LISTS – AND LISTS
I know you are all looking for THE list. Here is one from a reliable source I have have downloaded on my site to a separate document so it opens with one click.
The reliable source, as it turns out, needed some updating. Dr Ross Holmes, professor, School of Medicine, University of Alabama, was kind enough to review the work of Dr. Michael Liebman who is a professor of Human Nutrition and Food Option at University of Wyoming and determine which food entries on the Harvard list needed changing. We cannot change the original but we have updated our lists accordingly and annotated updates with *** marks. So the lists here are the most recently edited available at present.Fred Coe and I have updates and annotated the list for those with a tendency to perfectionism: Updated table of oxalate foods. Set it at 50% for easier reading. Get yourself acquainted with the lists. They will tell you much of what you need to know. A lot of it will even surprise you. You are not as restricted as you think you are or as you have been told.
A more dramatic list is the 177 high oxalate foods we distilled out of the big list. Here are culprits! Not on this list? Probably not very high in oxalate so far as we know – with perhaps a few exceptions. Note that quantity is critical. For example black pepper is high in oxalate but the amounts used are small enough that total oxalate intake from it is negligible.
Eating a low oxalate diet can be overwhelming and difficult to incorporate into your daily life. I just released a course called The Kidney Stone Prevention Course to help you understand how to implement your physician’s prescribed treatment plans.
LET’S DIVIDE AND CONQUER
FOODS TO WORRY ABOUT
A List of Concerning Foods
We have created two graphs for this article. Of the 177 foods on our master list, many are of concern but can be used in your diet if you control the portion size and how often you use them. There are 30 of them that are worrisome enough to deserve special attention.
Here are the 30. The graph shows mg of oxalate in a common portion. The details of the portions are in the complete list. The foods have in common that all contain at least 40 mg/serving. All other foods for which we have reliable data have less oxalate per serving.
Your budget is about 100 mg/day.
What does this graph mean? Does it mean you can never have chocolate, or a baked potato?
No.
It means if you want to use your whole budget on a treat, do it, but keep track and make sure you do not overspend in any meal or in any one day. Have your baked potato, but maybe share half with your partner. Or, have some hot chocolate but make it with milk because calcium helps reduce oxalate absorption. Eat your cashew nuts, but pay attention to how many. If one handful leads to ten, you cannot have them.
FOODS TO AVOID
The graph to the left is of the very few dangerously high oxalate foods.
There are only six foods, but spinach, being worst of all, has two entries. Be careful of this plot because of its range. It begins at 100 mg/portion and rises to 755 mg/portion in only 7 steps, so the distance from miso soup to spinach is about a 7 fold increase.
Rhubarb and spinach are so high you just cannot eat them. Rice bran is something few will miss, the same for buckwheat groats.
People like almonds but have a hard time controlling portion size. If you can keep it to 11 almonds a day – the portion size that gives 122 mg of oxalate, alright. Otherwise stay away from them.
If you have to eat any of these foods, caution is hardly a strong enough word.
Are you sure you need to eat them?
Why?
WHAT ARE WE SAYING?
We are saying that oxalate is common in foods, and that you have to be careful, but care is a scarce resource. How much care can you give every bite? The graphs say if you eat moderately high oxalate foods – the first graph – be careful.
Watch portions.
If you are eating one of the six dangerously high oxalate foods, stop eating it.
It is too hard to be careful with those six foods. They have too much oxalate for most of you to handle. So, just say no.
WHY BELIEVE OUR DATA?
These data arose from a major effort at the Harvard School of Public Health. A world class expert has curated it twice. Harvard can be wrong and so can Ross Holmes, but both will tend to be wrong less often than the average persons who attempt to put complex data into the public domain. We have always appreciated comments, and if anyone has a peer reviewed publication with different food oxalate levels than ours, we will read the paper and see if it warrants our making a change.
Medical research is endlessly argumentative, and food oxalate is no exception. A recent paper contrasts findings from 6 websites and 2 applications and finds some wide variations. Of the sites, the Harvard site – used here as our reference, and the Wake Forest site – which is a legacy of an outstanding investigative group have most standing with me. Leaf through the comparisons between them in the 4 charts and in the large table at the very end. On the whole differences are modest. The hyperoxaluria and oxalosis list from the paper has been withdrawn from their site.
DO YOU NEED A LIST?
Sure, a list is nice. But we helping you here. Lists can run on to hundreds of foods. The picture is meant for focus. Here are the ones to focus on.
Many of you leave the doctor’s office thinking you will never be able to eat a fruit or vegetable again. If that wasn’t bad enough chocolate and nuts are gone, too. Some of this sadly is true, most of it is not. I am here to bring you good news: Almost everything, high oxalate or not, can be incorporated into your diet safely.
Do you need a low oxalate diet? You may if your stones contain calcium oxalate crystals and your urine oxalate is high enough to pose risk.
If you do need a low oxalate diet, what is your goal? Less than 100 mg of diet oxalate is good; less than 50 mg is ideal.
If you want to read some of the science about urine oxalate and risk of stones and about how we get to the diet oxalate goals, it is summarized at the end of this article.
Here we assume you do need to lower the oxalate in your diet.
CALCIUM FIRST
Low calcium diets can raise urine oxalate, and the solution may be as simple as a proper calcium intake. There is every reason for stone formers to eat 1000 mg of calcium daily to protect their bones. The common hypercalciuria of calcium stone formers puts bones at special risk when diet calcium is low.
Before changing your whole life around, ask yourself if you are avoiding calcium foods. If so, add them back and ask your doctor to check your urine oxalate again. It may fall enough that a low oxalate diet is not necessary.
If low calcium intake is not your problem, and you need a low oxalate diet, here is my take on how to do it.
WHAT IS THE DIET OXALATE GOAL?
Typical diets contain upward of 200 – 300 mg of oxalate. For stone prevention, a reasonable goal is below 100 mg of oxalate daily. An ideal would be about 50 mg daily if that can be accomplished.
To get there, consider the oxalate contents in common serving portions of all of the foods, and make up a plan for yourself.
FRUITS
FRESH
Everyone who comes to me is very unhappy thinking they can never have a berry again. This is Baloney. The only berry that is very high in oxalate is raspberries (look at the list). On the other hand, people do not realize avocado, oranges, dates, and even grapefruit and kiwi are very high and need caution.
This doesn’t mean you can never have these healthy treats. If you incorporate any of these high oxalate fruits into your morning yogurt you can reduce some of the effects of the oxalate content.
Also look at your portion sizes. You really cannot eat a lot at any one time. Dates are not a good bargain: One date is 24 mg!
CANNED OR DRIED
Canned pineapple is a problem.
Dried fruits have to be a worry because the water is taken out, so a ‘portion’ of dried fruit can be gigantic in oxalate content. Figs, pineapple and prunes are standouts. Just think: 1/2 cup of dried pineapple is 30 mg – not a lot of fruit for a lot of oxalate. If you want dried fruit, think about apples, apricots, and cranberry as lower oxalate options.
VEGETABLES
Spinach and rhubarb are standouts; stay away.
