Hamsters are rodents, and are mainly herbivores, sometimes considered omnivores, and will thrive on many of the specially prepared complete hamster foods available. In the wild hamsters live in dry, open habitats such as desert borders, short-grass steppes. Their diet consists of high fibre, low fat foods and this diet should be replicated in the domestic setting. The bulk of their diet is dry grasses, seed, and roots. Nearly all rodents feed on plants, seeds in particular.

Hamsters will eat almost any cereal grain or plant material. Making your own mix, is not recommended. It is highly unlikely that you will provide a complete and balanced diet with all the nutrients that the hamster needs in the correct proportions.

When feeding hamsters, keeping his diet as natural as possible will increase your pet hamsters chance of leading a long, healthy and trouble free life. The diet of a hamster is critical for his well being and health.
Most of the ailments / diseases of hamsters in captivity, are directly, or indirectly linked with his diet, and eating habits. Just like us humans are, our pet's are subject to the damaging effects of cooked and processed foods, and food additives. All of these factors have a negative affect on digestive functioning and can lead to a range of digestive, and health disorders. Any food that has been processed for human consumption should not be fed to animals.

When it comes to feeding hamsters human food, bear in mind that most "all" processed foods have additives that are not suitable for ingestion by animals. These additives carry high health risks. Also natural nutrients are removed, and synthetic ones are supplemented, as well as other chemicals. For which there is less evidence of beneficial effects. Nutritional supplements are not readily bio-available. Adding vitamin drops on the food, or in water tend to be ineffective. Meaning the body has to do a lot of work to digest and assimilate them. Too many vitamins and supplements can cause problems. Whatever food you put in his mouth, has to be broken down and processed by an amazing and complex digestive system. If what he eats is beneficial to him, the system will work perfectly well.

During food processing preservatives are added, or created during the process, that will cause adverse health effects. Food processing is used to produce attractive and marketable food products. With the intention of giving it a longer shelf life for the supermarket shelves. By adding salts, sugars, coloring, and other ingredients, some of that are listed below.
The additives and quantities used are considered safe for human consumption. That again that leaves another question to be be answered.??
Although theses additives can cause food sensitivities and allergic reactions in animals, as well as some human beings.
Animals have a totally different digestive system than humans. Which differs greatly from animal to animal.

Sodium nitrite: this is used in the processing of red meat, to fix the colors in preserved fish and meats. this is what gives it that dark red colour. Sodium nitrite can react with amines, amines are produced by cooking certain meats at high temperatures, that create chemicals which are not present in uncooked meats, producing powerful carcinogenic's (cancer causing agents) to combat this problem erythorbic acid is now added. Red meat should never be fed to a hamster.

Sulfur dioxide: a colorless toxic gas. Used as a fruit preserving agent, and as a food preservative or additive. Is used as a preservative in alcoholic drinks, and in the fermentation stage of wines. Unless you have a hamster that regularly hit's the bottle you should not have any problems with this one. But it is also used in dried apricots, sultanas, raisins and many other dried fruits, due to its anti microbial properties. The drying process destroys most of the Vitamin C in the fruit, and it has very little nutritional value. The preservative is used to maintain the appearance of the fruit rather than to prevent it from decaying. Raisins are about 60% sugars by weight, and are very sweet, due to their high concentration of sugars. If they are stored for a long period, the sugar inside the fruit crystallizes. Grapes and raisins are highly toxic to some animals, and are best avoided in the case of hamsters.

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and the related compound butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are phenolic compounds that are often added to foods to preserve fats. BHA is generally used to keep fats from becoming rancid. BHA is found in butter, meats, cereals, chewing gum, baked goods, snack foods, dehydrated potatoes. It is also found in animal feeds. Studies have show this to cause tumors in fish, and rodents. this inc: hamsters, mice and rats.

Don't feed hamster's human scraps, they cannot cope with salt, spices, fat, and sugar.
Leafy green vegetables do not play any part in a hamsters diet. This includes Lettuce, all kinds of cabbage etc:

All hamsters are selective eaters and are very choosy with their food. If she does not partake of all the ingredients, she will not get a complete balance, even though the mix represents a balanced diet. It is not at all unusual for her to choose to eat only her favorite kind of food, sunflower seeds, or some other type of seed / food she finds in the mix.

Please sir can I have some more.

Selecting an eating only one component of a balanced diet can lead to malnutrition. If that ingredient happens to be a seed, your pet is also in danger of obesity.

Hamsters are not really too fussy as to what food they eat.
Hamsters eat almost anything that is offered to them, they cannot decide for themselves what is good, and what is bad for them. So care should be taken offering food for hamsters.
Use a heavy wide base stainless steel or ceramic food dish.
Try to feed at the same time daily. Always make sure hamster has food for a mid-day snack, as she can sometimes awake for.

Feeding time is the highlight of your hamsters day. She will love nothing more than going to her food dish to find it full of goodies.
Make her feeding time as interesting as possible, by adding something different daily. Fresh food for hamsters can also help keep your pet interested, and thus help ensure she receives a full, well balanced complement of nutrients.
But please check first it is safe for hamsters to eat.

There are two types of commercially packed hamster food. The pellet type, and the traditional dried mix. The traditional mix also has two types, one that is a supplement, and one that is a complete food.
The supplement meaning what it say's that it is to be supplemented with other food for your hamster to receive all the nutrients he needs.
The complete food, in good branded names like "Harry Hamster" Harry Hamster is a well-balanced full diet suitable for hamsters of all ages.
The natural prebiotics, promote healthy intestinal functions, eliminate harmful bacteria, and thus support the composition and development of a healthy intestinal flora.

Although the pellet hamster food is also completely balanced so the hamster cannot just pick out his favorite bits. But this is so boringly monotonous that most hamsters refuse to eat it.

Typical ingredients of a dried hamster food, is corn, maize, dried peas, peanuts, sunflower seeds, locust beans, wheat seed, barley, alfalfa, some also contain dried fruit such as bananas, apples, etc: colored ( dyed ) biscuits.

Commercial hamster food mixes are usually accepted better, and are a good "base" for the diet. But care should be taken to avoid those that are all seed. There should also be a variety of items including vegetables. Remember that when feeding fresh vegetables, the freshest won't stay that way for long. So the uneaten food must be removed each day to prevent decay, mould.
Hamster food mixes can also be supplemented with human food. Such as chicken, tuna fish, cheese, cereals, fresh vegetables and fruit. Fruit should be limited to the occasional treat as fruit contains fructose (natural sugars).
Secure the food dish in the bedding of the cage, away from the hamsters toilet corner and nesting area.