7 Dietary Changes to Prevent Kidney Stone Recurrence 
Urological HealthKidney Stones
Explore This Topic

7 Dietary Changes to Prevent Kidney Stone Recurrence

A combination of modifications, like drinking more water and eating less salt and fat, may be better than eating a low-oxalate diet.
7 Dietary Changes to Prevent Kidney Stone Recurrence
iStock
By
Updated on September 2, 2025
by

If you’ve ever had the painful experience of passing a kidney stone, you’ve likely been motivated to do whatever you can to prevent it from happening again. This includes making dietary modifications.

For years, many doctors have recommended a low-oxalate diet as one way to keep kidney stones from coming back. That’s because the most common type of kidney stone is formed from a chemical compound called calcium oxalate.

But this is changing. While the foods you eat (or don’t eat) can indeed affect your risk of developing kidney stones, doctors no longer routinely recommend a low-oxalate diet. It doesn’t always help, and it’s too restrictive to provide balanced nutrition, says Margaret Pearle, MD, PhD, a urologist and professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

“Because the most common stone composition is calcium oxalate, avoidance of oxalate-rich foods has often been recommended,” says Dr. Pearle. “However, high urinary oxalate is only one of many abnormalities that can contribute to calcium oxalate stone formation, and restriction of oxalate-rich foods is not appropriate in all patients.”

“Many high-oxalate foods are healthy foods and may not need to be completely avoided,” Pearle adds.

What Is Oxalate?

Oxalate is naturally found in a wide variety of plant-based foods. After the body uses food for the energy it needs, oxalate and other waste products travel through the bloodstream to the kidneys to be excreted through urine.

But if there is too much waste and too little liquid, crystals can form into a solid mass that creates a kidney stone.

Oxalate is one type of substance that can form crystals in the urine. This happens when there is too much oxalate, too little liquid, and oxalate sticks to calcium in the kidneys while urine is being produced.


Should Oxalates Be Restricted?

A research review of dietary interventions to prevent kidney stones suggests there’s no clear benefit to focusing your prevention efforts only on avoiding or reducing oxalate intake. Studies haven’t proven that a low-oxalate diet stops kidney stones from forming, this analysis found.

Before you even consider a low-oxalate diet, your doctor should test your kidney stones to see whether they are indeed calcium oxalate stones and also test the oxalate levels in your urine, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

A low-oxalate diet won’t help if you have normal levels of oxalate in your urine, Pearle says. But if you do have elevated urinary oxalate levels, then it still may make sense to take a targeted approach to reducing oxalates from your diet, Pearle adds.

This means focusing on reducing your intake of certain foods with higher oxalate levels instead of trying to eliminate every single food with oxalate from your diet.

If you do try a low-oxalate diet, Pearle recommends trying to reduce your intake of a few high-oxalate foods, like spinach, nuts, potatoes, beans, beets, chocolate, and brewed tea.

“There are certainly alternatives to these foods that are less high in oxalate, but in most cases, eating these foods in moderation shouldn’t be a big problem,” Pearle says. “The problem arises in patients who think they are eating super healthy foods by snacking on nuts and granola and juicing with spinach, eating lots of beans and avocados. It is all about moderation.”

Dietary Changes to Reduce Kidney Stone Risk

While a low-oxalate diet alone may not help prevent kidney stones, there are other ways you can modify your eating habits to reduce your risk.

1. Increase Water or Fluid Intake

Drinking more fluid increases the amount of urine you make and decreases the risk of dehydration, a risk factor for kidney stones.

If you’ve had kidney stones before, aim for 8 to 12 cups of water (2 to 3 liters) a day.

2. Eat Calcium-Rich Foods

Calcium from food combines with oxalates in the intestines, forcing oxalates into the feces instead of the urine and reducing the risk of developing calcium oxalate stones.

Aim for the recommended daily amount of calcium — 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams (mg) for most adults

 — from sources like dairy, soy, beans, fortified tofu, and green vegetables like broccoli and kale, Pearle says.

