If you're managing kidney stones, inflammatory conditions, or simply trying to optimize mineral absorption, knowing which high oxalate foods to avoid — and what to replace them with — is the most practical step you can take. The good news is that nearly every high-oxalate food has a nutritionally comparable low-oxalate alternative that tastes just as good.
Below is a food-by-food swap guide organized by category. Each entry lists the oxalate content of the food to avoid and its replacement, so you can see the difference in hard numbers. For the full list of safe foods you can eat, see our low oxalate foods guide.
High Oxalate Leafy Greens
This is the category where the biggest mistakes happen. Many people load up on certain greens for their perceived health benefits without realizing they're consuming extreme amounts of oxalate.
| Avoid | Serving | Oxalate (mg) | Swap To | Serving | Oxalate (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinach | 1 cup cooked | 750 | Romaine lettuce | 1 cup | 1 |
| Swiss chard | 1 cup cooked | 300–660 | Cabbage | 1 cup | 1 |
| Beet greens | 1 cup cooked | 610 | Broccoli | ½ cup cooked | 2 |
A daily green smoothie with two cups of raw spinach delivers roughly 1,300mg of oxalates — over 13 times the recommended daily limit for stone formers. Romaine and arugula deliver vitamin A, folate, and fiber with virtually no oxalate load. Broccoli provides similar vitamins K and C plus sulforaphane, a well-studied anti-inflammatory compound.
High Oxalate Nuts and Seeds
| Avoid | Serving | Oxalate (mg) | Swap To | Serving | Oxalate (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almonds | 1 oz | 120 | Walnuts or pecans | 1 oz | 8 / 6 |
| Chia seeds | 1 oz | 90 | Hemp seeds | 3 tbsp | 5 |
| Peanuts | 1 oz | 27 | Macadamia nuts | 1 oz | 3 |
| Peanut butter | 2 tbsp | 26 | Sunflower seed butter | 2 tbsp | 5 |
| Cashews | 1 oz | 50 | Macadamia nuts | 1 oz | 3 |
Peanuts are technically legumes but usually eaten like nuts — and at 27mg per ounce, they add up fast for anyone snacking on handfuls or using peanut butter daily. Hemp seeds deliver more protein per serving (10g vs 5g per ounce) and flaxseeds provide comparable omega-3s — both with far less oxalate than chia seeds. Macadamia nuts blend into an equally creamy base as cashews with almost no oxalates and more heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.
High Oxalate Grains and Starches
| Avoid | Serving | Oxalate (mg) | Swap To | Serving | Oxalate (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet potatoes | 1 medium | 140 | Butternut squash | ½ cup cooked | 2 |
| Buckwheat | ½ cup flour | 130 | Millet or farro | ½ cup cooked | 3 / 5 |
| Brown rice | 1 cup cooked | 50 | White rice | 1 cup cooked | 4 |
Butternut squash delivers the same natural sweetness, beta-carotene, and roastability as sweet potatoes with nearly zero oxalates. White potatoes (15–20mg per medium without skin) are also a significant step down. The bran layer that makes brown rice "whole grain" is where the oxalates concentrate — white rice is dramatically lower.
High Oxalate Fruits
| Avoid | Serving | Oxalate (mg) | Swap To | Serving | Oxalate (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhubarb | 1 cup cooked | 540 | Strawberries or blueberries | ½ cup / ½ cup | 2 / 4 |
| Kiwi | 1 fruit | 30 | Strawberries | ½ cup | 2 |
Strawberries actually contain more vitamin C per serving than kiwi (49mg vs 42mg per half cup) with a fraction of the oxalate. Berry-based desserts and compotes achieve similar tartness profiles to rhubarb at negligible oxalate levels.
High Oxalate Legumes and Soy
| Avoid | Serving | Oxalate (mg) | Swap To | Serving | Oxalate (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tofu (firm) | ½ cup | 13–20 | Chicken or fish | 4 oz | 0 |
| Navy beans | ½ cup cooked | 76 | Black beans | ½ cup cooked | 8 |
| Soybeans | ½ cup cooked | 56 | Lentils | ½ cup cooked | 8 |
Tofu's oxalate content varies by brand and firmness — firm and extra-firm tofu tend to be higher because more water (and less oxalate) is pressed out. For plant-based eaters who rely on tofu daily, the numbers add up. Tempeh (fermented soy) is somewhat lower and may be better tolerated.
High Oxalate Beverages and Other
| Avoid | Serving | Oxalate (mg) | Swap To | Serving | Oxalate (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot chocolate / cocoa | 1 tbsp cocoa | 65 | Carob powder | 1 tbsp | <1 |
For the full ranked list of oxalate foods by milligrams per serving, see our comprehensive reference guide.
Avoid High Oxalate Foods When Eating Out
Making swaps at home is straightforward, but restaurant meals hide high-oxalate ingredients in sauces, sides, and salads. DinePick flags these ingredients on any menu so you can swap confidently without interrogating your server. Join the waitlist to try it first.