oxalate content of foods

by Diane K. Newman, RNC, MSN, CRNP, FAAN

There are few resources that publish a comprehensive list of foods with their exact oxalate content. We offer the following oxalate content in foods list that shows comparisons between low, medium and high oxalate fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy foods, oils, starches, beverages and miscellaneous items. Be sure to scroll to the bottom to see the higher oxalate foods. Use the list as a guide to choosing foods when you are trying a low-oxalate diet.

Low Oxalate Foods

Foods	Little or No Oxalate <2 Oxalate/Serving; Eat as desired
Fruits	Avocado Berries Cherries Grapefruit Grapes, (Thompson seedless) Mangoes Melons Cantaloupes Casaba Honeydew Melon Watermelon Nectarines Peaches, Plums, green or golden eye
Vegetables	Avocado Brussels sprouts Cauliflower Cabbage Mushrooms Onions Peas, green Potatoes (Irish) Radishes
Meat Group
Milk	Buttermilk Low-fat milk Low-fat yogurt with allowed fruits Skim milk
Fats and Oils	Bacon Mayonnaise Salad dressing Vegetable oils
Miscellaneous	Jelly or Preserves (made with allowed fruits) Lemons Salt, pepper (1tsp/day) Soups with allowed Ingredients
Bread/Starch	Cornflakes Macaroni Noodle Oatmeal Rice Spaghetti White bread
Beverage/ Juices	Apple juice Coca-cola (12 oz) (limit/ day) Distilled Alcohol Grapefruit juice Lemonade or Limeade without peel Wine, red, rose Pepsi-Cola (12 oz) (limit/ day) Pineapple juice Tap water (preferred for extra calcium)

Moderate and High Oxalate Foods

Food Moderate Oxalate:
2-10 Oxalate/Serving;
Limit: 2 (1/2 Cups) Servings per day Rich Oxalate:
> 1 Oxalate/Serving;
Avoid completely

Fruits Apple
Apricots
Black currants
Cherries, red
Orange, edible portion
Peaches, Alberta
Pears
Pineapple
Plums, Damson
Prunes, Italian
Blackberries
Blueberries
Concord grapes
Red currants
Dewberries
Fruit cocktail
Gooseberries
Lemon peel
Lime peel
Orange peel
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tangerines

Vegetables
Asparagus
Broccoli
Carrots
Corn, Sweet white, sweet yellow
Cucumber, peeled
Green peas, canned
Lettuce, Iceber
Lima beans
Parsnips
Tomato, 1 small
Turnips
Beans - Green, Wax,
Dried Beets
Tops, Roots, Greens
Celery
Chard, Swiss Chive
Collards
Dandelion greens
Eggplant
Escarole
Kale
Leeks
Mustard Greens
Okra
Parsley
Peppers, Green
Pokeweed
Potatoes, sweet
Rutabagas
Spinach
Summer squash
Watercress

Meat Group Sardines Baked beans
Peanut butter
Soybean curd - (Tofu)

Milk

Fats and Oils Nuts:
Peanuts
Pecans

Miscellaneous Chicken noodle soup dehydrated Chocolate, cocoa
Pepper (in excess
of 1 tsp/day)
Vegetable soup
Tomato soup

Bread/Starch
Cornbread
Sponge cake
Spaghetti, canned in tomato sauce
Fruit cake
Grits, white corn
Soybean crackers
Wheat Germ

Beverage/Juices Coffee, any kind (9 oz. serving)
Cranberry juice (4 oz.)
Grape juice (4 oz.)
Orange juice (4 oz.)
Tomato juice (4 oz.)
Nescafe power Beer
Juices containing berries not allowed
Ovaltine and other mixed beverage mixes
Tea, cocoa

Adapted from Newman, DK. (2000) "Pelvic Disorders in Women: Chronic Pelvic Pain and Vulvodynia". OstomyWound Management: December 46(12): 48-54.

A low oxalate diet has helped some women with pelvic pain and vulvodynia.

References

Baker, PK. (1993) Musculoskeletal Origins of Chronic Pelvic Pain. Contemporary Management of Chronic Pelvic Pain, 20(4) December:719-742.05-227.

Duleba, A.J., Keltz, M.D., Olive, D.L. (1996) Evaluation and Management of Chronic Pelvic Pain. Journal American Association Gynecologic Laparoscopists, February 1996, 3 (2), 205-227.

Glazer,H.I.,Rodke,G.,Swencionis,C., Hertz,R.,Young,A.W.(2000) "Treatment of Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome with Electromyographic Biofeedback of Pelvic Floor Musculature". Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 40(4),11 pp.

Metts, J.F. (1999) Vulvodynia and Vulvar Vestibulitis: Challenges in Diagnosis and Management. American Family Physician, 59(6),1547-1556.

Newman, DK. (2000) "Pelvic Disorders in Women: Chronic Pelvic Pain and Vulvodynia". OstomyWound Management: December 46(12): 48-54.

Paavonen, J. (1995) "Vulvodynia - a complex syndrome of vulvar pain". Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 74,243-247.

Steege,J.F. (1997) Office Assessment of Chronic Pelvic Pain. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol.40(3),554-563.

Steege,J.F.,Metzger,D.A.,Levy, B.S. (1998) Chronic Pelvic Pain: An Integrated Approach. W.B.Saunders,Philadelphia, PA.

Yount,J.J., Solomons, C.C.,Willems, J.J., St. Amand, R.P. (1997) "Effective Nonsurgical Treatments for Vulvar Pain". Women's Health Digest, 3(2),88-93.

Posted October 2007
Updated July 2009

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