In the wild, birds eat a vast variety of foods - seeds, nuts, grasses, flowers, fruits, insects - the list goes on. The change in seasons brings new types of foods, and birds nourish themselves on what's available. At home, your bird also nourishes itself on what's available, so it should ideally be the most balanced, natural, and whole food possible. A bird's diet is critical to its health. A bird on a poor diet will not live out its full life span, and will most likely succumb to any number of viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. A good diet boosts the immune system and helps the bird to ward off illness. Not only that, a good diet keeps a bird in good spirits, keeps its feathers in great condition, and improves its life overall.
The "base" diet is the primary item that you feed your bird on a daily basis - everything else you feed is an addition to the diet, or may even be considered a "snack." Ideally, the base diet should be as nutritionally sound as possible because it's what your bird is eating the most. Lafeber products are the ideal base diet because they are formulated to be nutritionally balanced - every bite your bird takes offers building blocks for all of the systems of the body. They are also fun for your bird to eat, and are packed with a wide variety of ingredients, most of which your bird would search out in the wild.
The base diet - whether it's Nutri-Berries, Nutri-Meal bars, Avi-Cakes, Nuts'n'Nuggets or Premium Daily Diet Pellets - or a combination of these - should be offered in the morning when the bird is hungriest. If the bowl is empty later in the evening, you can add more. Don't allow your bird's bowl to be empty for too long - small birds have a very fast metabolism and most choose to eat all day long.