If you're dealing with calcium oxalate stones, then you probably have a large list of foods that you have to avoid. This can make your diet very restrictive. But on the flip side, there are still many low oxalate foods that you can still enjoy often. Here's a handy list and some general advice that will help you.
A Quick List of Foods You Can Eat
There are plenty of foods low in oxalates. You'll be surprised at the number of choices you actually have.
- For fruit, you can eat apples, bananas, grapes, melons, peaches, and blueberries.
- For vegetables, you can go with peas, cucumbers, zucchini, mushrooms, potatoes, and corn.
- For grains, there's egg noodles, bagels (without seeds), dry cereal without nuts or bran, and pancakes.
- You can also consume many types of protein and dairy. This includes milk, yogurt, cheese, fish, beef, chicken, turkey, and duck.
Rather than feel restricted by having to consume low oxalate foods, try stepping out of your comfort zone. Instead of falling back to your comfort foods, experiment with new recipes. Researching recipes based on a single ingredient is a great way to come up with new ideas.
Another great way to try out new recipes is to go with ethnic foods. For example, spicy pickled cucumbers is a great dish that you can substitute for your regular salads. Roasted cauliflower with various spices and yogurt is a dish served in many modern restaurants.
Have a Mix of Easy to Prepare and Long Prep Time Foods
To help you get into the habit of consuming foods low in oxalates, you need to approach your diet with a good strategy. Rather than rely just on recipes, you also need to think about prep time. There should be many recipes that you can prepare in 30 minutes or less. There should also be recipes that are delicious but does take a bit longer.
If you make it too hard for yourself to cook your new recipes, you may fall back into old habits. You'll rely on going back to the same foods that you used to eat. This will put you a step back from dealing with your calcium oxalate stones, especially if it's serious.
Food You Have to Be Careful About
There are also certain foods that you have to be careful about on a low oxalate diet. The first is canned foods. Foods like soups and microwaveable meals are convenient. However, they tend to have a very high salt content. This can help contribute to stone growth.
Then there's eating out at restaurants. Restaurants either use high amounts of salt or do not list all the ingredients used for a meal. For example, that delicious green sauce may be a pesto which contains high oxalate content. You have to be very conscious of what you order.
What you need to do is to look at what you can eat as much as what you can't eat. You can still eat many delicious foods and dishes even if you're dealing with calcium oxalate stones. You'll be surprised at how well you can eat with a little extra effort and changes to your eating habits.
