Monkey Diet

Monkeys are clever, voracious eaters with diets that vary widely. From tasty tropical fruits to crunchy bugs, these monkeys exploit nature’s buffet to get the nutrients they need to thrive. Some species are frugivorous, others eat both leaves and fruit, and some are even insectivorous. Monkeys that live close to a city are often scavengers that raid gardens and restaurants for human food scraps.

In the wild, monkeys are able to identify and avoid poisonous plants by their smell or taste and by examining the color of the leaf. They also use tools to open coconuts and extract insects from tree bark. Some monkeys, such as the white-faced monkeys of Indonesia, are able to hunt small mammals and birds for meat. The rest of the time, they hunt insects that supplement their plant-based diets, like termites and grasshoppers. These insects are rich in protein, vitamins C and D, and other essential nutrients.

A monkey’s omnivorous diet is largely tilted toward plant matter, with meat and animal products supplying only about 6% of their calories. In New World monkeys, this includes foods like berries and bananas. Old World monkeys are more carnivorous, and their diet includes the flesh of animals such as birds, squirrels, lizards, and rodents.

For a healthy, balanced Monkey diet, 1/3 of the plate should have protein (lean, trimmed meats; fish; tofu; and low fat cheese are some good choices), and 2/3 should have complex carbohydrates such as a whole wheat pizza with lots of vegetables or rice pilaf. High fat, animal-based proteins should be avoided as they do not provide the necessary nutrients for a Monkey.