what do squirrels like to eat

Squirrels love a mix of high-energy natural foods: mostly nuts, seeds, fruits, buds, and some fungi.

Quick Scoop: What do squirrels like to eat?

• Nuts (top favorite): acorns, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, beech nuts, pine nuts, macadamias.

• Seeds and grains: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, various garden seeds, and grains in cereals.

• Fruits: apples, berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries), grapes, cherries, melon, bananas.

• Vegetables: corn, peas, carrots, broccoli, squash, beans, leafy greens, roots and bulbs.

• Tree parts: buds, flowers, bark, twigs, and roots when other food is scarce.

• Fungi: various mushrooms and other fungi in woodlands.

• Occasional animal protein: insects, caterpillars, larvae, and sometimes bird eggs in tough seasons.

They also raid bird feeders, happily eat many breakfast cereals, and stash nuts and seeds for later, which is why you often see them burying food around gardens and parks.

Little backyard story

Imagine a backyard on a cool autumn morning: a squirrel dashes to a feeder, grabs a hazelnut, then disappears to bury it under fallen leaves, comes back for an apple slice, and finishes with a few sunflower seeds before scampering up a tree to nibble on a bud.

That mix of nuts for fats, fruit for quick sugar, and greens or buds for extra nutrients is basically a squirrel’s ideal menu in 2026 just as in past years.

If you’re thinking of feeding them

• Best choices: unsalted nuts in shells (hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts), small pieces of apple or other fruit, a few veggies like carrots or green beans.

• Avoid: salted or flavored nuts, too many peanuts (they are less nutritious), and junky human snacks.

• Offer small amounts so they still forage naturally and don’t become dependent on handouts.

Squirrels might act like tiny food bandits, but their diet is actually a pretty balanced wild buffet of nuts, seeds, fruit, greens, and the occasional insect.

TL;DR: Squirrels mainly like nuts, seeds, fruits, and some veggies, with tree buds, fungi, and a few insects as backup options, especially when seasons change.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.