Other vegetables you need to be aware of are tomato sauce, turnips, okra, and yams (sweet potatoes) along with beans of different sorts.
I am not in the business of taking healthy foods away from people. But in the cases above you really must limit; there is just too much oxalate and these foods do not pair well with high calcium foods the way fruits can be mixed right into your yogurt or cereal and milk.
Many of you have been told to stay away from all green leafy vegetables. This is not true. Look at the list. There are plenty of salad options still available for you including kale. Even though tomato sauce is high in oxalate (see below) that is because of concentration. A whole medium tomato is only 7 mg and who eats more than one at a time?
Many of the salad vegetables are so low in oxalate they are freebies. Eat what you want.
POTATOES
These are Trouble! I put them into their own separate group even though they are vegetables.
From french fries to baked potatoes they are very high oxalate items. One ounce of potato chips has 21 mg of oxalate and who eats one ounce? Not I. Baked potatoes are terrible. One comes in at just under 100 mg of oxalate. Mixing sour cream into the potato will not help much; one tablespoon of sour cream contains only 14 mg of calcium. One ounce of cheddar cheese contains 200 mg of calcium, which could help, but it increases calories, salt and fat. But all in all, why struggle so hard? Potatoes are not ideal for stone formers.
DAIRY PRODUCTS
They have no oxalate. They are your main source of calcium. Use them. They can add a lot of salt – cheeses – and can be caloric. But they reduce oxalate absorption and preserve your bones.
For a stone former who has to watch salt intake, increase calcium intake, and lower oxalate intake, here is how to do that. You cannot have as much cheese as you want because of the salt. So portion sizes are very important. Yogurt, milk, even ice cream are good bargains – modest sodium and high calcium. These are a great place to add in a wee bit of chocolate – high oxalate foods – for those of you who cannot live without these high oxalate treats.
BREADS AND GRAINS
Some of the basic ingredients to make these foods are very high. White flour and brown rice flour are high in oxalate so everything you make from them will be high.
BREADS
Even so, as far as kidney stones go, breads are mainly alright because of portion size: not that much flour so one slice is 5-8 mg. French toast and New York style bagels top the list at 13 mg for two slices and 40 mg for one bagel – as much as anyone will eat of either food.
PASTA RICE AND GRAINS
Spaghetti, one cup cooked is 11 mg and most of us eat more than one cup.
Buckwheat groats, one cup cooked is 133 mg – I don’t see many of you saying ‘darn it’ or taking to your bed, but beware. Millet and bulger, wheat berries, rice bran, corn grits, and corn meal, these are widely used and are high. If you are using these, be thoughtful.
Here are some low oxalate options in this category: White rice, hummus, corn flour, corn bran, flax seed, and oat bran are popular and safe.
MEAT PRODUCTS
Since oxalate is only found in plant foods, all the meats are safe. Fish, too.
For our vegetarian friends, tofu and veggie burgers are very high.
NUTS AND SEEDS
These are just dangerous for two reasons.
Obviously they are very high in oxalate.
Secondly, I don’t know anybody who just has a few nuts at a time.
Just like chips no one eats one – the whole jar is more like it.
But, for one cup of pumpkin sunflower or flax seeds the highest is only 17 mg of oxalate and none for flax. For those of you who love foods in this category seeds are the better choice and they can be sprinkled on yogurt and ice cream.
SWEET STUFF
I have good news for my chocolate lovers. I know most of you have been sent home with a list and chocolate is high on it. But if you look at the numbers nuts are a lot worse than chocolate. Chocolate can be mixed in with dairy products, too, so as to reduce oxalate absorption.
Even so I do want to point out that half a brownie is on the high side, and who eats one half?
You can still satisfy your sugar craving but pay attention to your portion size.
Keep in mind, however, that sugar loads increase urine calcium loss which increases stone risk, so there are two reasons why this food group can be a problem.
But even without chocolate, you eat a lot of flour when you eat a piece of cake, so cake can be a problem – about 15 mg per piece, like french toast. Pies are half the risk because of their fillings – unless they are chocolate pies!
CRACKERS AND CHIPS
The big enemy here is potato chips. A one ounce serving contains a whopping 21 mg of oxalate. I repeat: A one ounce serving.
Your best bet in this category if you’re looking for something crunchy is corn chips – one ounce is 7 mg, popcorn – one cup is 5 mg, and pretzels, one ounce is 5 mg.
Crackers are OK mainly because they are small and the amount of flour is not that much.
BEVERAGES
PLANT SOURCES
Hot chocolate is the clear loser at 65 mg per cup; carrot juice is the runner up at 27 mg per one cup. Lemonade, tea, tomato juices, rice dream and the like are better but still high. The are 15 – 18 mg per serving. Lemonade – frozen concentrate – is 16 mg per 8 ounces so be careful about this as a source of citrate.
Soy milk, for those of you who prefer it, is not a good option. It is very high at 20 mg per cup. We have no data from standard sources for rice milk, cashew milk, and coconut milk; almonds are high in oxalate so the almond milk product will certainly be high.
Tea is so commonly used, here are the details. If you brew your own tea it is high in oxalate. The longer you steep your tea, the more oxalate it will have in it. If you use a sweetened instant iced tea one cup has 0 mg of oxalate.
Here are some juices that are low in oxalate and better substitutes: Apple juice, apricot juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, grape juice. For all the lemonade drinkers, diet lemonade is low in oxalate.
Here is something very important: Coffee is oxalate free – almost, 1 mg for a cup (2 mg/cup for decaf). We already told you that coffee drinkers have a reduced stone risk, so lets debunk the coffee myth here: Drink it as you wish.
DAIRY SOURCES
Everything is good except chocolate milk. Even that is only 7 mg a cup for a sweet treat here and there.
ALCOHOL
What tops the list in this category is a can of beer: 4 mg of oxalate. All the rest are low and, frankly, the oxalate in a can of beer comes with a lot of fluid. This is not the problem area for stone formers.
WATER
If I didn’t say this to you I could not sleep well tonight. Water is the clear winner in this whole category. It is free of calories, sugar, and oxalate. Please use it as your main beverage and supplement with the items above.
SPREADS AND SAUCES
Chocolate, miso, peanut butter, and tahini are all high.
SOUPS
Miso soups is extremely high – 111 mg/cup. Lentil soup is high, and so is clam chowder – the potatoes.
BREAKFAST FOODS
This is a dangerous meal if you are a cereal lover. Many cereals are high in oxalate. I am afraid you need to look them up in the list by brand. Unfortunately the healthier cereals are highest in oxalate because they contain more plant based ingredients. Probably having milk in your cereal is wise, but we have no data to show.
Eating a low oxalate diet can be overwhelming and difficult to incorporate into your daily life. I just released a course called The Kidney Stone Prevention Course to help you understand how to implement your physician’s prescribed treatment plans.
HOW DO WE MANAGE ALL THIS?
The first thing you need to do is to learn and remember what are the highest oxalate foods and beverages. Without this in mind it is impossible to shop and cook intelligently. Here is a short list of the highest oxalate foods all in one place.
