Is Oatmeal Safe for Kidney Stones? (Safe)
mg oxalate
per serving
Serving: 1 cup (234 g)
Verdict: 🟢 Safe
Per 100g: 1 mg
Data: Harvard T.H. Chan SPH (2024)
The bottom line for Oatmeal: Safe (🟢), with 2 mg oxalate per serving — comfortably below the 25 mg safe cutoff. There's no need to limit it. Just keep your usual kidney stone basics in place: water throughout the day and calcium-rich foods at meals.
Putting Oatmeal in context: it lands well below the category average of 14 mg. In the database, 84% of grains & pasta (170 of 201) fall in the 🟢 Safe group (under 25 mg oxalate/serving). The typical grains & pasta here averages 14 mg oxalate per serving, so Oatmeal runs 86% below that baseline. That places it among the lower-oxalate options in its category. Why this matters: the gap between two Safe foods can be wide — one may hold 5 mg oxalate while another sits at 24 mg. The lower one leaves more room in your day. See all grains & pasta rated Safe for a full side-by-side.
Why does the safe threshold matter?
The 25 mg line is the reference point clinicians use to separate everyday foods from ones that need caution. Every value on this page traces back to Harvard's 2024 lab analysis, so the threshold is applied to measured data rather than estimates. For context, Oatmeal measures 2 mg per 1 cup, rated Safe.
Can I eat this food every day?
If it's in the Safe zone (under 25 mg/serving), yes — it can be a regular part of your diet. For Caution or Avoid foods, frequency matters. Rotate them with lower-oxalate options throughout the week. Oatmeal comes in at 2 mg oxalate per 1 cup (Safe) in the measured database.
Where does the oxalate data come from?
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2024) via the OHF database. These are direct laboratory measurements — the most reliable oxalate data available for food. For context, Oatmeal measures 2 mg per 1 cup, rated Safe.
Should I also check sodium and calcium?
Yes — oxalate alone doesn't decide stone risk. Sodium pushes more calcium into urine, and calcium from food (not supplements) helps bind oxalate during digestion. The main food page covers sodium and calcium alongside oxalate. For Oatmeal, the measured oxalate value is 2 mg per 1 cup (Safe).