Diet for Chronic Kidney Disease

Diet for Chronic Kidney Disease

When your kidneys are not working well, they cannot remove waste and excess substances from your blood as effectively as they did before. This can lead to a buildup and imbalance of these substances, which can worsen kidney damage and affect how your body functions.

Certain foods lead to a buildup of these substances in the body. By changing your diet as recommended by your diet and nutrition specialist (dietitian) or health care provider, you could help prevent further kidney damage and delay or prevent the need for dialysis.

What are tips for following this plan?

General instructions

• Work with your health care provider and dietitian to develop a meal plan that is right for you. Foods you can eat, limit, or avoid will be different for each person depending on the stage of kidney disease and any other existing health conditions.
• Talk with your health care provider about whether you should take a vitamin and mineral supplement.
• Use standard measuring cups and spoons to measure servings of foods. Use a kitchen scale to measure portions of protein foods.

If directed by your health care provider, avoid drinking too much fluid. Measure and count all liquids, including water, ice, soups, flavored gelatin, and frozen desserts such as popsicles or ice cream.

Reading food labels

• Check the amount of sodium in foods. Choose foods that have less than 300 milligrams (mg) per serving.
• Check the ingredient list for phosphorus or potassium-based additives or preservatives.
• Check the amount of saturated and transfat. Limit or avoid these fats as told by your dietitian.

Shopping

• Avoid buying foods that are:
  • Processed, frozen, or prepackaged.
  • Calcium-enriched or fortified.
• Do notbuy foods that have salt or sodium listed among the first five ingredients.
• Do notbuy canned vegetables.

Cooking

• Replace animal proteins, such as meat, fish, eggs, or dairy, with plant proteins from beans, nuts, and soy.
  • Use soy milk instead of cow’s milk.
  • Add beans or tofu to soups, casseroles, or pasta dishes instead of meat.
• Soak vegetables, such as potatoes, before cooking to reduce potassium. To do this:
  • Peel and cut into small pieces.
  • Soak in warm water for at least 2 hours. For every 1 cup of vegetables, use 10 cups of water.
  • Drain and rinse with warm water.
  • Boil for at least 5 minutes.

Meal planning

• Limit the amount of protein from plant and animal sources you eat each day.
• Do notadd salt to food when cooking or before eating.
• Eat meals and snacks at around the same time each day.

If you have diabetes:

• If you have diabetes (diabetes mellitus) and chronic kidney disease, it is important to keep your blood glucose in the target range recommended by your health care provider. Follow your diabetes management plan. This may include:
  • Checking your blood glucose regularly.
  • Taking oral medicines, insulin, or both.
  • Exercising for at least 30 minutes on 5 or more days each week, or as told by your health care provider.
  • Tracking how many servings of carbohydrates you eat at each meal.
• You may be given specific guidelines on how much of certain foods and nutrients you may eat, depending on your stage of kidney disease and whether you have high blood pressure (hypertension). Follow your meal plan as told by your dietitian.

What nutrients should be limited?

The items listed are not a complete list. Talk with your dietitian about what dietary choices are best for you.

Potassium

Potassium affects how steadily your heart beats. If too much potassium builds up in your blood, it can cause an irregular heartbeat or even a heart attack.

You may need to eat less potassium, depending on your blood potassium levels and the stage of kidney disease. Talk to your dietitian about how much potassium you may have each day.

You may need to limit or avoid foods that are high in potassium, such as:

• Milk and soy milk.
• Fruits, such as bananas, papaya, apricots, nectarines, melon, prunes, raisins, kiwi, and oranges.
• Vegetables, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, tomatoes, leafy greens, beets, okra, avocado, pumpkin, and winter squash.
• White and lima beans.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is a mineral found in your bones. A balance between calcium and phosphorous is needed to build and maintain healthy bones. Too much phosphorus pulls calcium from your bones. This can make your bones weak and more likely to break. Too much phosphorus can also make your skin itch.

You may need to eat less phosphorus depending on your blood phosphorus levels and the stage of kidney disease. Talk to your dietitian about how much potassium you may have each day. You may need to take medicine to lower your blood phosphorus levels if diet changes do not help.

You may need to limit or avoid foods that are high in phosphorus, such as:

• Milk and dairy products.
• Dried beans and peas.
• Tofu, soy milk, and other soy-based meat replacements.
• Colas.
• Nuts and peanut butter.
• Meat, poultry, and fish.
• Bran cereals and oatmeals.

Protein

Protein helps you to make and keep muscle. It also helps in the repair of your body’s cells and tissues. One of the natural breakdown products of protein is a waste product called urea. When your kidneys are not working properly, they cannot remove wastes, such as urea, like they did before you developed chronic kidney disease. Reducing how much protein you eat can help prevent a buildup of urea in your blood.

Depending on your stage of kidney disease, you may need to limit foods that are high in protein. Sources of animal protein include:

• Meat (all types).
• Fish and seafood.
• Poultry.
• Eggs.
• Dairy.

Other protein foods include:

• Beans and legumes.
• Nuts and nut butter.
• Soy and tofu.

Sodium

Sodium, which is found in salt, helps maintain a healthy balance of fluids in your body. Too much sodium can increase your blood pressure and have a negative effect on the function of your heart and lungs. Too much sodium can also cause your body to retain too much fluid, making your kidneys work harder.

Most people should have less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day. If you have hypertension, you may need to limit your sodium to 1,500 mg each day. Talk to your dietitian about how much sodium you may have each day.

You may need to limit or avoid foods that are high in sodium, such as:

• Salt seasonings.
• Soy sauce.
• Cured and processed meats.
• Salted crackers and snack foods.
• Fast food.
• Canned soups and most canned foods.
• Pickled foods.
• Vegetable juice.
• Boxed mixes or ready-to-eat boxed meals and side dishes.
• Bottled dressings, sauces, and marinades.

Summary

• Chronic kidney disease can lead to a buildup and imbalance of waste and excess substances in the body. Certain foods lead to a buildup of these substances. By adjusting your intake of these foods, you could help prevent more kidney damage and delay or prevent the need for dialysis.
• Food adjustments are different for each person with chronic kidney disease. Work with a dietitian to set up nutrient goals and a meal plan that is right for you.
• If you have diabetes and chronic kidney disease, it is important to keep your blood glucose in the target range recommended by your health care provider.