BREAKFAST
For those of you who love cereal because it is quick and easy check out the list and see if the one you love is high in oxalate. If it is, choose the next best one with lower oxalate. Put milk in the cereal.
Alternatives to cereal that are also quick and easy: Yogurt or cottage cheese and fruit. The only fruits to worry about are raspberries because no one puts oranges on their yogurt. Bananas, peaches, blueberries and strawberries are perfect toppings.
More trouble, but no oxalate, eggs any way at all. Boil a batch on Sunday and have them for the week for breakfast, and snacks, too.
Your breakfast coffee is free and so is your water. For juices use orange, apple, pineapple, grapefruit – all great. If you want tea, don’t steep more than a minute and consider adding milk to it. Green tea is better than black.
LUNCH
Typically you are grabbing a salad or a sandwich for lunch, so what now? Many clients tell me they no longer eat salads because their physicians told them to stop all green leafy vegetables.
I’m bringing salads back to you.
Arugula, iceberg, romaine lettuces, and kale, are fine as your base. Stay away from spinach. Here are good toppings. Cauliflower, corn, cucumber, mushrooms, onions, peas, scallions, squash and zucchini are all fine. Tomatoes are fine, too; it is only the sauce that is high. Broccoli and green pepper are moderately high so watch the portion size.
Sandwiches will cost you between 12 and 16 mg of oxalate depending on the bread you are using – 2 slices. This doesn’t mean you can never have a sandwich, it just means you have to keep track of how much. You can have 50 to 100 mg daily. What goes inside between the two slices of bread is usually cheeses and meats which are oxalate free. So sandwiches are not something to be afraid of.
SUPPER
Beef, chicken and fish are all fine, and those the main courses for most of us. You will run into problems if you are a pasta or potato eater. If you are you need to limit the amount of times you have these foods each week and also the quantity each time you use them. Substitutes are a problem: White rice is a nice substitute for potatoes but there are few others. It is more veggies that have to fill in – very healthy but not as much fun.
Here is a recipe for cauliflower – ‘mashed potatoes’ you will like and even think, sometimes, is the real thing. There are many versions on the web, choose the one that makes you happy but be careful about the ingredients.
There is also quinoa which is not on our lists, but may well be high. A recent scientific article on this plant does not give oxalate contents which suggests they are not reliably known.
I have recently put together a private FB page called THE Kidney Stone Diet. It is a group that helps educate you on your physician prescribed treatment plans. As you can imagine, oxalate comes up in many posts. I moderate it to keep it clinically sound. Come on over and join the discussion!
URINE OXALATE AND RISK OF KIDNEY STONES
I promised you some science – here it is for those interested. It concerns only highlights from the food – urine oxalate research recently performed and seemingly germane to the problem of how stone formers should control oxalate intake.
The most useful data about urine oxalate we have so far is from three cohorts studied by Dr. Gary Curhan. Two are cohorts of nurses one a cohort of physicians. These people have kept track of many aspects of diet and health for decades, and among their records are onset of kidney stones.
As he did for urine calcium, Curhan measured urine oxalate in properly selected subgroups from each cohort, including people who did and did not begin forming stones. From these samples he could calculate the relative risk of new onset of stones in relation to 24 hour urine oxalate excretion.
The two nurse cohorts are red, the physicians – all men – are blue. The dotted line at 1 is the risk threshold: Above that line, risk is present.
The top of each crosshatched bar shows the mean relative risk for each of the five urine oxalate ranges. Clearly the mean goes up as urine oxalate goes up.
But the mean relative risk has a range of uncertainty around it. The bottom of the solid portion of each bar is the lower 95th percentile for that range of uncertainty. When that bottom lies above 1, risk is very likely to be present.
For both the women and men groups, that point is reached between 25 and 30 mg of urine oxalate a day. Therefore one wants to try to get urine oxalate below 30 mg daily and even lower, below 25 mg daily if possible. The average urine oxalate excretion among the women in this study was close – 26 and 28 mg/day for those who did not form stones and just a bit higher for those who did – 28 and 30 mg per day. The men are a problem: 39 and 41 mg/day for those who did not and those who did form stones.
This is not diet oxalate, it is urine oxalate. Urine oxalate is how much the body makes and how much is absorbed from foods. Mostly, we can control only the second part – how much is in the food.
HOW MUCH DIET OXALATE DAILY
All dietary advice depends on having a reasonable goal in mind for oxalate intake. My goal of 50 – 100 mg of oxalate from food daily is not unreasonable given the research that has been done in normal people and stone formers.
Holmes and colleagues found a urine excretion of oxalate of about 10 mg/gm urine creatinine in normal 
people eating a synthetic oxalate free high calcium diet (graph at left). As diet oxalate increased, urine oxalate rose from 0 to 10 mg/2500 kcal/d, urine oxalate rose steeply from 10 to 14 mg/gm urine creatinine. It rose more slowly, from 14 to barely 15 mg/gm urine creatinine as diet oxalate was increased to 50 mg/2500 kcal/d, and more or less at the same slope thereafter so that an increase from 50 mg/2500 kcal/d up to 250 mg/2500 kcal/d increased urine oxalate only from 14 to 18. The closed symbols are whole food the open symbols synthetic diets.
From this work the percent oxalate absorption could be calculated as around 10 – 15% and the contribution of diet oxalate to urine oxalate excretion as around 25 – 40% when intake of oxalate was between 50 and 350 mg/2500 kcal. Therefore one can consider a whole food 1000 mg calcium 50 mg oxalate as a usable low oxalate diet, and a 150 – 250 mg oxalate diet as relatively high.
The balance between diet calcium and diet oxalate does not matter greatly if diet calcium is high. Among normal men and women eating 1000 mg/day of calcium and 750 mg/day of food oxalate, 24 hour urine calcium was about 110 mg/day and oxalate about 44 mg/day.
If the calcium oxalate balance is altered so calcium intake is 400 mg and 20 mg of oxalate at breakfast and lunch, and 200 mg of calcium and 710 mg of oxalate at dinner, as compared with simply 333 mg of calcium and 250 mg of oxalate in all 3 daily meals, urine oxalate is lower after the high calcium low oxalate meals, but only slightly higher after the high oxalate low calcium evening meal than when calcium and oxalate intakes were balanced. This means that when diet calcium is at least 1000 mg daily the balance of calcium to oxalate within any one meal is not likely to affect stone risk.
Seiner and colleagues make clear that stone formers are different from normal people. They divided male and female stone formers into 2 groups of 93 people each, one with urine oxalate above 0.5 mmol (~50 mg) of urine oxalate daily and the other with urine oxalate below 0.4 mmol (~40 mg) daily. They found virtually identical calcium and oxalate intakes: 845 vs. 812 calcium and 101 vs. 130 mg daily of oxalate respectively in the lower and higher urine oxalate groups. But the below 0.4 mmol group excreted only 27 mg of oxalate daily on average, whereas the high oxalate group excreted 64 mg daily. In other words diet was not responsible for the higher urine oxalate excretion, suggesting a difference of oxalate absorption. Those prone to high oxalate excretion seem, therefore, to most need diet modification.
