Best Low Oxalate Greens: List of High and Low

There are a lot of things we know about different types of health benefits and drawbacks of green veggies in our diet, but one of the less well-known and hardly ever talked about is the oxalate content.

If you have never heard about “oxalates” you are not alone!

This article is all about low oxalate greens for those trying to eat a low oxalate diet, who don’t want to cut out their daily dose of veggies.

What is Oxalate?

So what is Oxalate anyways?

Oxalate, or oxalic acid, is a nutrient often found in fruits and vegetables. While oxalic acid isn’t harmful to you, too much can cause issues like kidney stones, often causing a recommendation for a low oxalate diet (Source).

Despite this, many of the fruits, vegetables, and foods high in oxalate, are still really healthy for you.

Who Needs to be on a Low Oxalate Diet?

Not many people need to worry about being on a low oxalate diet, even those who have kidney stones.

A low oxalate diet is only necessary for people who have a high urine oxalate. This can only be known by undergoing a 24-hour urine test.

Often, this will be recommended by a doctor, so don’t feel the need to self-diagnose!

If you switch to a low oxalate diet, without the recommendation from a physician, you could be unnecessarily missing out on other health benefits high oxalate foods have to offer.

Best Low Oxalate Greens – list of 5 best greens

The Myth: If you are on a low oxalate diet, you must avoid green vegetables.
Don’t believe this myth! Vegetables are very healthy for you and not all of them are high in oxalates, so don’t just cut them out of your life.

The Truth:

There are many green vegetables that have low to zero mg of oxalates per cup that you can eat on a low oxalate diet that is perfectly healthy.

So what are the best Low Oxalate vegetables you can eat?

Arugula

Arugula is a great green to eat, with many tasty uses. You can put it in salads, use it as a topping on pizza or avocado toast, or saute it and add it to an omelet.

Lettuce (Romaine & Iceberg)

Similar to Arugula, both Romaine and Iceberg lettuce has 0 mg of oxalate per cup.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that both of these give a delicious crunch to a salad!

Kale

Kale is also a great choice for a low oxalate diet. This is a great substitute green for spinach in salads and other recipes.

Cabbage

Containing 0 mg of oxalate per cup, cabbage is a great low oxalate vegetable. Cabbage can go in so many things that we tend to forget about!

You can saute cabbage for a side dish, add it to a slaw, or even put it in your stir-fry. Overall, everyone can, and should, enjoy cabbage on a regular basis!

Greens (Collard, Mustard, and Turnip)

Great as a garnish, or to add a little flavor: collard, mustard, and turnip greens are all a great choice for a low oxalate diet.

Other Low Oxalate Vegetables You Can Eat:

The top five are not your only choice when it comes to low oxalate vegetables.

A diet with any combination of these low oxalate superfoods is just what you need to stay healthy and avoid kidney stones and other issues.

High Oxalate Foods – What to Avoid

If you are on a low oxalate diet, there are some foods you might want to avoid or eat sparingly.

One food on the list to be careful of, if you need to reduce oxalates, is spinach. Spinach is very high in oxalate and also contains calcium, the two ingredients that increase the risk of getting kidney stones.

Even if you are not trying to reduce oxalates in your diet, you still want to make sure you are not eating too much spinach.

However, just because these foods have a high level of oxalic acid, doesn’t mean they are bad for you. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

All the foods on this list have their own health benefits and should be eaten daily by anyone not trying to limit their oxalates.

Do Greens Supplements Contain Low Oxalate Greens?

Green supplements can contain low oxalate greens. If you are looking for a supplement that is low in oxalates, just be aware of the ingredient list.

If the supplement you are taking has a large amount of the foods on the high oxalate list, you might want to look for an alternative.

A very popular type of supplement powder is spirulina.

So the question is: is spirulina high in oxalates?

Spirulina has 0 mg of oxalates, making it the perfect choice for a low oxalate supplement. Not sure which Spirulina powder is right for you? We have done all the hard work for you, here.

It is always a good idea when on any doctor-recommended diet, you check with your doctor if there is something you want to eat but are unsure about.