Here’s a fun little fact. The average American only gets around 15 grams of fiber per day though we’re supposed to get between 21-38 per day (21-25 grams for women and 30-38 grams per day for men).
You might be asking yourself, “What the heck does this have to do with my kidney stones, Jill?” I’ll tell you. When I take a health history on my patients, many tell me that they’ve stopped getting adequate fiber in their diet because they are afraid of overeating oxalate. Constipation is also a common concern amongst my patients, which can be due to various reasons, but getting adequate fiber is essential.
For this reason, I thought it might be helpful to put together a grocery list of the highest-fiber/lower-oxalate foods. I want you to have quick access to all the nutrient-dense foods you may have taken off your plate because you were uncertain about the oxalate level. Remember, there are so many foods you can eat on a lower oxalate diet.
A couple of points. I rounded up or down on the fiber. If it was right in the middle (see green peppers), I kept the actual measurement. Whole numbers, in general, are easier to understand, and it is not a big difference either way.
There is one asterisk next to dried cranberries. I use cranberries from Trader Joe’s that are unsweetened and are ridiculously high in fiber. The fiber listed is in a portion size of 1/4 cup (different from the heading in the chart states). If you can find these, use them. You can purchase from Amazon if you don’t have Trader Joe’s near you.
I chose foods that Harvard has studied. There may be foods you eat (like quinoa) with higher fiber, but I didn’t include them here because Harvard hasn’t studied them, and I wanted to maintain consistency. You can certainly eat quinoa as it provides fiber and is an excellent grain to eat in standard portion size. Portion and getting your daily calcium needs met are vital in lowering oxalate, especially when we don’t know the oxalate level.
The fiber data came from MyFoodData .com.
Veggies (cup) – Fiber (g) / Oxalate (mg)
Broccoli – 5g / 12mg
Green Peas – 8g / 2mg
Collard Greens – 8g / 10mg
Kale – 5g / 2mg
Asparagus – 4g / 12mg
Mushrooms – 4g / 0mg
Corn – 3g / 2mg
Cabbage – 4g / 2mg
Cauliflower – 3g / 2mg
Green Peppers – 2.5g / 0mg
Onions – 3g / 0mg
Mustard Greens – 3g / 4mg
Yellow Squash – 2.5g / 8mg
Fruits (cup) Fiber Oxalate
Avocado – 3g / 19mg
Blackberries – 8g / 4mg
Blueberries – 6g / 4mg
Apples – 5g / 1mg
Strawberries – 5g / 4mg
Pears – 4g / 2mg
Dried Cranberry* – 19g / 1mg
Nut/Seeds (1oz) Fiber Oxalate
Flax seeds – 8g / 0mg
Sunflower seeds – 3g / 3mg
Pistachio nuts – 3g / 14mg
Pecan – 3g / 10mg
Grains (cup) Fiber Oxalate
Oats (uncooked) – 16.5g / 0mg
Oat bran (uncooked) – 14.5g / 0mg
Beans (1/2 cup) Fiber Oxalate
Red kidney beans – 16.5g / 15mg
Mung beans – 15g / 8mg
A couple of notes before I sign off. Remember, when you are increasing fiber in your daily diet, increase it slowly and get your fluids to help move things along—it would be best if you didn’t have any bloating or belly aches. As with most habit changes, slow and steady wins this race!
Your friend and advocate,
Jill
Dear Jill,
Thanks for following the Harvard KS. Research for diet guidelines. Every bit of enlightened confirmation is helpful to avoid oxalate pain. Thanks for your continual aid and support. You are an addition to my KS team. My doctor is glad you are on board. Lov from PA
Hi Suzanne,
Thrilled to help in any way I can.
j
Dear Jill,
Thank you for this article. Is there anyway to find the oxylate level of acacia fiber?
Thank you.,
Susan
HI Susan,
Not that I am aware of.
j
Thank you for this! I was devastated to find out my high fiber selections have delivered me a 1.3cm( yes over a cm) stone. No interventions yet, no pain, but slowly changing the diet!!!! No more spinach!
Hi Jennifer,
I made this resource bc so many patients before finding me tell me they stopped eating so many fruits and veggies bc of wrong info on oxalate. But yes, no more spinach!
j
Hi Jill,
Thanks for the high fiber/low ox list in your recent email. Here’s a question: When I go to Amazon to look up dried cranberries, which I happen to love on my salads and did not know they were so high in fiber; BUT, when I look at the nutrient labels for many different brands, sweet and unsweet, not one of them showed such a high fiber content as you are stating here on your list. They all say 2-3g of fiber, nothing like the 19g you are suggesting–not even the Trader Joe’s brand that you mentioned. I’m confused. Please help clear up this discrepancy. Thanks.
Hi,
I get the ones at the store itself. Been getting them for awhile. Keep looking!
Jill
How many mgs of oxalate per day? Is this all the foods that we can have on oxalates? Not a whole lot of foods.
Hi Delores,
This is simply a list to help people get more fiber with little oxalate. You can eat most foods on a lower oxalate diet.
j
Delores,
Also, you get 100 per day unless your doc has told you otherwise.
j
Is Carob alright to eat?
Carob is said to have no oxalates, but is high in sugar. I am not confident in the source so not sure about oxalate.
j
Jill, thanks for this. One question – are the portion measurements for lentils and mung beans dry or cooked? Same question for dried grains and legumes on the safe food list — some items specify “cooked” – are the others dried? Thanks!
Hi Kartar,
I do not know. They didn’t specify so we don’t know. Not helpful, I know, but again as I always say portion not perfection. You can certainly fit normal sized portions of these items into your diet. Get your daily calcium needs met, which I consider more important than oxalate counts.
j
Thank you Jill. This list is super helpful. So blessed to have your support!