Knight and colleagues found a wide range of oxalate absorption among 38 calcium oxalate stone formers eating a self choice diet. Urine oxalate excretion (vertical axis) varied with percent of diet oxalate absorbed (horizontal axis). The mean absorption centered around 5%; a few outliers absorbed over 15% up to 25%. This supports what Seiner found – some stone formers will have urine oxalate levels very responsive to diet oxalate and sans a research protocol we will not know. This is another good reason to keep diet oxalate low – 50 to 100 mg if possible.
PROTEIN AND GELATIN
Diet protein intake does not affect urine oxalate excretion. In 11 normal people fed a 1000 mg calcium, 51 mg oxalate, 3000 mg sodium fixed diet, varying protein intake from 0.6 to 1.6 gm/kg/day – a very wide range – did not alter urine oxalate appreciably (mean values were 23, 23, and 25 mg daily for the three protein intakes) even though oxalate precursors like glycolate rose markedly (25, 22, and 46, mg daily).
Jello is a source of hydroxyproline which converts to glycolate and oxalate, and oral loading with gelatin can raise urine oxalate. Ten normal people eating a 1000 mg calcium, 150 mg oxalate diet (typical normal level) were fed supplemental gelatin as one quarter of daily protein intake. Urine oxalate was 24 mg daily vs. 17 mg daily when the same diet was supplemented with whey protein – containing little hydroxyproline – as a control. So lots of jello is not an ideal plan for stone formers.
Where does this leave us about how much oxalate is alright for a day. If diet calcium is high, as it should be, at about 1000 mg, then one should try to limit diet oxalate below 100 mg daily. Perhaps this is most important in those patients whose baseline oxalate excretions are higher – in the range of above 40 mg daily.
Eating a low oxalate diet can be overwhelming and difficult to incorporate into your daily life.
For those who need special help, I run an online course: The Kidney Stone Prevention Course to help you understand how to implement your physician’s prescribed treatment plans.
Why is an Orange high in Oxalate, but Orange Juice is not? Is fresh squeezed same as OJ in a carton?
Why is cornmeal high and corn flour low?
Is a Burger and a hot dog low if no bun?
Chili with no beans low?
My urologist recommended drinking Lemonade daily. What do you know about that?
Thank you.
Hi Paul,
Sorry for the delay. The difference in oxalate content varies depending on the concentration of the product. Meats have NO oxalate. Chili would be lower oxalate if no beans are involved. There are articles on this site that address the lemonade issue- read this:https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/price-of-potassium-citrate/
Best, Jill
Hi Paul, The lemonade idea arose from one rather brilliant urologist and has gone viral. You can get ample citrate from fruits and veggies, whereas lemonade can have unwanted sugar in it and not enough citrate to be of value. Here is something useful about beverages and citrate. Here is what the lemonade is supposed to do – get you citrate. Here is why you are best off not overly worrying about oxalate in the diet. Regards, Fred Coe
Yes, why is cornflour lower than corn meal?
Dr. Coe, THANK YOU!!! I just sent you an e-mail asking about oxalate “clarification” but you have answered me on this page. Thank you again! Sorry to hear about potatoes because I’ve been making”steak fries” by putting them in the oven with a bit of olive oil. I will miss them!
Hi RHcP,
It is the concentration of the product that leads to a lower or higher oxalate values.
Best, Jill
Hello,
Is there any relationship between taking a multivitamin and developing stones? Would taling a multivitamin increase or decrease the chances of forming stones to be exact?
Thanks
Kevin
Hi Kevin, A single routine multivitamin conveys no important stone risk. Calcium supplements can raise risk, and can extreme vitamin D over use. But a single vitamin daily is fine. Fred Coe
And for lactose intolerant people kale and fish are the only options to get enough calcium?
Hi Olga,
There are other foods and non-dairy products that lactose intolerant people can have. I enjoy Fairlife milk (no lactose) and unsweetened flax milk. You can also “google” lactose intolerant calcium sources and see what pops up. Remember to watch out for high oxalate options the results may give you.
Best, Jill
Your explanation of your chart showing Relative Risk versus Urine Oxalate seems off. First your explanation talks about “crosshatched bar” and “solid portion of each bar”, but on my computer screen, I see only light-shaded and dark-shaded bars. I assume the dark-shaded bars must be what you call solid, and the light-shaded bars must be what you call cross-hatched. If this is correct, then your statement “the top of each crosshatched bar shows the mean relative risk” seems doubtful. Rather, I believe it would be the top of the *solid* bar that shows the mean (or the bottom of the cross-hatched bar). The top of the cross-hatched bar would be the upper 95th percentile, and (as you state), the bottom of the solid bar would be the lower 95th percentile.
Hi Gordon, On some screens the crosshatch does look just light, and I should add that to the text. The dark bars should look red or blue, however, as they always do on my computers. Indeed it is the top of the light bar – the top of the bar altogether – that shows the mean relative risk, for example about 2.3 for urine oxalate between 25 and 29 mg/day. I paid no attention to the upper 95th percentile for oxalate because what matters is the point at which risk is clearly increased (the bottom of the lighter bar, which is the top of the red or blue solid bar). The bottom of the solid bars has no direct relevance, those bars are there just to place the position of the bottom of the light bars – they carry all of the information. Originally I tried leaving off the solid bars altogether but did not like the visual as much. For water and citrate, wherein risk falls as the material increases, the bottom of the clear bar shows the mean relative risk and the top of the colored – solid – bar shows the upper 95th percentile. When that goes above 1 risk is present – for example, urine volume below 1.25 l/d. Thanks, I will clarify about the crosshatch. It shows that way for me, but perhaps not regularly for everyone else. Fred
Thanks, Fred. I would be in favor then of getting rid of the solid bars if they contain no information. (But why is the bottom of the leftmost solid bar below 1 when all the other solid-bar bottoms are at 1?)
You do realize this graph violates the convention of displaying upper 95th/ mean/ lower 95th in a vertical bar? This is what is displayed in the vertical bars in your other two graphs. For consistency and to avoid confusing people who are expecting the conventional display, I think it would be best to use the same convention in this graph.
“For water and citrate …. ” – I don’t see any graph with those labels, so don’t follow what you are stating.
