Overview
About Parsley
Parsley is high in salicylates and is also a well-known dietary source of oxalate, so it carries two separate triggers in one bright green leaf.
Dose is everything: a sprig scattered over a plate is negligible, but a herb-heavy dish like tabbouleh or a green sauce, where parsley is measured in cups rather than pinches, turns it from a garnish into a real serving of both salicylate and oxalate.
Sensitivities
How Parsley scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- High in salicylates, a common trigger for people who react to aspirin or salicylate-rich produce
- A recognised oxalate source: a 10 gram garnish is only about 16 mg of oxalate, but a cup or two in tabbouleh pushes the amount much higher, which matters if you form calcium-oxalate kidney stones
- The gap between a sprig and a salad bowl is the whole story, so watch the portion, not just the ingredient
Diet fit
Where it fits
Swap ideas
More alternatives
FAQ
Common questions about Parsley
Is parsley high in salicylates and oxalates?
Parsley is high in salicylates and is also on the list of oxalate-containing herbs. As a small garnish neither adds up to much, but recipes that use parsley by the cup, such as tabbouleh, chimichurri or green juices, deliver a real dose of both, so the portion size decides whether it is a problem for you.
Is tabbouleh a high-oxalate food?
It can be. Tabbouleh is built on large amounts of parsley, and while a 10 gram sprig holds only around 16 mg of oxalate, the cups used in a proper tabbouleh push the total much higher. If you are prone to calcium-oxalate kidney stones, treat parsley as a garnish rather than a base ingredient.
References
Read the background
Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.