
Apples
Apricots
Bananas - but not green bananas
Blueberries - All around good for rats (Just be careful they don't stain anything you don't want stained with juice) (Submitted by Mana)
Grapes - purple grapes are believed to help prevent cancer
Rasberries
Blackberries
Boysenberries
Peaches - without the pit
Cranberries (and cranberry juice)
Plums - excluding the stone
Pomegranates
Pears
Kiwi
Papaya

Vegetables
Broccoli
Carrots
Cucumbers
Peas - Especially frozen for those hot summer days (Submitted by Forensic)
Romaine lettuce - It is recommended to avoid iceberg lettuce as it has little nutritional value
Kale
Green beans - cooked
Corn (on the cob, frozen, or from a can)
Green, red, or yellow peppers (not spicy!)
Pumpkin - and the seeds (in moderation)
Cauliflower
Butternut Squash - cooked
cooked mushrooms - in moderation

Miscellaneous/Treats
Chicken bones - Make sure these aren't too greasy or fatty
Crickets - Apparently, rats will eat these? I've never done it, I don't need crickets running around in my room. Good for protein
Dog biscuits - ratnutrition.com recommends 'Grreat Choice Healthy Treats'
Hard-boiled eggs - I've heard these are good for pregnant rats who need the extra protein/fat. However, these should not become a regular part of the diet but rather just a treat for regular rats.
Popcorn - Unsalted and unbuttered
Yogurt drops - Rats love these. At least, mine do.
Yogurt - a small amount of probiotic yogurt is good for gut flora
Cheese - small amount in moderation, preferably soy based


What your rats should never eat
Fruit

Apple seeds - Apple seeds contain a small amount of cyanide which could be harmful to your rat. (Original post by Nightfallspy)
Green bananas - Inhibit starch digestion
Mango - Contains d-limonene which can cause kidney cancer in male rats (Thank you Darksong17!)
Oranges - The white part on the peelings and outer layer of a peeled orange is harmful to male rats. It seems to be ok for females, but I just stay away from citrus fruits in general.
Orange juice - Contains d-limonene which can cause kidney cancer in male rats

Vegetables
Raw brussel sprouts - Fine after cooking, though
Green potato skin and eyes - I will not eat them and I will not eat green potato skin and eyes 
Raw artichokes - Inhibit protein digestion
Raw onion - Can lead to anemia and an upset stomach
Raw red cabbage - Fine after cooking
Raw sweet potato - Once again, fine after cooking
Rhubarb - High levels of oxalates which bind up calcium

Miscellaneous
Blue cheese - Contains a toxic mold
Cuddle Bones (for Birds) - The general consensus was that these have far too much calcium to be healthy for your rat, steer clear. (Original post by sneakers8
Licorice - Contains a suspected neurotoxin
Poppyseeds - One member's rat got into these and then began to act very lethargic. The rat seemed better for a while, but unfortunately the situation deteriorated and the rat had to be put to sleep. (Original post by rainbowstar)
Rat poison - Believe it or not, this is just not good for rats
Raw bulk tofu - Packaged tofu is ok for eating
*Raw* dry beans or peanuts - Peanuts you buy in a store are almost always roasted so they are fine for rats. Beans will need to be cooked first before giving to rats. If you're growing your own peanuts then I would not serve those to your rats.
Raw hide - Difficult to digest (Original post by hydra)
Sweet feed (For horses) - There's just too much corn and molasses in this. (Original post by Krickette) 
Wild insects - Well I guess these are ok cooked?

It is also a good idea to consult the Poisonous Plants for Small Pets list.

What your rats should eat in moderation or with caution
All of the following should be given in moderation. Some can be very dangerous to your rat if given too much. Personally, I would recommend just not giving your rat any of these (With the exception of chocolate, which is fine in small amounts).

