Oxalates are substances found in plants, animals, and humans.
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. You can still get all the nutrients you need without having too many oxalates.
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.
It is hard to tell how many oxalates are in foods you eat using current standards. It can vary by food, cooking, processing, and growing factors.
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 |
|---|---|
| Drinks | Coffee, fruit and veggie juice (using the recommended veggies), fruit punch |
| 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 |
| Drinks | 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 |
|---|---|
| Drinks | Fruit and veggie juices (from the list below), chocolate milk, rice milk, hot cocoa, tea |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| Drinks | Chocolate drink mixes, soy milk, Ovaltine, instant iced tea, fruit juices of fruits listed below |
| 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 |
Be aware of how many grams of oxalates you are eating. Think about meeting with a dietitian.
Here are more tips to help stop you from getting kidney stones:
Eat Right—American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
http://www.eatright.org
The Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation
http://www.ohf.org
Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca
The Kidney Foundation of Canada
http://www.kidney.ca
Diet and kidney stones. National Kidney Foundation website. Available at: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/diet. Accessed July 26, 2021.
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 July 26, 2021.
Kidney stones. EBSCO Nursing Reference Center website. Available at: https://www.ebscohost.com/nursing/products/nursing-reference-center. Accessed July 26, 2021.
Last reviewed July 2021 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Dianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN
Last Updated: 7/26/2021