Romaine lettuce
Daily
A perfect everyday green: hydrating, low in calcium, and pigs love it.
Type any food to find out if it is safe every day, an occasional treat, or one to skip, with how often and why. A quick, honest reference for 117 common foods.
A perfect everyday green: hydrating, low in calcium, and pigs love it.
Soft, mild and safe as a daily leafy base.
Great daily green with a little more colour and vitamins.
Tender and well loved; fine as an everyday green.
A soft, nutritious salad green pigs enjoy.
Low-calcium and vitamin-rich, a top everyday green.
Close cousin of endive and just as good day to day.
Fine in the mix; slightly bitter so offer alongside milder greens.
Very nutritious if unsprayed and away from roadsides; higher in calcium.
Peppery and vitamin-rich but higher in calcium, so a few times a week.
A good vitamin-C green; rotate it in rather than daily.
Nutritious but high in oxalates and calcium, which can feed bladder stones.
Vitamin-packed but calcium-rich, so a small leaf a couple of times a week.
High in oxalic acid; offer only now and then in tiny amounts.
Great vitamins but high calcium; small servings, not daily.
Nutritious and peppery; higher calcium so limit.
Vitamin-rich; higher calcium means a few times a week.
High in oxalates like the beetroot itself; only occasionally.
A good crunchy green in moderation.
Can cause gas and bloating; a small piece now and then only.
Same gas caution as green cabbage; keep portions tiny.
Excellent daily vitamin-C source and low in sugar.
Even higher in vitamin C than green; a daily favourite.
Sweet, high in vitamin C, and a safe everyday veg.
Great vitamin-C hit; remove seeds and the stem.
Very hydrating and mild; watery, so it is not a big nutrient source.
Mild and easy to digest, raw and unpeeled.
High in sugar for its size; a few coin-sized pieces a week, not daily.
The leafy tops are a healthy green and lower in sugar than the root.
Fine in small amounts, but never the leaves, stem or vine, which are toxic.
Good if cut into small pieces so the stringy fibres cannot cause a choke.
A nice crunchy veg raw and in moderation.
Sweet and crunchy; a small pod at a time.
Fine in small amounts including the pod.
Higher in starch and sugar; just a few peas now and then.
Vitamin-rich but gassy; a small floret a couple of times a week.
The leaves are gentler than the florets and a good green.
Causes gas; leaves are safer than the florets, and only occasionally.
Very gassy; half a sprout at most, rarely.
Fine raw in small amounts; can make urine smell.
A little raw flesh is fine; skip large starchy servings.
Small raw pieces are okay; it is fairly starchy and sweet.
Starchy and sugary; a thin raw slice on rare occasions only.
High in oxalates and sugar; only a small piece now and then.
Quite spicy and gassy; the tops are safer than the root.
The leaves are a nice green in moderation.
Starchy; a small piece occasionally, greens are better.
Both the bulb and leaves are fine in small amounts.
Aromatic and well tolerated; bulb and fronds both fine.
Starchy and sugary; a few kernels rarely. The husk and silk are a healthier treat.
The leafy husk and silky threads are a safe, fibre-rich chew.
Hand-picked, unsprayed grass is great; introduce slowly. Never lawnmower clippings.
A popular training treat; a few flakes at a time.
A firm favourite, safe daily and nicely vitamin-rich.
High in vitamin C but also calcium; a small handful a few times a week.
Aromatic and well liked in small amounts.
Fine as an occasional fragrant green.
A little is fine and refreshing; some pigs love it.
Strongly aromatic; offer just a sprig.
Very strong; only a tiny bit now and then.
Potent herb; a small leaf occasionally.
Strong and resinous; just a little on occasion.
The plant and flower are safe and calming in small amounts.
A sweet treat; remove all seeds (they contain trace cyanide) and keep pieces small.
Sweet and juicy; small pieces, seeds removed.
High in vitamin C and a big favourite; still sugary, so keep it small.
Antioxidant-rich; one or two berries at a time.
A sweet treat with good vitamin C; small amounts.
Fine occasionally; can stain that lovely coat.
Very starchy and sugary; a thin slice on rare occasions.
Sugary; use seedless, cut in half, and only a couple at a time.
Great vitamin C but acidic; a small segment, no peel.
Like orange: good vitamin C, small acidic segments only.
Loaded with vitamin C; a small slice is a nice treat.
Sweet and watery; a small piece including a little rind, occasionally.
Mostly sugar and water; a small piece of flesh now and then.
Very sugary; a small thin slice on rare occasions.
Acidic and sugary; a tiny fresh piece, never tinned.
Sweet; small piece with the stone removed.
Like peach: small piece, no stone.
Sugary; a small piece without the stone.
Small piece, stone removed; quite sweet.
One pitted cherry occasionally; never the pit or stem.
Sweet tropical treat in tiny amounts.
Tart and safe in small amounts; fresh, not dried or sweetened.
Very sugary; a tiny piece on rare occasions.
A few seeds occasionally; messy and sugary.
Sugar is hugely concentrated when dried, and store 'yoghurt drop' treats are worse.
Almost no nutrition, mostly water, and can cause diarrhoea. Use leafy lettuces instead.
Raw potato and anything green or sprouted contains toxic solanine.
Same solanine risk as the potato, especially green peel.
The green parts of the tomato plant are toxic, even though the ripe fruit is fine.
Damages red blood cells and irritates the gut. Never in any form.
Toxic to guinea pigs like all the onion family.
Onion-family plant; toxic and off the menu.
Onion relative; harmful even in small amounts.
Another onion-family vegetable to avoid completely.
High in oxalic acid; toxic to guinea pigs, leaves especially.
Too fatty and contains persin, which is toxic to guinea pigs.
Contains theobromine and caffeine, both toxic; plus far too much sugar and fat.
Little value and a real risk; best avoided entirely.
Too fatty and a choking hazard for a small herbivore.
Fatty and a choking risk; skip muesli mixes with seeds too.
Sticky, fatty and a choking hazard; nothing here they can use.
Starchy, processed and can swell in the gut. No nutritional value for a pig.
Salt, fat and refined starch; nothing suitable for a guinea pig.
Starchy human food their gut is not built for.
Sugary and processed; not a guinea pig food.
Guinea pigs cannot digest dairy; it upsets their gut.
Guinea pigs are strict herbivores; they cannot eat meat.
An animal protein their digestive system cannot handle.
Cause serious gas and can be toxic; avoid all cooked or dried beans.
Stimulants that are dangerous to such a small animal.
Pure sugar; nothing a guinea pig should ever have.
They ferment fast and can cause deadly bloat. Only ever hand-pick fresh grass.
Many common houseplants are toxic; keep all of them out of reach.
If it is a human snack, treat or sweet, it does not belong in the cage.
No match for that one. Try another spelling, or read the full diet guide. When in doubt, leave it out and ask an exotic vet.
Can guinea pigs eat every day? Yes, they graze constantly. Hay should always be available, with a cup of fresh veg split across the day.
What vegetables can guinea pigs eat daily? Romaine and other leaf lettuces, bell pepper, cucumber and cilantro are all safe every day.
What fruit is safe? Small amounts of strawberry, apple, blueberry or a slice of kiwi make good treats a couple of times a week. Fruit is sugary, so keep it small.
What should guinea pigs never eat? Iceberg lettuce, potato, onion and garlic, rhubarb, avocado, chocolate, dairy, meat, bread, nuts, seeds and anything sugary or processed.
What about garden plants and weeds? Foraging is great enrichment, but some plants are toxic. See our toxic plants guide before you pick anything.