Hi Gordon, let’s both focus on the same graph – how about the article on urine supersaturation. The bottom of the leftmost bar is below one because the lower 95th percentile falls below 1, and the red and blue highlighting makes this point more dramatic; it means, for the reader, that at a urine calcium of 100-149 relative risk is not significantly increased even though the mean risk is above 1. As for conventions, I have no reason to display the upper 95th percentile and every reason not to. To do it requires I increase the range of the y axis in order to display a number no one would care about. In none of my graphs do I display the upper 95th percentile, but always the top of the lighter bar is at the mean risk. As for water and citrate, the latter is at the lower left; I should have said urine volume, which is lower middle. For these, one cares about the upper 95th percentile, as both lower relative risk, and when the upper 95th percentile is below 1 there is no increased risk. In fairness, I do make the graphing convention clear in the text just above the figure. I think that in many kinds of data one wants the entire confidence range – often I do and show it. But here is a special care. Patients and physicians want a sense of average relative risk (I used means) and also if there really is a low probability that risk is not present (95th percentile crosses the line at 1). I know, of course, you are a distinguished faculty member, an expert in probability, and also highly skilled in mathematics, so I take your remarks carefully. My goal here is to communicate as I just mentioned and chose this kind of visual. I initially made graphs from upper to lower 95th percentile and ran into more vigorous criticism from readers – patients and physicians – because of irrelevance. Warm regards, Fred
Thanks, Fred. It’s understandable why you don’t want to display the upper 95th percentile. But I’m still confused. (1) If the bottom of the solid bar is the lower 95th percentile, then you have 11 out of 13 bars whose lower 95th percentile is exactly one? This seems unlikely. And (2) the upper solid/ lower shaded (or cross-hatched) boundary then represents nothing? Sorry, don’t mean to be a pest. 🙂
Hi Gordon, no one of your stature is ever a pest, and you are perfectly right about the way to present data. My problem is a public facing site and a need for graphics easily grasped by people who have no taste nor time for statistical correctness. So I make pictures to get the main points across without error but often with less rigor than we want in a scientific paper. The red and blue (female and male) colored bars really help as when they cross 1 people understand ‘risk’ may seem present but is not necessarily real. That you so much for taking an interest in this translational work of mine; you are kind and considerate to do so. Warmest regards, Fred
A followup: Went to the original article you referenced (Curhan 2008), and now I see what’s happening in your graph. It’s the *top* of the solid bar (not the bottom, as your text states) that represents the lower 95th percentile. The only exception is the leftmost bar, where the solid *bottom* represents the lower 95th. This is because the bar “starts” at a level of 1, and “finishes” at the lower 95th. When the lower 95th exceeds 1, this means that the top is the “finish”, but when it is below 1 (as on the leftmost bar), then the *bottom* is the “finish”.
Really, histogram bars are a poor choice for graphing this data. Microsoft Excel has the option of adding “Error bars” to charts, which would have been a more reader-friendly choice. (I could produce such a chart if you like and are not comfortable in Excel.)
Hi Gordon, Indeed the top of the solid bar marks the lower 95th percentile. I know histograms are not ideal for my regular sue, but they convey a lot to a public audience. I am, incidentally, able to create more normal scientific figures, and do use conventional statistical packages that include proper error bars. They are reader friendly, but do not have the graphical immediacy I am after. Once again, my appreciation for someone of your skill to take an interest. Warmest regards, Fred
Join the discussion…
Can I eat instant mashed potatoes ? I really need to gain some weight and I an really searching for foods
Hi Kathy,
There are many, many, foods you can eat. I do have many patients come to me because they are too afraid to eat most foods since their stone attack. Please know that you can eat most foods within their portion size. Learn how to use the oxalate list by reading the many oxalate articles we have on this site. Also, you remember to get enough calcium in your diet as that helps with getting rid of excess oxalate in your body. That all being said, potatoes are high in oxalate, and you can sub out cauliflower “mashed” potatoes. There are many great recipes on the web. They taste even better than regular mashed potatoes!
Jill
Hi Kathy, potatoes have oxalate in them, but if you mash them with milk the calcium will prevent the oxalate from being absorbed. Regards, Fred Coe
Hello I’m 15 year old boy. I did a urine test and I got calcium oxalate (++) in the test. I did it because in my penis after urination I felt something was stuck and what I observed that it was most probably urine because when I went to urinate once again a bit of urine came. And it happens all the time. It’s hard to sit because my penis hurts a bit. And then I’m gradually goes a away. Are there stones in my kidney? Also from quite a few days I’ve been feeling a bit of tension or you could say uncomfortable in my kidney region. What to do? I’m gonna visit a doctor soon but what to do now?
Hi Moharjyoti, You probably have high urine calcium losses and form calcium oxalate crystals. This is common in adolescents and can be treated. Your physicians should know how to do this with diet and if needed with medication. Regards, Fred Coe
I drink 2 cups of Jasmine (green) tea and 2 cups of white tea a day. No sugar and they are cold brewed over night. Any research on oxalate impact. If this has been addressed already, my apologies. Thank you for your time and consideration of this inquiry and for the information you provide.
Hi David,
Tea is ok to drink if you only have a true cup or two and don’t steep it very long. What does your urine collection say for oxalate?
Best, Jill
What’s the deal with Strawberries? I thought they were high oxalate. All the literature my Dr./dietician gave me says they are high. Nobody mentioned raspberries. I eat these almost daily. However, I always mix with my yogurt and I never have a whole cup, just like maybe 10-12 berries.
Hi Jason,
We get many patients confused with all the contradictory info on oxalate. For this reason we tell them to stick with one list and our favorite one we give our patients is the one put out by Harvard. We have used it with our patients for many, many, years and we find that when they follow it, along with their calcium requirements, they do indeed lower their urine oxalate. You can find the list on the article you posted this question. Hope this helps, Jill
I read that taking magnesium citrate to bind with oxalate foods can really help. Thoughts?
Hi Ellen, I have no data. But I have lots of data that eating foods with calcium will greatly lower urine oxalate. Put the calcium where the oxalate it. Regards, Fred Coe
What makes clam chowder very high, while clams are low? Is it the potatoes and celery?
Hi Pam,
It will be the other ingredients that increase the oxalate content. But you can easily have a cup of it. One cup only has 11mg/oxalate. Even though the list says it is “high” you have 100mg/day to eat of oxalate. So you can see that clam chowder can be enjoyed!
Best,Jill
Thanks!
How about kale? This supposedly has a high oxalate content
Hi Lionel,
As you can see on the Harvard listkale is low and can be eaten. Remember to get your daily amount of calcium to help with ridding your body of excess oxalate.
Best, Jill
Jill, thank you for this site. I have a dual problem. First, I have had calcium oxalate stones and I am also lactose intolerant. My breakfast usually includes oat meal with either blueberries or raisins and almond milk and a glass of orange juice with calcium. It looks like I need to find a different milk alternative. The list of high oxalate foods has three items with raisins but not raisins by themselves. Are raisins and blueberries OK to use or should I find a substitute or switch away from the oatmeal breakfast?
Hi Steve,
I would try Fairlife milk which is lactose-free and very good. My son and I drink it. Also, unsweetened flax milk will work as well. Raisins are very high in sugar. Stick with the blueberries and perhaps a bit of banana? Both are low oxalate and the blueberries also have a nice amount of fiber.
Best, Jill
Jill, thanks very much for the quick reply and information. I’ll definitely try the Fairlife and Flax milk. I’m happy to hear that oatmeal with blueberries are OK. Regards, Steve
Hi,
Is unsweetened coconut milk a good calcium alternative if lactose intolerant? I cannot find flax milk in any stores around me.
Also, is it necessary to consume calcium “with” the meal if oxalate levels are higher in a meal, or is it your daily calcium intake that is important?
