LOW OXALATE RECIPES - A Complete Meal (Ideas) (2024)

If you are looking for foods low in oxalates, then you are in the right place. I have a ton of low oxalate recipes that will have you licking your fingers in amazement. The chances are high that if you are reading this, you have an idea what low oxalate menus comprise. If you do not, worry not as I will get to that pretty soon. You will find that I have included some low oxalate recipes to help you in your quest for nutrition.

When it comes to these recipes, creativity is essential as you may find that your taste buds are not that into non-oxalate foods. With a little from here and some from there, you can craft the perfect meal as you will see.

I hope that you take joy in these recipes which will help you in building or expanding your low-oxalate menu.

What are oxalates?

Before we get into the various recipes you can follow, let us first get into the definition of oxalates. These are organic molecules found in both plants and humans in abundance. The thing with oxalates is that they are not necessary as nutrients in the body, and the presence of too many molecules leads to conditions such as kidney stones. In the case of plants, oxalates work to bind with calcium, thus ensuring that the nutrients are not in excess.

As such, you will find that most high-oxalate foods are from plants. In human beings, oxalates work in providing good guttural bacteria with the nutrients they require, thus serving as pre-biotics.

Processing of oxalates

When you take in oxalates, they go through the digestive system and leave the body as urine or stool. As they pass through the system, they can bind with calcium present and enable you to move it through defecation.

The problem comes in when the oxalates present in the body are at high levels that could expose you to getting kidney stones. Most people who have kidney stones have them as a result of calcium oxalates. As such, the higher the number of oxalates you take in, the higher your chances of getting kidney stones.

The low-oxalate diet

There is one way in which you can keep kidney stones at bay, and this involves reducing the number of oxalates that you consume. The other way you can reduce your chances of suffering kidney stones is by boosting your intake of calcium.

In this way, oxalates and calcium would bind before they got to the kidneys and this would prevent the formation of kidney stones. In the latter method, you would not have to reduce oxalates in your diet. However, studies show that reduction is the most suitable manner at the moment, as we await further advancements in the field.

The build-up of oxalates

We all recognize that vitamin C is an essential nutrient in our diets. However, a high intake in foods rich in this nutrient has proven to increase oxalate levels in the body. Vitamin C undergoes conversion to become an oxalate and anyone taking in at least 1,000 milligrams of the same per day is at risk of kidney stones.

If you take antibiotics regularly or have a history of digestive disorders, you also stand a chance of developing kidney stones. The reason behind this is that good bacteria in the gut work in getting rid of oxalates. Where the levels of these micro-organisms fall, so does your defense.

Oxalate reduction

There are some ways you can put to use to help you reduce the level of oxalates in your body. You can start by drinking lots of fluid throughout the day to keep them from forming.

An ideal drink, in this case, would be water. It is also essential that you incorporate calcium into your diet. Too little calcium in the body predisposes you to have too many oxalates get to your kidney, thus increasing the chances of the development of kidney stones.

However, be sure not to take in too much as this can have detrimental effects. You should also look into how much salt you take in per day. A little sodium will get your system running. However, too much salt leads to the loss of calcium in the form of urine.

Measuring oxalates

The oxalates present in foods depend on the harvesting period, the area in which the plants come from as well as the testing methods in place. High-oxalate foods include vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, legumes, and seeds. Examples of high-calcium foods, on the other hand, are broccoli, kale, okra, and watercress.

Vegetables high in oxalates include okra, beets, swiss chard, rhubarb, spinach, and leeks. High-oxalate nuts include almonds, peanuts, cashews, and soy products. You should also avoid over-eating the following foods: bran flakes, quinoa, wheat germ, cocoa, tea, and chocolate.

Vegetables low in oxalates include chives, endive, mushrooms, cabbage, cauliflower, water chestnuts, and radishes. When it comes to reducing your risk of getting kidney stones, the best way to do so is to add foods rich in calcium to your high-oxalate diet. With the recipes I will provide, you will observe that the meals are gluten-free, low in sodium and overall, they are what you would call superfoods.

Low oxalate meal plan

Here are some recipes to help you out in your quest for nutrition:

Low oxalate snacks

These foods are quite useful for busy people who wish to follow a strict low oxalate diet. Here are some great ideas on the same.