Avocados - Very fatty. Also, the pit, rind, skin, and leaves of the avocado are toxic. Avoid any part of the avocado that even touches those parts. Good for sick rats needing to gain weight though
Bread - Bread can expand in a rat's throat, causing them to choke. If giving your rat bread, toast it first or give them very small amounts at a time.
Carbonated drinks - Though I doubt your rat will explode, it could give them a stomach ache as they have a hard time getting rid of the carbonation.
Chocolate - Supposed to help with minor respiratory distress. Too much can be problematic. Avoid milk chocolate but rather go for dark or bittersweet chocolate as milk chocolate contains too much fat and some rats are lactose intolerant (Thanks Mana!)
Dried corn - Contains fungal contaminates which could lead to liver cancer (Fresh corn is ok)
Oranges - The white part on the peelings and outer layer of a peeled orange is harmful to male rats. It seems to be ok for females, but I just stay away from citrus fruits in general.
Peanut butter - Could cause your rat to choke

Things people have asked if it's ok for your rat to eat

The following is just a list of some of the strange items people have asked about and whether or not they are ok to eat.

Fine to eat
Canned oysters - Canned oysters should be fine and nutritious for your rats (As a treat), but I would recommend steering clear of any other form of oysters. (Original post by rightin2)
Celery - Fine, but not much nutritional value (Original post by kkdepp)
Mealworms - Perfectly fine for your rat and good source of protein. Fine alive or dead (Original post by Chthonicfox)
Meat - Chicken is always best, but they can eat any kind of cooked meat. Try to keep the fat down. (Original post by x.xgemax.x and Sky14)
Pineapple - Should be fine, in moderation of course. Have you ever eaten too much pineapple? Because I have and it hurts. (Original post by toxic_tears1990)
Popsicles - These are ok for rats, but watch out for high sugar content. A better idea is to freeze your own ice cubes or low-sugar concoctions to keep your rats cool. (Original post by camel24j)
Spaghetti - Seems to be ok cooked and uncooked. (Original post by renay)

Should never eat (Repeated in above section for rat's safety)
Apple seeds - Apple seeds contain a small amount of cyanide which could be harmful to your rat. (Original post by Nightfallspy)
Cuddle Bones (for Birds) - The general consensus was that these have far too much calcium to be healthy for your rat, steer clear. (Original post by sneakers8
Poppyseeds - One member's rat got into these and then began to act very lethargic. The rat seemed better for a while, but unfortunately the situation deteriorated and the rat had to be put to sleep. (Original post by rainbowstar)
Raw hide - Difficult to digest (Original post by hydra)
Sweet feed (For horses) - There's just too much corn and molasses in this. (Original post by Krickette) 

Undecided (Best to avoid for now)
Mint/Menthol/Candy Canes - It is currently unknown as to whether or not this may be harmful to your rat. Best to avoid for now. (Original post by zimmyzam)
Peppers - Though the non-spicy portion of the pepper is fine, you may want to avoid these as you'll never know if some of the spiciness got on the non-spicy portion, which could be very upsetting to a ratty. (Original post by glindella)

Staple Diet
MopyDream has made a fantastic post on the top three best hard foods for your rat, and so I will just quote it exactly here.
Quote from: "MopyDream44"
Name: Harlan Teklad
Pros: Harlan Teklad is the top brand that is specifically made for rats. It has the best overall nutrition for your rats.
Cons: It is not sold in most pet stores, and it has a shelf life of approx. 6 months if frozen.
Purchase Information: you can buy it directly from teklad.com with a min purchace of 100$. You can buy it in smaller portions at Kim's Ark, theratshop.com, ratzrealm.com, or craftyrat.com

Name: Nutro Natural Choice Lite
Pros: It contains similar nutritional values to H. Teklad, and it is easily found in chain pet stores.
Cons: it is made for dogs rather than rats. It must be fed with a grain mix, which is an additional expense but the ratties love it Wink
Purchase Information: it is found in pet stores such as Petco and Petsmart

Name: Mazuri
Pros: actually made for rodents
Cons: the protein % is a bit higher than the recommended %
Purchase Information: found at pet store chains. 


I used to say Harlan Teklad was the best choice for rats, but Darksong17 has turned me around and I now recommend Oxbow Regal Rat if your rats will eat it. Please read more about it in Appendix 1 below.

If you are unable to get Regal Rat then Harlan Teklad is definitely the best choice, but if you can't get that go for Innova Senior or Nutro Natural Choice Lite.