You want to feed squirrels without causing them harm. Stick to nuts, seeds, fruits, and veggies—skip the junk food, chocolate, and raw peanuts.
Offer a mix of plain nuts, fresh fruit, and small amounts of vegetables for a balanced, safe squirrel snack.
Let’s get into what actually helps squirrels stay healthy. I’ll walk you through which treats to limit and how to switch things up as the seasons change.
You’ll also pick up some practical tips for protecting your bird feeders, keeping squirrels safe from moldy or salty foods, and spotting foods that might cause problems.
What Should Squirrels Eat for a Healthy Diet?
Offer high-energy nuts and protein-rich seeds often. Fresh fruits and veggies add vitamins, so toss those in too.
Include hard-shelled nuts for chewing. Small amounts of soft produce give hydration and some fiber.
Best Nuts and Seeds for Squirrels
Feed in-shell nuts whenever possible. Acorns, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and chestnuts pack in calories and help keep teeth in check.
Almonds and beechnuts are fine in moderation, but they’re pretty oily. Skip salted or flavored nuts.
Sunflower and pumpkin seeds make decent treats. Black oil sunflower and pumpkin seeds are easy for squirrels to eat, but they’re fatty and high in protein, so keep servings small.
Every now and then, you can offer pine nuts or Brazil nuts—they’re calorie-dense, so don’t overdo it.
Go for whole nuts instead of nut butters or processed mixes. Raw, unshelled nuts mimic what squirrels naturally find and encourage them to forage.
Scatter the food in a few spots so squirrels have to move around. Let them hide some, too—that’s just what squirrels do.
Safe Fruits and Vegetables Squirrels Love
Squirrels love fruit like apples, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, cherries, peaches, plums, figs, and melon pieces. Always remove pits from cherries, peaches, and plums—they can choke or cause other issues.
For veggies, try carrots, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, peas, beans, broccoli, and leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, or kale. Tomato pieces work, too.
Cook sweet potatoes and plain beans before offering; raw beans can upset their stomachs.
Keep fruit and veggie portions small to prevent diarrhea. Cut everything into bite-sized pieces.
Mix up the options so squirrels get variety, but don’t go overboard with sugary fruit.
Natural Foods Squirrels Forage in the Wild
Wild squirrels eat nuts, seeds, buds, and young shoots. They find acorns and hickory-like nuts under oaks and other trees.
In some areas, they gather pine nuts from cones. Tree flowers and buds give them nutrients, especially in spring.
Sometimes, squirrels eat insects, bird eggs, and fungi. They stash away nuts and seeds for winter.
Foraging keeps their diet balanced and keeps them busy.
If you want to attract squirrels, offer foods similar to what they’d find in the wild: in-shell nuts, mixed seeds, and seasonal fruit. Don’t rely on bread, chips, or processed snacks—they’re just not good for them.
Feeding Squirrels: Practical Tips and Seasonal Advice
Feed squirrels safely by sticking to unsalted nuts, fresh fruits, and a few veggies. Avoid processed or salty foods.
Put food where squirrels can reach it, but try to keep raccoons and rodents away.
How to Feed Squirrels in Your Backyard
Set up a squirrel feeder or use a low platform near a tree so squirrels feel safe. Offer unsalted, raw nuts like walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts.
You can add sunflower or pumpkin seeds in small amounts.
Keep food in one spot to make cleanup easier and to see how much they’re eating. Refill in the morning for freshness, and take away leftovers at the end of the day to avoid mold and pests.
Skip peanut butter on its own—it’s sticky and can cause choking or overeating.
If you want to attract only squirrels, try a hanging feeder or one on a pole. This keeps raccoons and rats at bay.
What Squirrels Eat in Winter
During winter, squirrels rely on their stashed nuts, tree buds, and any seeds they find. You can help them by offering high-fat foods like unsalted nuts and dry corn.
These foods give them energy for the cold and help build up fat reserves.
Feed them consistently but not too much—let them keep foraging and acting naturally.
Bread and processed snacks don’t offer much nutrition and can mess with their digestion if they eat too much of it.
If the ground’s covered in snow, scatter food near tree bases or under some light cover. That way, squirrels can grab it without straying too far from shelter.
Special Diets for Baby Squirrels and Different Species
Baby squirrels need special care. Orphaned babies should get a species-specific milk replacer and see a vet—never give cow’s milk.
Once they’re old enough for solids, offer chopped soft fruit, tiny bits of nuts, and slices of plain cooked sweet potato.
Different squirrel species eat a bit differently. Tree squirrels love nuts, seeds, buds, and sometimes insects like caterpillars or beetles.
Ground squirrels go for more grasses and roots. If you know your local species, you can match the foods better.
Don’t force foods. Watch what a young or unfamiliar squirrel will eat, and adjust to softer, smaller pieces if needed.
Foods Squirrels Should Avoid
Don’t give squirrels salted, roasted, or flavored nuts. Honestly, chips, cookies, and pastries are loaded with sugar and preservatives, so those are out too.
Bread pops up a lot, but it doesn’t offer much nutrition for them. If you give them too much, you’ll probably see weight gain or digestion issues.
Apple seeds, fruit pits, and cherry stones? Best to avoid those. They can actually be harmful.
Skip raw meat, and don’t put out big chunks of cooked meat either. Squirrels might snack on bugs or tiny bits of animal protein in the wild, but meat can draw in predators or pests you definitely don’t want around.
If food or nuts look moldy or have been sitting outside for days, just toss them. Mold can make squirrels seriously ill.
