Spinach (Cooked)

Potassium: HigherPhosphorus: ModerateSodium: Lower

The bottom line

Cooking concentrates spinach dramatically: a small cooked mound holds the potassium of a mountain of leaves, plus oxalate for stone formers.

For everyone: Stone formers with high urine oxalate: spinach is one of the highest-oxalate foods — your team may ask you to limit it specifically.

A healthier swap

Kale is the exception among greens on the National Kidney Foundation lower-potassium list; cabbage and lettuce also swap in kindly.

Understand the nutrients

Potassium

Frequently asked questions

Is raw spinach in a salad as risky?

A handful of raw leaves carries far less potassium than a cooked portion, because cooking packs so much more spinach into a serving. Portion is the whole story here.

These pages are general education about eating with kidney disease, dialysis or a kidney transplant. They are not medical advice and do not replace your own care plan. Kidney diets are individual: what is right for you depends on your stage, your blood tests, your medicines and your other conditions. Always talk to your care team or renal dietitian before changing what you eat, and never stop or change a medicine because of something you read here.