No-bake bars

These snacks are ideal for anyone looking to get a protein boost as you go about your activities. This recipe serves nine people, and it requires the following ingredients:

2 cups of oats
Three tablespoons of unsweetened coconut shreds
One large ripe banana
One tablespoon of milled flaxseed
Three scoops of vanilla protein powder
½ a cup of sunflower butter
½ a cup of melted coconut oil

Directions

Coconut flour cookies

It is quite a hassle to find a flour that is low in oxalates and coconut flour provides a healthy alternative to the same. The great thing about it is that it also falls in line with other meal plans such as the Paleo diet. The cookies presented below are very easy to make, and you will love how delicious they are. To make them, you will need:

Three tablespoons of coconut flour
A tablespoon of honey
Two tablespoons of cold butter

Directions

You should begin by heating your oven to 365 degrees Fahrenheit. When it comes to baking, I find that adequate preheating ensures that you can finish making your cookies on time and that the hue will be even. From here, you can combine the ingredients. You can choose to do this by hand.

However, you will get the best results if you decide to use a pastry blender or a food processor. Once the ingredients have combined evenly, proceed to divide them into small balls which you will then flatten on a baking sheet. Insert the cookie baking sheet in the oven and let the dough cook for at least nine minutes. Switch off the oven heat and leave the cookies in the oven for two minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

BLT Wraps

These wraps are great snacks to have by your side as you move from one activity to the other. You can make a large batch at the beginning of the week to enable you to have an ample supply of these healthy treats. The recipe I have serves four people, and you are free to tweak it to be for as many people as you would prefer. Here is what you need for this:

Ten cherry tomatoes
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound of thick bacon
½ head butter lettuce

For the bacon, ensure that you cut it into one-inch pieces to make the cooking easy.

Directions

Start by cooking the cut bacon in a large skillet. Ensure that it turns brown on all sides before draining it and placing it on the side. Next, halve the cherry tomatoes. For each lettuce leaf, add ¼ cup of cheddar cheese and add ¼ of the bacon and cherry tomatoes on top. You can then roll up the wraps before cutting them in half.

Fruit salad

There are some fruits which you should not eat if you wish to keep kidney stones at bay. That is not to say that you cannot enjoy a delicious bowl of fruit now and then. All you need are low-oxalate fruits cut into large chunks. Place these in a bowl and add a plastic fork and you are set to go to your meetings, and when the hunger pangs strike, you will have the right snack with which to fight them. Here are some fruits that you can consider for a salad: blueberries, pears, apples, and bananas. You should stay away from high-oxalate fruits such as raspberries, kiwis and oranges.

Low oxalate breakfast ideas

Following a low-oxalate diet requires that you take note of what you are eating from when you wake up till the moment you retire to bed. It is essential that you pay close attention to your breakfast given that it is the most important meal of the day. Here are some fun ideas on the same:

Banana Muffins

Bananas are low-oxalate fruits and are thus an excellent choice for use in flavoring muffins. My recipe calls for coconut flour which is also low in oxalates, thus making these muffins a healthy choice. You require:

Four lightly beaten eggs
Four mashed ripe bananas
Two tablespoons of vanilla extract
Three tablespoons of maple syrup
½ a teaspoon of salt
One teaspoon of baking powder
½ a cup of coconut flour
½ a teaspoon of baking soda

Directions

Begin by heating your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit before embarking on greasing your muffin tins. Next, mix eggs, vanilla extract, banana and maple syrup in a bowl until they are evenly combined. In a separate bowl, add the coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix them until combined. Pour the dry components to the wet mixture and stir them until they combine evenly.

Let the dough sit outside for at least five minutes before dividing it into the muffin tins. Place the muffin tins into the oven and let them cook for at least twenty minutes. Keep checking to ensure that they do not burn and perform a clean test to see if they are ready.

Banana smoothie

The rule to this recipe is that you should not exceed one serving if you wish to keep your oxalate levels in check. The reason behind this is that though food may be low in oxalates, having an excess of the meal will add on to the number of oxalates that you are having and will thus put you at risk of having too many oxalates in your system. As such, it is advisable to think of oxalates concentration in a per serving basis as this will help you estimate how much you are taking.

Here is what you need:

1 cup of creamy milk
Two small bananas
½ a cup of yogurt

Ensure that the dairy options you choose are non-fat. The bananas can either be frozen or chopped into small pieces.

Directions

Prepare your ingredients and place them in a bar mix or a blender. In a few minutes, your smoothie will be ready, and you will have the energy you need to face the day ahead.

Conclusion

When it comes to an oxalate free diet, the key lies in playing about with the ingredients to find what works great for you. I hope that you enjoyed my low oxalate recipes and that you now have a clear idea as to what constitutes oxalate-free diets. Thank you!