Download the printable High & Low Oxalate Food List to help you discern which common foods are high and low in oxalate.
Oxalate is a specific type of antinutrient found in plant foods. Leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and seeds all contain varying levels of this compound.
Under ideal circumstances, oxalate compounds are eliminated in stool and urine, however, build up can occur.
Oxalate can reduce nutrient absorption by binding to minerals and forming calcium oxalate or iron oxalate. Within published medical literature, the most thoroughly understood consequence of high oxalate levels is discussed in relation to kidney stones. However, with the rise of the keto diet and ultra-low carb/zero-carb diets, more and more anecdotal evidence is accumulating that shines a light on the gaps of our current scientific knowledge.
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Learn more about oxalate and how it can affect your health
- A brief introduction: “Are these “Health Foods” Killing Us Slowly?”
- Sally K. Norton and Tristan discuss Everything You Need to Know about Oxalates
- Add more fiber-free carnivore diet recipes to your meal plan and see if you notice a difference.
- Consider starting a carnivore diet to reset your health and establish a nonsymptomatic base line.
In our Keto & Carnivore Collective and our community at large, we are seeing more and more testimonies on how minimizing the amount of oxalate containing foods may have dramatic results in auto-immune conditions, joint pain, signs of “aging”, and other degenerative conditions.
How much is too much?
For general health, practitioners recommend 100mg or less is a good daily goal. A limit of 50 mg a day is even better.
Foods that contain 10 mg or more of oxalate per serving are considered high oxalate foods, these foods should be eaten sparingly or not at all.
Low oxalate foods have less than 2 mg of oxalate per serving. These may be consumed freely.
Animal foods are the only foods that have very little or zero oxalate.
This includes animal protein from ruminants, fowl, pork, fish and seafood; animal fats like butter, tallow and lard; dairy foods (cream, milk, cheese, yogurt etc.) and eggs.
To source quality animal protein, fats, and raw dairy, browse through this collection of directories and link up with local suppliers.
The High & Low Oxalate Food List
No one has a completely clear understanding on the exact amount of oxalate in every single food. I have done my best to present a general guide to high and low oxalate food by sorting through the most frequently recommended oxalate food lists and consolidated the information by cross-reference.
Available in our Free Members Area (click ? for access)
Download the High & Low Oxalate Food List
The download contains a 4-page pdf oxalate food list: 1 page recaps the information shared here + 3 printable lists. I have separated foods by HIGH and LOW oxalate content as well as KETO and GENERAL foods.
Some of the highest oxalate foods to be wary of are:
| Spinach, cooked | 1/2 cup | 775 mg |
| Spinach, raw | 1 cup | 656 mg |
| Almonds | 1 ounce | 122 mg |
| Beets | 1/2 cup | 76 mg |
| Coca powder (chocolate) | 1/4 cup | 67 mg |
| Soybeans | 1/2 cup | 48 mh |
Remember the goal of staying under the 50 mg limit a day? Yikes!
These so called “health foods” are literally off the charts high!
You can see how quickly oxalate can add up especially when you eat certain “healthy” foods regularly. You may want to think twice before having a green smoothie for breakfast, spinach salad for lunch, a green juice with your girlfriends on the weekend, and piece of almond flour cake for dessert a few times a week.
“Everyone” says these foods are good for us, but if you are someone who suffers from auto-immune conditions, digestive irregularities, stiffness of joints or general lack of health, I highly encourage you to learn more about oxalate, high oxalate foods, and how your body responds to them.
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Meet Jessica Haggard
Jessica Haggard is the creator of Primal Edge Health, where she shares simple, nourishing low-carb, keto and carnivore diet recipes. With a focus on from scratch, homemade cooking, animal-based nutrition, and easy DIY beauty and personal care recipes, there’s always something new going on in her kitchen! Jessica will teach you exactly how to thrive with all the best ingredients and enjoy the journey along the way.
She has photographed and authored two best selling ketogenic cookbooks, The Ketogenic Edge Cookbook and The Carnivore Cookbook. Learn more about Jessica…
6 Responses
Graham Reekie
Thanks guys! I was doing keto, with lots of ‘healthy’ greens, avocados, and nuts. Then I heard about palates, coincidentally when I was having some pain from kidney stones. I am now feeling a lot better on a carnivore diet. I include coffee and coconut oil. Thanks very much to Sally Norton, Tristan, and Jessica!! xx
Jessica Haggard
Tristan and Sally had a great conversation the other day, you can listen to it here if you haven’t already https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfNfehT5F2g I’m so glad you find this information useful and are already feeling better!
laura
A few years back I stsrted juicing and eating more plant based. I was eating a boat load of spinach,chomping on raw almonds by the handful and including cooked greens in almost everything I could think of because I just assumed from all of the reading I had done that eating massive quantities of greens and legumes was like the pillar of health. Man,did that back fire on me when I developed interstitial cystitis. The first thing the drs gave me was a list of all the foods I should avoid and amongst the list besides acidic ones were all of these high oxalate foods to avoid…and of course it contained all of the foods I had been eating in big quantities. :/ I wish I had done more research on the dangers of eating plant based,it would have saved me from the excruciating hell of ic. So thankful to have found yall’s page ? I consider myself healed mostly these days and it helps to stick to a more ketogenic primal diet,so grateful!
Jessica Haggard
You would think that all these foods are pillars of health, “everyone” says so! So glad you could correct your food choices and are feeling well now! #SteaksOverCakes xx Jessica
Anita
I am in tears today I’m so confused what I can and cannot eat I have had several kidney stone removals. I’m so frustrated on what to do.
Jessica Haggard
I feel for you Anita! Follow the suggestions from our list and learn what you can from the resources I linked in here. There is hope! Your body CAN thrive!