What Is a Low Oxalate Diet?
Oxalates are substances found in plants, animals, and humans. A low oxalate diet limits foods high in oxalates.
Why Follow a Low Oxalate Diet?
In the body, oxalates come together with calcium and iron to make crystals. In most people, these crystals leave the body in urine. For some people, they can grow into kidney stones . This diet may lower the risk of certain types of kidney stones.
Each person's body absorbs oxalates differently. This diet does not work for everyone. A person can get all their nutrients without having too many oxalates.
Low Oxalate Diet Basics
The diet limits oxalates to 50 milligrams (mg) each day. They are found in many foods. You will need to learn which foods you can limit and which foods you should not eat.
Oxalate levels in foods vary by food, cooking, processing, and growing factors.
Eating Guide for a Low Oxalate Diet
This chart lists foods that are low or moderate in oxalates. People with calcium stones will also need to lower sodium.
Foods Low in Sodium or Oxalate | Foods You Can Eat |
---|---|
Fruits |
Apples, apricots (fresh or canned), avocado, bananas, cherries (sweet), cranberries, grapefruit, red or green grapes, lemon and lime juice, melons, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, oranges, strawberries (fresh), tangerines |
Veggies |
Artichokes, asparagus, bamboo shoots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chayote squash, chicory, corn, cucumbers, endive, lettuce, lima beans, mushrooms, onions, peas, peppers, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, zucchini |
Breads, Cereals, Grains |
Egg noodles, rye bread, cooked and dry cereals without nuts or bran, crackers with unsalted tops, white or wild rice |
Meat, Meat Replacements, Fish, Poultry |
Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, egg whites, egg replacements |
Soup |
Homemade soup (using the recommended veggies and meat), low-sodium bouillon, low-sodium canned |
Desserts |
Cookies, cakes, ice cream, pudding without chocolate or nuts, candy without chocolate or nuts |
Fats and Oils |
Butter, margarine, cream, oil, salad dressing, mayo |
Other Foods |
Unsalted potato chips or pretzels, herbs (like garlic, garlic powder, onion powder), lemon juice, salt-free seasoning blends, vinegar |
Other Foods Low in Oxalate | Foods You Can Eat |
Beer, cola, wine, buttermilk, lemonade or limeade (without added vitamin C), milk |
|
Meat, Meat Replacements, Fish, Poultry |
Lunch meat, ham, bacon, hot dogs, bratwurst, sausage, chicken nuggets, cheddar cheese, canned fish and shellfish |
Soup |
Tomato soup, cheese soup |
Other Foods |
Coconuts, lemon or lime juices, sugar or sweeteners, jellies or jams (from the recommended list) |
Moderate-Oxalate Foods | Foods to Limit |
---|---|
Fruits |
Blackberries, blueberries, black currants, cherries (sour), fruit cocktail, mangoes, orange peel, prunes, purple plums |
Veggies |
Baked beans, carrots, celery, green beans, parsnips, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips |
Breads, Cereals, Grains |
White bread, cornbread or cornmeal, white English muffins, saltine or soda crackers, brown rice, vanilla wafers, spaghetti and other noodles, firm tofu, bagels, oatmeal |
Meat/meat replacements, fish, poultry |
Sardines |
Desserts |
Chocolate cake |
Fats and Oils |
Macadamia nuts, pistachio nuts, English walnuts |
Other Foods |
Jams or jellies (made with the fruits above), pepper |
High-Oxalate Foods | Foods to Avoid |
---|---|
Fruits |
Apricots (dried), red currants, figs, kiwi, plums, rhubarb |
Veggies |
Beans (wax, dried), beets and beet greens, chives, collard greens, eggplant, escarole, dark greens of all kinds, leeks, okra, parsley, rutabagas, spinach, Swiss chard, tomato paste, watercress |
Breads, Cereals, Grains |
Amaranth, barley, white corn flour, fried potatoes, fruitcake, grits, soybean products, sweet potatoes, wheat germ and bran, buckwheat flour, All Bran cereal, graham crackers, pretzels, whole wheat bread |
Meat/meat replacements, fish, poultry |
Dried beans, peanut butter, soy burgers, miso |
Desserts |
Carob, chocolate, marmalades |
Fats and Oils |
Nuts (peanuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts), nut butters, sesame seeds, tahini paste |
Other Foods |
Poppy seeds |
Suggestions
Be aware of how many grams of oxalates you are eating. Consider meeting with a dietitian.
Here are more tips to help stop you from getting kidney stones:
- Drink plenty of fluids each day.
- Do not take large doses of vitamin C pills (limit to less than 1,000 mg/day).
- Keep protein below 80 grams/day.
- Eat a low-salt diet (less than 2,000 mg/day).
RESOURCES
Eat Right—American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics http://www.eatright.org
The Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation http://www.ohf.org
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Dietitians of Canada http://www.dietitians.ca
The Kidney Foundation of Canada http://www.kidney.ca
References
Diet and kidney stones. National Kidney Foundation website. Available at: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/diet. Accessed April 7, 2022.
Eating, diet, and nutrition for kidney stones. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/kidney-stones/eating-diet-nutrition. Accessed April 7, 2022.
Kidney stones. EBSCO Nursing Reference Center website. Available at: https://www.ebscohost.com/nursing/products/nursing-reference-center. Accessed April 7, 2022.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Dianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN
- Update Date: 04/07/2022