Some of the lowest oxalate vegetables are lettuces like romaine, bibb and iceberg, as well as radishes, water chestnuts and cauliflower, which is being turned into pretty much anything these days.
As it turns out, not all leafy greens are an abundant source of oxalates. Some, like kale, have very little of these natural, mineral-binding compounds. Leafy greens that are highest in oxalates include beet greens, purslane, rhubarb, spinach, chard, endive, and dandelion greens.
Boil leafy greens then discard the water – according to studies, boiling a plant allows a significant amount of its oxalate content to be released into the boiling water. Steaming can also remove a decent amount of oxalate from food, but not as much as boiling does.
If you are a calcium oxalate stone former, talk with your doctor or kidney dietitian about the need to limit oxalates. Spinach and Swiss chard are high in oxalates.
Blueberries and blackberries have only 4 milligrams of oxalates per cup.
Meat, chicken and fish are not sources of oxalate. Milk, hard cheese, yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, buttermilk, custard and pudding do not contain oxalate. Chocolate milk however has 7 mg in 1 cup.
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.
Adding calcium-rich foods to meals helps reduce oxalate levels. Calcium naturally binds to oxalate; eating calcium-rich foods at meals helps with this binding and removal of oxalate through the stool rather than through urine.
Boiling is yet another simple approach to spice up your delectable fall veggies. Honey and carrots are both low in oxalate and have an undeniably sweet taste. One creative recipe to try at home are honey glazed carrots. Simply bring water to a boil, add salt and carrots and boil until tender – between 7 to 10 minutes.
The Low Oxalate Cookbook (see Resources) shows that skinless red potatoes are Page 2 considerably lower in oxalates than white or russet potatoes; all potatoes are lower in oxalates when the skin is removed.
Carrots, celery, and green beans (medium oxalate) Parsnips, summer squash, tomatoes, and turnips (medium oxalate)
Boil or Blanch
Oxalates are water soluble and can be reduced by boiling spinach and discarding the cooking water. To preserve spinach for non-seasonal use, blanch and freeze it. Or blanch and dehydrate it into a powder. Unfortunately, B vitamins are also water soluble and will be lost in the process.
A whole avocado has around 19 milligrams of oxalates, which absolutely categorizes it as a high-oxalate food. However, a single serving of avocado is 1/4 of the fruit. So if you stick to enjoying just a 1/4 avocado, it can be part of a low-oxalate diet.
Bananas may be a particularly helpful remedy against kidney stones, as they are rich in potassium, vitamin B6 and magnesium and low in oxalates.
Olives are pretty high, but olive oil's low. It's really simple. It's not in the animal foods, and it's not in the oils and fats.
Low oxalate protein and dairy include eggs, meat, poultry, fish, yogurt, cheese, milk, and butter. In addition, coffee, water, and fruit juice are considered low oxalate. Moderate oxalate foods contain 10-25mg of oxalates per serving.
Eat more lemons and oranges, and drink lemonade because the citrate in these foods stops stones from forming. Drink plenty of fluids, particularly water.
Your safest bets include iceberg, arugula, Bibb, Boston, red leaf or green leaf lettuces. If you are not on a blood thinning medication, raw spinach, romaine and kale are good options as well. Keep your lettuce portion to about 1 cup or ½ cup if choosing kale or raw spinach.