Hamster feeding: how often and what food?

[Bandit]

Hi, first of all I apologise if this question has already been asked. I tried searching for it but couldn’t find anything.
I will be getting a dwarf hamster in a few weeks time and am very much a beginner to hamster care. I’ve done a lot of research so I know what cage to get, which toys, which bedding and nesting materials, etc. But I cannot find a clear answer to the question how often should you feed a hamster and what food should you feed it?
I’ve heard people talk about pellets and musli, fibre and protein supplements, bases and mixes, and other such things, but what are these? And how should I combine them to give my hamster a balanced diet?
Thanks

[mangoandmimi]

What country are you in? So we can suggest good mixes.

You are after a high quality, high variety seed mix and preferably no pellets. Often even the better seed mixes have inadequate protein so you should supplement that. Insects are probably the best as it’s most natural to them - so mealworms, crickets, shrimp etc.

The food will also depend on what species your hamster is as dwarfs and Syrians do need different diets. I feed every day so there is always access to fresh food and it hasn’t been sitting out in the open for two days, it also allows them to forage for it daily which is good enrichment. That is if you scatter feed (recommended).

Alongside the seedmix it would be good to feed fresh food every day if you can. Raw veg is good, cooked can work and less frequently you could incorporate fruit too. Especially if you have a Russian dwarf you’ll want to stay clear of fruit, dried veg or other items with high sugar levels so that automatically rules out most store bought treats too.

Edit - didn’t see you were getting a dwarf sorry!