🟢 Safe
Oxalate <25 mg/serving
🟡 Caution
Oxalate 25-99 mg/serving
🔴 Avoid
Oxalate ≥100 mg/serving
🟢

Broccoli, boiled or steamed

🟢 Low Oxalate — Low Oxalate
4 mg oxalate / serving
Serving: 1/2 cup (60 g) | Per 100 g: 7 mg
✓ Lab-Verified Data Oxalate values from Harvard T.H. Chan SPH Oxalate Database (2024), measured via ion chromatography. This site is a dietary reference tool, not a medical resource.

Broccoli is one of the safest vegetables for kidney stone patients — under 5 mg oxalate per serving when boiled or steamed. It's also cheap, widely available, versatile, and belongs to the cruciferous family, which is almost uniformly low in oxalate. The entire category of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale) is a safe zone for stone formers. If you're unsure what vegetable to put on your plate, "something cruciferous" is almost always the right answer.

📊 Nutrition at a Glance

4 mg
Oxalate / serving
Low Oxalate
36 mg
Sodium / 100g
Low Na
2.6 g
Protein / 100g
Tier 1
46 mg
Calcium / 100g
Tier 1

Cooking method is the axis that separates the members of this family. Boiled versions shed part of their soluble oxalate into the discarded water (typically 30-50%), raw versions retain everything, and frozen sits close to raw. Broccoli (Boiled or steamed) measures 4 mg per standard serving, in the middle of the family range — check the form you actually eat rather than the base name. Related forms in this family: Broccoli (Frozen) (1 mg), Broccoli (Raw) (9 mg).

📏 Oxalate by Serving Size

ServingWeightOxalateVerdict
1/2 cup60 g4 mg Low Oxalate
2 x 1/2 cup120 g8 mg Low Oxalate
½ x 1/2 cup30 g2 mg Low Oxalate

🏷️ Tags

Vegetables 🟢 Oxalate Safe Low Oxalate Plant-Based

🟢 See all Vegetables rated Safe for kidney stones →

🔗 Related Foods

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is Broccoli safe for kidney stones?

It's fine. Broccoli has 4 mg of oxalate per 1/2 cup. That's low enough that kidney stone patients don't really need to worry about it. Harvard did the measuring, not us.

What's the oxalate content of Broccoli?

One 1/2 cup of Broccoli = 4 mg oxalate. Scale it up to 100g and you're at 7 mg. Direct measurement from Harvard, 2024. About as reliable as food data gets.

Is Broccoli a high-oxalate food?

Nope. Broccoli is a low-oxalate food — just 4 mg per 1/2 cup. Well under the 25 mg cutoff. You're in the clear with this one.

What are the best low-oxalate alternatives to Broccoli?

Don't give up the whole category — just pick a safer member of it. The green foods in the related section all work as substitutes for Broccoli with a fraction of the oxalate.

How much sodium does Broccoli have?

Low sodium: 36 mg/100g. That's a non-issue for kidney stones. Just don't undo it by drowning it in salt during cooking.

🔍 Explore More About This Food

📚 Data Sources

Oxalate: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2024) via OHF. Nutrition: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy 2018 & Foundation Foods).

📖 Key Scientific References

Taylor EN, Curhan GC. Oxalate intake and the risk for nephrolithiasis. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2007;18(7):2198-2204. PMID: 17538185
Borghi L, Schianchi T, Meschi T, et al. Comparison of two diets for the prevention of recurrent stones in idiopathic hypercalciuria. N Engl J Med. 2002;346(2):77-84. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa010369
Fink HA, Akornor JW, Garimella PS, et al. Diet, fluid, or supplements for secondary prevention of nephrolithiasis. Eur Urol. 2009;56(1):72-80. DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2009.03.031
Ferraro PM, Taylor EN, Gambaro G, Curhan GC. Dietary and lifestyle factors for primary prevention of nephrolithiasis. BMC Nephrol. 2020;21(1):267. PMID: 32652950
Pearle MS, Goldfarb DS, Assimos DG, et al. Medical management of kidney stones: AUA guideline. J Urol. 2014;192(2):316-324. DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2014.05.006
Liebman M, Costa G. Effects of calcium and magnesium on urinary oxalate excretion after oxalate loads. J Urol. 2000;163(5):1565-1569. PMID: 10751889
Holmes RP, Assimos DG. The impact of dietary oxalate on kidney stone formation. Urol Res. 2004;32(5):311-316. DOI: 10.1007/s00240-004-0437-3
Lin BB, Lin ME, Huang RH, et al. Dietary treatment and fluid intake for prevention of recurrent calcium stones. PLoS One. 2021;16(4):e0250257. PMID: 33872340
This is dietary reference information, NOT medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your diet. Oxalate tolerance varies by person, stone type, and medication.