# Did almonds give me kidney stones? Source: https://kidneystonediet.com/preview/ep/did-almonds-give-me-kidney-stones/ Published: 2026-02-24 --- [Embedded content](https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/44RcUU7cci36HOtYOOGX9T) [![Kidney Stone Diet Podcast](https://kidneystonediet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kidney-Stone-Diet-Podcast-1-1024x1024.jpg)](https://kidneystonediet.com/preview/podcast/) [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/did-almonds-give-me-kidney-stones/id1528474326?i=1000751201272&uo=4)[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/44RcUU7cci36HOtYOOGX9T)[Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/0868148d-adfd-411d-b3f2-71a0ad1461ec) February 24, 2026 --- ![Jeff Sarris](https://kidneystonediet.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jeff-Sarris-150x150.jpg) Jeff Sarris Host ![Jill Harris](https://kidneystonediet.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Kidney-Stone-Diet-Jill-Harris-150x150.jpg) Jill Harris Host In this conversation, Jeff Sarris and Jill Harris discuss the implications of consuming almonds, particularly in relation to kidney stones. They explore the role of oxalates in kidney stone formation, the importance of dietary adjustments, and the need for proper guidance in managing kidney health. The discussion emphasizes the balance between healthy eating and the potential risks associated with overconsumption of certain foods, particularly almonds and spinach. **Takeaways** - Almonds are often considered healthy but can contribute to kidney stones. - Oxalates found in almonds can lead to high levels in urine, increasing stone risk. - Dieticians may not always provide specific advice on oxalate levels. - Many people overconsume healthy foods, thinking more is better. - It’s essential to monitor oxalate levels in urine to prevent kidney stones. - Reference ranges for oxalate levels in urine may be misleading. - Dietary changes can significantly lower oxalate levels and prevent stones. - Almonds and spinach are commonly removed from kidney stone diets. - Other nuts can be consumed in moderation as alternatives to almonds. - Education on kidney health and diet is crucial for prevention. \ 00:00 Understanding Almonds and Kidney Stones\ 06:25 Dietary Recommendations for Kidney Stone Prevention **When you’re ready, here’s how I can help**\ Since 1998, I’ve helped thousands of patients prevent kidney stones. With my Kidney Stone Diet [**All-Access Pass**](https://kidneystonediet.com/all-access/), you get access to every prevention tool I’ve ever created: - Weekly **Kidney Stone Diet Meal Plans** - ​4 meals per day, 7 days per week - Weekly **Kidney Stone Prevention Group Consultations** - 3 video calls per week with me and the Kidney Stone Diet community - All of my **Kidney Stone Diet Ebooks** - *Low Oxalate Protein Bars, Kidney Stone Safe Smoothies, Kidney Stone Safe Snacks & Desserts, and the Low Oxalate Cookbook* - Plus, **20% Off Private Consultations** And, as a BONUS, you’ll get my flagship **Kidney Stone Prevention Course** (normally $249) absolutely free! [**LEARN MORE!**](https://kidneystonediet.com/all-access/) \ **WHO IS JILL HARRIS? _**\ Since 1998, Jill Harris has been the #1 kidney stone prevention nurse helping patients prevent kidney stones. Drawing from her work with world-renowned University of Chicago nephrologist, Dr. Fred Coe, and the thousands of patients she’s worked with directly, she created the [Kidney Stone Diet®](https://kidneystonediet.com/). With a simple, self-guided online video course, meal plans, cookbooks, group consultations, and private consultations, Kidney Stone Diet® is Jill’s effort to help as many patients as possible prevent kidney stones for good. ## Chapters - 00:00:00 Almond Consumption and Kidney Stone Risk - 00:00:22 Oxalate Content in Healthy Foods - 00:00:49 High Oxalate Diets and Urine Collections - 00:07:25 Kidney Stone Diet Resources and Prevention ## Transcript ### Almond Consumption and Kidney Stone Risk 00:00:00 Jeff Sarris Did almonds give me kidney stones? Let's talk about that. Welcome back to the Kidney Stone Diet Podcast, the show about reducing your kidney stone risk and living your best life. I'm your host and fellow student, Jeff Sarris. 00:00:20 Jill Harris And I'm Jill Harris, your kidney stone prevention nurse. ### Oxalate Content in Healthy Foods 00:00:22 Jeff Sarris So, this is the big one. This is the one that, somehow, is the food that people get to when they learn about oxalate. But, somehow, also, we've barely talked about it on the show because we take it as a given. And I think this is very important to talk about almonds and talk about this healthy food. But what are the implications when it comes to almonds and kidney stones? ### High Oxalate Diets and Urine Collections 00:00:49 Jill Harris It's very disconcerting to have this dog stare at me so intensely all day long, but I love him so much. I do. I love you. He's like, "Are you still talking about oxalates and 7:00 a.m. This morning? Come on." Okay, almonds. Almonds is one of the foods we take away. Almonds, spinach, cashews, we take them away. Specifically, almonds. The paleo world, the low-carb world really love almond everything. And so, dietitians, no shade cuz we need our dietitians, God knows, but dietitians will always tell patients for diabetes, "Eat almonds. Almonds and spinach." "My dietitian, Jill, told me to eat almonds. Just eat them." Keep my blood sugar steady, that's a great snack for me. It is a great snack! And it's not that the dietitian was wrong. It's just what we say to patients as healthcare professionals, you know, you got to be really specific because when somebody says eat almonds, it's healthy for you, well, they're getting the bag, they're sitting down, they're putting on their show, and