Are kidney beans high in oxalate?
Moderately. Moderate, 20 mg per 1/2 cup cooked
Range 9.9 to 64 mg across 4 studies, 89 g serving
Lower-oxalate swap: Chickpeas, grade B, about 5.9 mg per 1/4 cup dry (about 1/2 cup cooked).
Kidney beans have a moderate amount of oxalate: about 20 mg per 1/2 cup cooked, which is 40% of the 50 mg a day many stone clinics aim for, or 20% of the 100 mg others allow.
50 or 100 mg a day: which target is yours
Boiling and draining lowers oxalate, because the soluble part leaches into the water. Compare the raw and boiled rows below.
Why sources disagree on kidney beans
Boiled red kidney beans run from 11 to 72 mg per 100 g across 4 studies. Cooking lowers them: one study measured 113 raw and 72 boiled, another 91 raw and 32 boiled.
Where this number comes from
Each row is one published measurement, converted to a 89 g serving (1/2 cup cooked). The grade and the range use the rows prepared the way the serving is eaten, and take the middle. How the grades work.
| Per serving | Per 100 g | Preparation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.9 mg | 11.12 mg | Red kidney, boiled | Harvard T.H, 2023 |
| 12 mg | 13.9 mg | Red kidney (n=1) | Hönow R., Hesse A, 2002via Foods 2023;12:3201, Table 5 (CC BY 4.0) |
| 28 mg | 32 mg | Red kidney, seeds, boiled (n=3) | Judprasong K., Charoenkiatkul S., Sungpuag P., Vasanachitt K., Nakjamanong Y, 2006via Foods 2023;12:3201, Table 5 (CC BY 4.0) |
| 64 mg | 72 mg | Red, boiled (n=3) | Akhtar M.S., Israr B., Bhatty N., Ali A, 2011via Foods 2023;12:3201, Table 5 (CC BY 4.0) |
| 81 mg | 91 mg | Red kidney, seeds, and raw (n=3) | Judprasong K., Charoenkiatkul S., Sungpuag P., Vasanachitt K., Nakjamanong Y, 2006via Foods 2023;12:3201, Table 5 (CC BY 4.0) |
| 101 mg | 113 mg | Red, raw (n=3) | Akhtar M.S., Israr B., Bhatty N., Ali A, 2011via Foods 2023;12:3201, Table 5 (CC BY 4.0) |
By Oliver Silen · Data checked November 2, 2026 · Not medical advice