Download the printable High & Low Oxalate Food List to help you discern which common foods are high and low in oxalate. This information is essential for anyone interested in successfully following a low oxalate diet.
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.
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 private support forum and broader 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
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.
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.
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.
I have had chronic UTI problems for many years which has led to constant antibiotics. I recently found a compounding pharmacy that did a detail blood workup and found my oxalates where higher than anyone they had every seen. I am now on a low oxalate diet and am taking medicine to try and rid myself of my current high levels of oxalates. I think the start of my overload of oxalates is I was vegan for over ten years. A vegan diet is about 100% high oxalate foods, I enjoyed this way of eating and I felt good but I think it really did a number on my system. Looking forward to your list and that you have kept it updated. Wish me luck.
Best of luck Betty! Yes, indeed, the most common vegan foods are very high in oxalate. I hope this list helps you with a clear picture of what to eat and what to minimize. Thanks for sharing your story with me!
The reason I need to eat low oxalate foods is because I’m now prone to calcium oxalate kidney stones since cancer surgery messed up my hormones and lymphs in 2019. According to the urology/kidney doctors, I’ve also been told to limit protein because too much protein can also cause kidney stone formation as well. I wonder if Sally K. Norton talked about the role of oxalates and kidney stones? I love meat but how can I go on a completely carnivorous way of eating if the protein is just going to give me kidney stones anyway? Where can I hear the whole conversation between Sally and Tristan? From the portion that I heard here on this page, it was a great discussion and I’d be interested in hearing more. By the way, I found your site by searching for “low oxalate foods list”. Thanks! Peace.
I hope this interview is helpful in your journey Anita. Here’s a link to the full podcast: https://www.primaledgehealth.com/ep-249-sally-k-norton-oxalates/
God bless!