they're eating almonds. That's what they're doing. So, too many. Then, there's a for the low-carb community, almond bread, almond milk, almond everything, almond bath I know. We got a new breed of dog called the almond doodle. I mean, you know, it's just almonds all over the place. So, people tend to overdo it. Typically, when a food is touted as something that's healthy, we human beings just get just overeat it or overdrink it. That's what we do because think the thinking is, "If I have more of that, that's even healthier for me." And that's what's so annoying about kidney stones. Often, I hear, "Well, Jill, what the heck? I was eating a healthy diet. I ate spinach. I became a diabetic. I took away sugar. I changed my whole life and now you're telling me that caused kidney stones?" You didn't know what you didn't know, Joe, right? So, but the problem is it is very frustrating for patients when they're trying to help themselves with one disease, yet they cause another. And how would the dietitian know? How would the patient know what's going on here, right? And so, too many almonds You know, 1 ounce of almonds is 72 mg of oxalate. We take them away because most people are overeating them. So, we take away everything almond and we take away spinach. And it's and also, let's not forget almond butter! Oh, people eat the heck out of some almond butter! So, between almond bread, almond butter, almond flour, almond milk, and just sitting around with the bag of almonds, people really overdid it and their oxalate's high. I once saw a urine collection. The patient got the urine collection. They did not get any information when they had their stone removed about how to prevent kidney stones. There's many urologists that their job is to take away the stones. They ain't talking to you about low salt and stuff. So, one of the reasons you keep making them is because no one's giving you preventative advice. And so, I have seen patients We want urine oxalate to be under 30 on your 24-hour urine collection. And people will say on my on the Facebook group, Kidney Stone Diet Facebook group, they'll say, "Oh, Jill doesn't need to look at my urine collection. The doctor said everything's fine." But that's because the oxalate reference range said that oxalate at 45 is totally fine when it's not. That's really high in the urine. We want it under 30. So, a lot of you were told that your urine collections are just fine. If they were, I'm going to ask you, "Well, well, they can't be cuz you're telling me you got a new stone." So, something's a miss, right? So, the reference ranges on a lot of the lab values for 24-hour urine collections are much too generous. Some of them say that, you know, it's okay for you to eat 5,000 mg of sodium. We all know, no! So, the oxalate should be under 30 in your 24-hour urine collection. And so, it's I have worked with people that when I first see them, their oxalate level is 125. A- Actually, Dr. Coe has a case study on that one. I talked to her for 1 hour. We went over her urine collection. We changed her diet, and the follow-up test two months later, her oxalate was I think 28. So, you are not just a stone former. You must learn how to change your diet. This YouTube channel is a great way to begin your journey, along with kidneystonediet.com, the website. Jeff has an oxalate food list there that can show you the highest oxalate foods. On the website, we have one little infographic that will show you a very short list of the highest foods, so it makes it easier for you. But I want you to remember, almonds are a no in the Kidney Stone Diet, just as spinach is. And, getting your calcium needs met is a way to start lowering your oxalate and, again, you don't want bone disease, osteoporosis, going forward, so you should be doing that anyway, but most women are not until they have bone disease, or Excuse you! Or Finn is Anyone who's listening, Finn is jumping right in front of the camera, which is kind of funny. Yeah, well, he's a ham like his mama.. So, the point is go to kidneystonediet.com, look at the oxalate food list. You're going to see that almonds are really high and you're going to have to get them out of your diet, but the good news is there's plenty of nuts you can still have. You take away almond, spinach. You can have I eat I eat every day a little mix of nuts. I put them in my yogurt cuz I like crunch. I use pecans. I use walnut. I use pistachios. I use sunflower seeds. I'll use flaxseeds, all in little portions. So, it's a total of 2 tablespoons, but, again, portion, not perfection, because I'm getting all different varieties. Sunflower seeds are so low, it takes up some space in the 2 tablespoons, so the pecans and walnuts that are a little higher, they don't take up a lot of room. Portion, not perfection! So, you can still enjoy nuts, you just can't be eating almond products anymore, especially the way you were. That's it, Jeff. ### Kidney Stone Diet Resources and Prevention 00:07:25 Jeff Sarris Yeah, and again, like oxalate is just one piece. We have the calcium needs, we have fluids, we have protein, animal protein. We have all the different goals of the Kidney Stone Diet are all at kidneystonediet.com, so you can learn everything that you need to know to prevent future stones and never deal with what could be the worst pain you ever have to experience. So, we have all of that at kidneystonediet.com, including the meal plans, the All-Access Pass, the prevention course, everything that you could possibly need, everything that Jill has used since what, 1998 to help thousands and thousands of people prevent kidney stones. You can find all that at kidneystonediet.com, free and paid resources. So, head on over there if you haven't yet, and thanks again for tuning in, and we'll see you next week. 00:08:13 Jill Harris Bye, everybody! Love, Finn!