What is an endive?
Endive is a member of the chicory family, which includes radicchio, escarole, frisee and curly endive. It has a crisp texture and a sweet, nutty flavor with a pleasantly mild bitterness — great served raw or cooked. (source endive.com)
For this post we’re going to look at Curly endive, or frisée (var crispum). This type has narrow, green, curly outer leaves. It is sometimes called chicory in the United States and is called chicorée frisée in French.
It does have a name sake which is the Belgium endive which is a totally different plant altogether, which we have reviewed here.
image flickr
So can guinea pigs eat endive and if so, how much can they eat?
For the sake of good guinea pig care, let’s look at its nutritional data and find out a bit more about it.
Endive, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 71 kJ (17 kcal)
Carbohydrates 3.35 g
– Dietary fiber 3.1 g
Fat 0.2 g
Protein 1.25 g
Vitamin A equiv. 108 μg (14%)
– beta-carotene 1300 μg (12%)
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.08 mg (7%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.075 mg (6%)
Niacin (vit. B3) 0.4 mg (3%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.9 mg (18%)
Folate (vit. B9) 142 μg (36%)
Vitamin C 6.5 mg (8%)
Vitamin E 0.44 mg (3%)
Vitamin K 231 μg (220%)
Calcium 52 mg (5%)
Iron 0.83 mg (6%)
Magnesium 15 mg (4%)
Manganese 0.42 mg (20%)
Phosphorus 28 mg (4%)
Potassium 314 mg (7%)
Zinc 0.79 mg (8%)
Link to USDA Database entry
Percentages are roughly approximated
using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database
It’s looking pretty good as far as piggies are concerned. It is low in phosphorus, calcium and sugar.
Endive is also rich in many vitamins and minerals, especially in folate and vitamins A and K, and is high in fiber. It doesn’t have a great deal of vitamin c, but that doesn’t matter so much.
It is still good for piggies and can be fed to them almost on a daily basis. In fact, every other day is a perfect time frame.
Can guinea pigs eat curly endive?
Yes curly endive is great for guinea pigs to eat and can be fed to them very regularly.
Can guinea pigs eat endive lettuce?
Endive lettuce is another name for curly endive, yes they can eat it. It is often called baby endive.
For more foods that you can and can’t feed to guinea pigs, check out our guinea pig foods section.