Thanks
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
I like Fairlife milk and drink it as it is lactose free. For whatever reason this milk tastes great and all my patients like it too. Yes, if you are eating a high oxalate product pair it with calcium.
Best, Jill
what if you are vegan…you’re kinda screwed…
Hi James,
I have worked with so many vegans and they have plenty to eat. There are non-dairy food sources to help with getting enough calcium and plenty of veggies and fruits you can absolutely eat every day. Just gotta learn how to balance it all and not overeat the higher oxalate foods. Read this article to help you understand how to use the oxalate list for a better understanding of what you can eat.
https://jillharriscoaching.com/eating-a-low-oxalate-diet/
So I started using this list a couple of weeks ago and at first I was really worried I wasn’t going to have anything to eat. I’m actually surprised at how easy it was to stay under 50mg a day. Nothing at all to worry about under 100mg a day. What got me to this point was 2 spinach salads a day. Who would have thought that spinach was actually doing me more harm than good?
I do have a question about an item on the list tho. It says Oatmeal Cereal is very low. Is Oatmeal Cereal just like hot instant oatmeal? I’ve Googled Oatmeal Cereal and it’s not defined.
Hi Brian,
Here is a list of oxalate foods that are all safe. Make sure you read the article accompanying the “good” list.https://jillharriscoaching.com/good-oxalate-list/
Thank you. I did read the article. I’m just looking for clarification as to what oatmeal cereal is. Is it just a bowl of hot oatmeal? I’ve googled it and can’t find anything on it. Under both lists it says 0mg under breakfast. Just want to make sure I’m not eating the wrong oatmeal cereal.
Brian,
Harvard was not specific. I can only assume all oatmeal is low oxalate. My patients all eat it and along with their calcium goals keep their oxalate levels low.
jill
Awesome! Thank you so much for all the info posted!!!
Brian,
Read this article and all of you that are asking about how much oxalate is in foods that are not known:https://jillharriscoaching.com/eating-a-low-oxalate-diet/
Best, Jill
Hi Brian,
Here is a list I have on my website that lists only the safe oxalate foods (derived from the Harvard list) https://jillharriscoaching.com/good-oxalate-list/
Hope it helps,
Jill
Hello,
I know that regular tea is high in Oxalates, but what about herbal teas and coffee?
Also, maybe I am blind but what is the Oxalate rating in Chickpeas?
Thanks
Hi Kevin,
Read the article called A Taste for Variety and you will learn about beverages. Not all teas have been studied, so my advice is to have a true cup and don’t steep very long. Chickpeas can be eaten if kept to a small portion.
Best, Jill
Hello,
Is it okay to eat spelt bread with cheese? High oxalate bread with calcium?
Kevin,
Yes!
Jill
I have been drinking bottled and canned iced GREEN tea (not instant). How does its oxalate count compare to instant tea? Is it as high as brewed, hot green teas? Also: where does wild rice fall in the oxalate count? I’ve heard that it is not a grain; so, I am confused. Thanks so much!
Hi Becky,
If we don’t have it on the list, we are not sure. Eat the food once a week as a treat, not as a staple, and within normal portion size. In the article A Taste For Variety (within this website) you can read about teas.
JIll
Where do I find the article “A Taste of Variety” which is referred to in the answer to Kevin’s question below?
Hi Becky,
Not all foods have been studied. When this is the case I have told my patients this for years- have the product, within normal portion amounts and once a week. More importantly, follow all the other advice we promote, esp the RDA for calcium.
Best, Jill
Hi Becky,
Within this website.
Jill
You say in the article that rice dream is high, but it’s on the list and it’s low…you do know that it contains 30% of daily calcium in one cup – so does that make it okay? yes???
Hi Nancy,
I am not sure where we say Rice dream is high in oxalate. As long as you don’t exceed your 100mg/day limit and get your RDA of calcium, not too much is off limits. Be careful about the adverbs that Harvard uses. They are misleading. Here is a safe list of oxalate foods and make sure you read the article that goes with it. https://jillharriscoaching.com/good-oxalate-list/
Best, Jill
I see in lists that brown rice flour is high, but I don’t see anything about brown rice in general. I’ve been eating these really good rice cakes made with brown rice. The rest of the ones I see on the store shelves using white rice have high amounts of sodium and don’t look appealing in the least bit.
Hi Jason,
When you don’t see a number on the Harvard list, have the food once a week and in normal portion sizes. Since brown flour is on the higher side one can assume that brown rice will be higher in oxalate so the portion is important.
Best, Jill
Are chia seeds high in oxalates?
Hi Linda,
If you don’t see it on the list, we don’t have reputable numbers for it. Since chia seeds are indeed seeds, they will probably have some. I tell my patients not to overeat them in general and they do fine with that advice.
Jill
Hi, can you tell which type of bread is low in oxalate?
Than you
Hi Quddus,
We do not have numbers on all the different types of bread. I tell my patients to that eat bread to pick the lowest sugar and sodium type with high fiber.
Jill
Thank you Jill..i am having Stones since 3 years and it has made my life complicated, recently i had a Ureteroscopy to remove a stone now i am very conscious about my diet.
Hello,
Is unsweetened coconut milk a safe option for lactose intolerant people? I have read your article “A taste for Variety” and you mentioned that coconut milk has not been tested but you also say it is okay on another page on your site. Can you please clarify.
Thanks
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
I say it is ok bc my patients use it and keep their urinary oxalate low. Some of my patients are vegans so they use flax milk or coconut milk. I am lactose intolerant and I like Fairlife. A very good amount of calcium and tastes super good. Not sure why, but it does. You should think about taking the course I offer to help with your questions… you have many and I think it would help you greatly.
Best, Jill
Hi Jill,
Thank you for all your replies! I truly appreciate it and I am sure we are all very thankful to have you and Dr Coe to answer and help us all. Believe me I would love to take your course but I am a student and cannot afford it at the moment. I will when I can!
Thank you both!
Sincerely
Kevin
Kevin,
I recently put out a safe oxalate list compiled from the Harvard list to make things easier for people when planning their meals. See what you think and read the article that accompanies it:https://jillharriscoaching.com/good-oxalate-list/
Jill
Thank you.
I promise last question
Is spelt bread high in Oxalate? What i ate it with lactose free yogurt for the calcium?
Thanks
Kevin,
If you don’t find it on the list I always give the same advice. Read this article to understand how to use the oxalate list:https://jillharriscoaching.com/eating-a-low-oxalate-diet/
Jill
Every other website and publication lists strawberries as a high oxalate item. Nothing is ever said regarding raspberries. Why on this site?
Jim,
We along with many docs and nurses use the list put out by Harvard. We trust it and have been using it for years. This list along with our other dietary advice does the trick when lowering urine oxalate levels.
Best, Jill
Thank you:) So would raspberries be a no-go then? I really like them.
Jim,
I do tell my patients not to eat them, but if they do to only use a couple in a yogurt. Hardly worth it I know, but they are so high!
