Best Crested Gecko Food 2026: MRP, Insects & Fruit Diet Guide

Crested geckos are among the easier reptiles to feed because complete powdered diets — usually called MRPs (meal replacement powders) — are widely available. This guide explains how those diets fit with feeder insects, fruit and calcium, and compares the widely sold brands on what their makers state.

How this guide was put together: we compared manufacturer specifications, labels, published guidance and reported owner experience. We have not tested these products ourselves, and nothing here is veterinary advice. For any sign of illness, see a vet experienced with reptiles.

What crested geckos eat

In the wild, crested geckos eat fruit, nectar and insects. In captivity, a complete powdered diet mixed with water is the usual staple, with live insects as an addition.

Complete powdered diets

Read each label for the manufacturer's feeding directions and whether it is sold as a complete diet.

Preparing and serving

Mix to the consistency the label describes, serve in a shallow dish at an elevated spot in the evening, and remove uneaten food within about a day, before it spoils. Follow the brand's guidance on frequency by age.

Feeder insects

Live insects give enrichment and extra protein. Common choices are dubia roaches, black soldier fly larvae and appropriately sized crickets.

Fruit

Complete diets already contain fruit. Plain mashed fruit, if offered, is an occasional treat. Avoid avocado, which is widely listed as toxic to many animals.

Calcium and metabolic bone disease

Metabolic bone disease results from inadequate calcium, vitamin D3 or, in species that need it, UVB, and is a well-documented problem in captive reptiles. A complete powdered diet fed as directed supplies calcium; insects need dusting. Signs such as a soft or rubbery jaw, kinked tail, trouble climbing or tremors need a reptile vet promptly — do not try to fix them at home by adding supplements.

Common mistakes

The bottom line

A complete powdered diet fed as its label directs, with dusted, gut-loaded insects for enrichment, covers a crested gecko's nutrition. Anything that looks like bone disease is a vet visit.

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