3. Follow a Low-Fat Diet

Eating too many fatty foods makes it easier for oxalates to form kidney stones. Reducing dietary fat is especially important if you have risk factors for kidney stones, such as intestinal malabsorption due to surgery or bowel diseases like Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, Pearle says.

Unfortunately, research suggests this includes healthy unsaturated fatty acids, too.

One study found that each 10-gram increase in saturated fat intake per day was linked to 22 percent odds of kidney stones. The same increase in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat intake was linked to 10 percent and 21 percent higher odds, respectively.

 More research is needed, though.

4. Reduce Sodium

A high-sodium diet increases the amount of calcium in the urine, which can trigger kidney stones.

Following dietary guidelines for sodium intake — no more than about 1 teaspoon (2,300 mg) a day

 — can help lower your risk.

However, keep in mind that most packaged and restaurant foods already have sodium added to them, so you’ll have to account for that, too.

5. Limit Added Sugars

Limiting added sugars can help prevent kidney stones by reducing the amount of calcium excretion in the urine, Pearle says.

While this may not have as big an impact as other preventive measures, it can still play a role in kidney stone formation, Pearle adds.

6. Cut Back on Animal Protein

Eating too much protein from animal sources can increase oxalate concentrations in your urine and increase the risk of kidney stones.

You can reduce your risk by limiting your meat intake, including red and processed meat as well as poultry and fish, to no more than 8 ounces a day.

7. Avoid Vitamin C Supplements

While the vitamin C you get from foods doesn’t increase the risk of kidney stones, taking vitamin C supplements may increase oxalate levels in your urine and lead to kidney stones. Most people get all the vitamin C they need from foods.

The Takeaway

  • Dietary modifications can help prevent the recurrence of calcium oxalate kidney stones.
  • These changes include drinking lots of water and limiting fats, sodium, added sugars, and meat.
  • It’s always a good idea to check in with your doctor or registered dietitian before you make any major dietary modifications.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Kidney Stones. Mayo Clinic. April 4, 2025.
  2. Calcium Oxalate Stones. National Kidney Foundation. March 2019.
  3. Dai J et al. Diet and Stone Disease in 2022. Journal of Clinical Medicine. August 13, 2022.
  4. Lots of Water, Small Dietary Changes Can Help Prevent Kidney Stones, UTSW Expert Says. UT Southwestern Medical Center. June 12, 2023.
  5. 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Agriculture. December 2020.
  6. Tan N et al. Associations Between Dietary Fatty Acids and Kidney Stones. Nature Scientific Reports. January 20, 2025.
  7. Can Too Much Vitamin C Lead to Kidney Stones? Nebraska Medicine. March 4, 2022.
Meet Our Experts
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
Melissa-Sleight-bio

Melissa Sleight, RDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Melissa Sleight, RDN, is a board-certified lifestyle medicine dietitian with over 15 years of experience. She has a passion for educating her clients about improving their health through nutrition and lifestyle changes, and seeing them motivated to improve their health each day.

Sleight earned her bachelor's in nutrition and food science from Utah State University. She is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition group for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is involved at the local level as the president-elect of Magic Valley Dietitians and is a liaison for her community as a board member of the Idaho Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

She likes to cook and try new recipes, and loves water activities of all kinds — from paddleboards to hot tubs. She enjoys exploring the outdoors through hiking, on all-terrain vehicles, and camping.
See full bio
lisa-rapaport-bio

Lisa Rapaport

Author
Lisa Rapaport is a journalist with more than 20 years of experience on the health beat as a writer and editor. She holds a master’s degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and spent a year as a Knight-Wallace journalism fellow at the University of Michigan. Her work has appeared in dozens of local and national media outlets, including Reuters, Bloomberg, WNYC, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, San Jose Mercury News, Oakland Tribune, Huffington Post, Yahoo! News, The Sacramento Bee, and The Buffalo News.
See full bio
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network