Jill
Hi,
With myself being a vegan, how do you suggest that I keep my calcium levels high and also get a source of protein each day? I also heard to avoid calcium supplements, is this true? Your response would be a great help to me! My kidneys are currently in pain.
Thank you
Hi Jordan,
It can be tricky with the high oxalate issues, but I have many patients that have worked with me and have been able to balance it all. It is always a portion game when it comes to the oxalate and there are now many non-dairy milk out there like flax milk and fortified coconut milk to help with calcium needs. You can take supplements if you take them correctly- with meals- and make sure you know what you are getting as a baseline from food in your diet and supplement from there if needed.
Jill
hi, I am confused why, for example, oranges and grapefruit are listed as ‘high and to be avoided’ but (at least on some sites) orange juice and grapefruit juice are good. Is there a chemical reaction? Does the body absorb juice differently? Would the same hold true if I were to juice/blend some of the bigger offenders?
Hi Ellen,
Juice tends to have a lot more water, fruits more concentrated. That being said you can easily keep these fruits in your lifestyle. Read this for clarity on how to use oxalate lists: https://jillharriscoaching.com/eating-a-low-oxalate-diet/
Best, Jill
Thanks for such a speedy reply! Cold-pressed juices have 3 or more oranges (for example) to one glass of juice… So I guess you mean the store-bought types of juices?
Hi Ellen,
Correct.
Jill
Is Cinnamon low in oxalate?
Hi Sue,
Cinnamon has been said to be higher in oxalate, but just use it here and there. It is a portion game! It is not that high that you cannot have it sprinkled on foods here and there. And this is especially true when you are getting your RDA of calcium.
Best, Jill
Sue,
No, it is high. But you can use it. The portion is key! To know how to use the oxalate list go here: https://jillharriscoaching.com/eating-a-low-oxalate-diet/
Best, Jill
I recently had by stones removed via laser surgery. The size of the stone was 9MM
How likely is it for me to have them formed again and will they come back within 1 years or more
Please advice
Hi Fiyaz, Stones tend to recur unless steps are taken for prevention. Here is a good place to start reading about what you can do. Regards, Fred Coe
Is fennel a high oxalate item? What about fennel tea?
Thanks for your help:)
Hi Jim,
My patients eat it. Have it once a week. Don’t overdo any food is always a great way to stay on a lower oxalate diet. Many patients got stones because they overate the foods highest in oxalate and didn’t consume enough calcium per day. Variety is the spice of life.
Best, Jill
Wow. The research/INFO on high oxalate vs. low oxalate foods is frustrating. Sometimes not even close. Broccoli for example shows up as ultra low on one list and very high on another. Oatmeal shows up low on one list and high on another. I wish there was a definitive list out there – a list I could trust. Mike
Hi Mike.
We trust the Harvard list and our patients have been using it for years. Since most lower their urinary oxalate we trust it. But it is all the advice we give that helps lower oxalate, getting enough calcium is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. Advice, stick to one list and go from there. I have another nice article on my site on how to use the oxalate list. Check it out here:https://jillharriscoaching.com/eating-a-low-oxalate-diet/
Jill,
What are your thoughts on overnight oats made with milk and/or yogurt? Like Mike, I am finding conflicting information, so figured if I want to enjoy oats/oatmeal (and maybe some fruit), I could do so with some confidence if I pair/try overnight oats recipes that call for dairy (calcium).
Hi Joshua,
I tell all my patients to stop looking at multiple lists. You will drive yourself crazy. Stick with the Harvard list and this article I wrote to tell you in more depth HOW to use the list which is much more important.https://jillharriscoaching.com/eating-a-low-oxalate-diet/
Have the oats. My patients enjoy them for breakfast and continue with low urinary oxalate.
Best, Jill
Thank you for your reply. Is sourdough bread a healthier choice?
Mike,
You can have any bread. I like to have the healthiest bread I can eat when I do choose to eat it. That means low sugar and sodium, higher in fiber (3-4 grams per slice). Sourdough is not that.
Jill
Hi Mike, Trying to do a rigorous oxalate diet is hard and usually not necessary. Our list is derived from the Harvard list and then was twice curated by an expert on food oxalate. So it most likely more correct than others. But take a look at a larger issue. Who needs a low oxalate diet, and why. Many people have trivial increases in urine oxalate. Large numbers have increased urine oxalate because of inadequate diet calcium, the latter an unhealthy diet for bone. Given adequate diet calcium, food oxalate management is much simplified. Regards, Fred Coe
Thank you very much for all the info and taking the time to put online. I passed a 4mm stone that was an extremely painful process, as it was my first and totally unexpected.
A month or two before this happened, I was on a Greek food roll eating tons of spinach, almonds, figs, tomato sauces, etc…everything high in oxelates.
While I understand it can, in most cases, take a while for a stone to form, but could eating all these foods together caused it to form quickly and start moving?
I now avoid all those foods and drink more water…crazy stuff.
Any feedback is appreciated, as I can never go through that again!
Thank you.
Hi Brian, Given a stone, I would avoid guessing and get a proper evaluation. Yes, the foods may have caused a once in a lifetime stone, or perhaps added to an underlying problem. Start here, far from the details of one aspect of stone prevention. Follow the links and chapters, and you will have the right knowledge to get yourself fully evaluated as to cause, and see to it your prevention program is aimed the way you would want it to be. Regards, Fred Coe
is almond milk ok to drink since it is mixed with normal dairy?
Hi Patty,
Nope, we can only assume way too high as almonds are way too high. Try fortified coconut milk or unsweetened flax milk.
Best, Jill
I can find oxalate values for tomato sauce, but nothing on plain canned tomatoes (my home canned ones are just canned in their own juice). Any idea how many oxalates in 1 cup of canned tomatoes (store and home canned)? I like to use them in vegetable soups.
Hi Judith,
Tomatoes do have oxalate, just watch your portion size on tomato products and get your RDA of calcium. It is always about portion so don’t overeat any foods that have a bit of oxalate in them.
Best, Jill
Hello Jill
Someone asked about cinnamon and you said that was high. Is that also the case with turmeric? I’m taking 2 x 400mg capsules as an anti-inflammatory. Thank you.
Hi Ashley,
Tumeric has been reported as high. The supplements people are now gobbling down could be a problem. Eat healthy foods and you can keep inflammation away and more money in your pocket.
Best, Jill
Thank you for all the good information. Other good, or not good, spices? Paprika? Allspice? Nutmeg? I will miss cinnamon.
Hi Wendy, I am answering for Jill; these spices are usually used in small amounts and hardly a stone risk. Regards, Fred Coe
Wendy,
My patients eat cinnamon. Yes it is high, but it is always about portion not perfection. Getting your RDA of calcium is much more important than you skipping cinnamon. Promise!
Jill
I was wondering about broth. I am trying healthy fasting as I have a lot of weight to lose and the gout won’t go away. I understand uric acid levels can rise with fasting.
