block feed / forage mix ratios ? + any toy ideas ?

[gorou]

hi ! i've gotten better on my hamster care , [ especially on updating his enclosure ] and so i had then moved on to upgrading my Syrian hamster's diet. he's been on Science Selective hamster food blocks but i had bought some variety cups of dehydrated fruits / veggies / flowers and had fed them to him as treats [ over-feeding him too much of anything has been my main worry ].

i've seen some youtube videos where they recommend to scatter feed your hamster, so i've been doing that in small amounts + his blocks in a bowl and he really seemed to enjoy searching for all of it !

i just got a hamster forage feed mix from etsy [ barley, millet, mealworms, dried fruits and veggies, a bunch of stuff tbh ] [ image attached is the picture of the mix from the online shop ] but i'm not sure how much exactly i should be feeding him. the instructions say 10g / 2tbs every 1-2 days but i'm not sure if it counts with his lab blocks as well. [i feed him enough blocks to at least cover the bottom of his food bowl ] . i am unsure of his exact age since he was bought from a pet store but i've had him in my care for around 12 months.

i know an over-fed hamster typically beats out an under-fed / malnourished one but i'm just really nervous considering i have trouble imagining proportions in general... my bad for rambling / so much in one post ! thank u for any help :3

[lovehamsters01]

honestly in my experience hamsters are amazing at portion control. I really don't think that you need to worry about overfeeding because hamsters really don't eat when they're full. in fact, giving some extra food can be a good thing because they can have fun hoarding the extras.
I also use science selective, and I'm very happy with it. I make sure my hamsters always have science selective in their food dish, and I also scatter about a handful of a foraging mix 2-3 times a week. I don't have any specific reason for doing this 2-3 a week other than that's about how long it takes until they've found all the food.
I have had Syrians, robos, and Campbells hamsters and with all of them I've never had any issues with overweight hamsters, and when I clean their cage, I find half of their food hidden away in "storage".
it's always great to be careful when it comes to feeding animals the right portions but when it comes to hamsters, you really don't need to measure out anything in my experience. the only thing I would say to be careful with is to make sure not give more than a couple of pieces of dried fruit a week since this can lead to diabetes, but keep in mind that even if you accidently do, most hamsters will instinctively know how to balance their diet and simply won't eat what's not good for them.
good luck!