Thanks
Hi Scott,
I do have issues with fasting when one has “a lot of weight to lose” because fasting is not teaching you how to eat healthily. It is just teaching you deprivation and typically the weight you lose from deprivation tends to creep back, so careful with that, please. Once you get your portion sizes intact and lose the weight (limit alcohol too) I am hoping your uric acid levels get back to normal. If not you will be putting yourself at risk for more stones and gout. Good luck with everything!
Best, Jill
Hi Jill,
Has there been any updates on oxalate levels in quinoa?
Thanks,
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Nope, if there are reputable updates on foods we update the list. Follow the advice I have given you already. A normal portion, once a week!
Best, Jill
How much oxylate in freeze dried blueberry powder?
Thanks for any help.
Hi, It will be a lot and I advise against it. Regards, Fred Coe
How much oxylate in freeze dried blueberry powder?
Thanks for any help.
Hi Susan,
I do not have valid numbers for this product.
Best, Jill
I can’t thank you enough for your valid information on Oxalate foods. I just found out that I have moderate amounts of calcium oxalates in my urine. First time ever…Its kinda crazy since I thought I was a super healthy eater…Well after reading the food list….I eat all high oxalate foods! I will totally re-evaluate this for sure & am super grateful I found out now cuz I don’t think I would be able to handle a kidney stone 🙂
Hi Mitzi,
Glad you are finding the info helpful. Here is a good article on HOW to use the oxalate list:https://jillharriscoaching.com/eating-a-low-oxalate-diet/
Best, Jill
Hi MItzi, I guess your physicians found calcium oxalate crystals on a routine urine. You are right to change diet. If the crystals persist, go further into the possible causes. Crystals are not stones, too small, but they can make into stones – aggregate or grow. Regards, Fred Coe
What are the thoughts about whey protein shakes? Is there any data on the oxalate levels?
Hi Amanda,
There is no oxalate in whey, but I am always concerned with the other stuff they put in those shakes. I am not a fan of shakes as many of my patients never learn how to eat properly because they rely on the ease of the shakes. Also, most of my patients (unless they are athletes) do NOT need the extra protein these shakes provide.
Best, Jill
What are your thoughts on eating out? I’m Chinese, and when I look at the list and some of the suggestions laid out by doctors, it seems impossible to eat out. A lot of Asian foods are salty, saucy or soupy with powders being used in them, so I’m not sure if I’d be able to have any food when I’m eating out.
Hi Brian,
Eating out is challenging, esp Asian. Of course you can do it, but really try to limit eating out to once a week and when you do watch your sodium leading up to the out to eat meal. If I eat Chineses I usually go for steamed veggies and poached chicken, but then again, I am a bit over the top.
Best, Jill
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve been searching and clicking for 2 hours to find a REAL list of specific foods and the levels they contain. Finally, something comprehensive! I so appreciate this.
Rene’
You will like this article to learn how to use the list:https://jillharriscoaching.com/eating-a-low-oxalate-diet/
And this list to show you all the foods you can still eat: https://jillharriscoaching.com/good-oxalate-list/
Best, Jill
Hi there,
Just wondering when this review was published and by whom.
Thank you,
Alice
Hi Alice, I believe Jill Harris and I wrote it several years ago. The list was curated twice, the last time about 2 years ago. Regards, Fred Coe
Jill,
Are pumpkins fine to eat?
Thanks!
Hi Brian,
Sure, eat them. Don’t go nuts, eat them here and there.
Best, Jill
Thank you so much for this excellent article. I am a keto vegetarian and just learned I have a very high urine oxalate level (82). Sadly, goodbye nuts, seeds and soy. I am wondering about the oxalate content of peaisolate, which is the main ingredient in Beyond Burgers burgers and sausages (soy free). Are you aware of any work on peaisolate from an oxalate perspective? Thank you.
Hi Louise,
I do not know any sources of oxalate found on pea isolate is low as peas are on the low side as well. Please know that you can still incorporate some seeds and nuts into your diet. Please read these two articles- one is how to use the oxalate list we talk about here and the other is a list I devised from the Harvard list but it is only the foods YOU CAN EAT. So often patients come to me bc they think they can no longer eat many healthy foods. I am here to tell you that this is not true. Read these articles:https://jillharriscoaching.com/good-oxalate-list/
and this one: https://jillharriscoaching.com/eating-a-low-oxalate-diet/
They will help you get an even better understanding of this crazy thing called oxalate.
Jill
Hello I love pasta also being treated for stones dont want to get anymore my doctor put on higher calcium more veggies and fruit and less animal protein can i have my pasta?
Hi Judith,
Follow your docs advice he/she is right on the ball. Portion not perfection is the motto I leave all my patients with. You can eat almost any foods (except for the super high oxalate foods as spinach and almonds) as long as you eat within normal portions. Most patients come to see us because they overate the same foods like spinach and almonds every day. Have your pasta, in normal portion size, and have some calcium-containing beverage (milk or nondairy milk- like unsweetened flax milk) and you will be fine.
Best, Jill
So you’re saying I can’t eat more foods……that’s great. 😭
Hi Cait,
You can eat most foods. As a matter of fact, I make sure my patients know that they SHOULD eat a variety of foods. Mainly people come to us simply because they ate the same foods over and over and over. We want you to eat a wide variety, watch portion on the really high oxalate foods and make sure you get your calcium needs met. Also, read this article. I made a “safe” oxalate list just to make sure people can understand that there is so much they can still eat. Make sure you read the article that accompanies it so you understand the list I write about within it.https://jillharriscoaching.com/good-oxalate-list/
Best, Jill
The table provided by Harvard is useful, but using measures such as cups, tbs, etc. has not helped me much. Did they publish this table with the actual values of portions in grams somewhere?
Thanks
Hi Tom,
You can just “google” a conversion chart and find your fav foods in grams.
Best, Jill
Thanks for the neat and easy guide to follow. I’m going to follow this diet..
Thanks for this info. I’ll be a skinny lady before long since I either have to cut out or cut down on my delicious oxalate foods! A couple of months ago I was told by my physician that I am at risk of kidney stones and she advised me to quit drinking sodas and to drink more water. That is all she said, however, I intended to adjust my diet as well.
Hi Francis, the ideal kidney stone prevention diet is this one. Oxalate it itself a small portion. But I do not understand the risk. Were stones seen? Passed? Anyway, the diet matches the ideal US diet, so one can eat it with health benefits beyond stone prevention and likewise recommend it to everyone. Regards, Fred Coe
Hey there, I noticed avocados aren’t on your curated list, but they are mentioned in the article. Are they no longer considered high oxalate?
Thanks so much for this resource!
Wendy
Hi Wendy,
They are listed on the Harvard list and they are 19mg of a whole one. Although Harvard lists them as “high” they are not. Most of you are allowed to have 100 mg/day of oxalate so you can see they are very safe to eat Please read another article I wrote on how to eat a low oxalate diet here: https://jillharriscoaching.com/eat-low-oxalate-diet/
Best, Jill
Hi,
I’m doing some research about chia seeds. Where can I find the oxalate amount?
Thank you
Regards
Hi Estelle,
I don’t have a reliable source for chia seeds, but my motto to my patients is always “portion not perfection” and this proves to be successful.
Best, Jill