Good vegetable choices include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, eggplant, lettuce, cucumber, celery, onions, pepper, zucchini, and yellow squash. You should avoid potatoes, tomatoes, avocados, asparagus, pumpkin, winter squash, and cooked spinach. These options have a lot of potassium. If you need to limit potassium, then make sure to avoid high potassium vegetables, such as potatoes. Instead, choose low potassium ones, like cucumbers and radishes.
Low potassium fruits include grapes, cherries, apples, pears, berries, plums, pineapples, tangerines, and watermelon. Try to avoid oranges and orange-based products like orange juice. You should watch out for kiwis, nectarines, prunes, cantaloupe, honeydew, raisins, and dry fruit in general. If you need to limit your potassium, then make sure to choose low potassium fruits, such as blueberries and raspberries.
Find out how much protein you are allowed to have per day and stick to this guideline. Limit high protein foods to 5 to 7 ounces per day, or less if your dietitian tell you to. High protein foods include meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. Watch for protein in other foods. Keep in mind that protein is also present in milk, cheese, yogurt, pasta, beans, nuts, bread, and cereals. Make sure to keep track of your total protein intake each day. Try eating smaller servings of protein at dinner. Keep the bulk of your plate full of healthy fruits, vegetables, and carbohydrates. A serving of protein should be no more than 3 ounces, which is about the size of a deck of cards. High protein foods may be temporarily important during dialysis, so talk to your doctor if you’re undergoing dialysis or will be in the future. You will want to eat high protein foods. Many doctors suggest eggs or egg whites as a good source of protein during dialysis.
Use non-stick pans when you cook to cut back on your need for butter and cooking oils, which can add a lot of unneeded calories and fat to your diet. Use heart healthy fats like olive oil when cooking over butter or vegetable oil. When you eat, trim excess fat from meat. You should also remove the skin from poultry. When preparing food, aim to bake, stir-fry, grill, or boil food.
Buy foods with labels that read “no salt added,” “sodium-free,” or “low-sodium. " Check product labels to see how much sodium a food contains. Go for foods with less than 100mg of sodium per serving. Do not use when you’re cooking and don’t add salt to your food. If you have a salt shaker, remove it from the table altogether to avoid the temptation to salt your food during meals. Avoid salt substitutes as well unless your doctor or dietitian has said it is okay. Avoid salty foods like pretzels, potato chips, popcorn, bacon, deli meats, hot dogs, cured meats, and canned meats and fish. Steer clear of foods that contain MSG. Cut back on how often you eat out. Foods in restaurants often contain more sodium than foods you prepare at home.
When it comes to dairy foods, stick with your diet plan and do not exceed the recommended number of servings per day. You can also stick to low phosphorous dairy choices. Go for cream cheese, ricotta cheese, margarine, butter, heavy cream, sherbet, brie cheese, and whipped toppings that do not contain dairy. As you need calcium for strong bones, talk to your doctor about calcium supplements. Many people who have chronic kidney disease need to take calcium supplements for their health and well-being. You should also limit your intake of nuts, peanut butter, seeds, lentils, beans, organ meats, sardines, and cured meats such as sausages, bologna, and hot dogs. Avoid drinking colas and soft drinks with phosphate or phosphoric acid in them. Steer clear of bran breads and bran cereals as well.
When you’re eating out, stay away from deep fried foods on the menu. Ask the waiter or waitress about altering items. For example, see if you can substitute a grilled chicken breast for a fried one on a sandwich. At family get togethers, like holidays, stay away from fried foods. Opt for vegetables and fruits over things like fried chicken. When cooking meals at home, do not fry your foods. If you have a deep-fryer, it may be best to give it away.
If your doctor says it is okay to drink, then make sure you do not exceed one drink per day and count it as part of your fluid intake for the day. Ask that friends and family members do not drink around you at social events. If you know a social event will involve drinking, try sitting that event out or asking a friend or family member to refrain from drinking with you. If you struggle to give up alcohol, talk to a therapist about how to quit drinking. You can also seek out the support of groups like Alcoholics Anonymous if you believe you have a drinking problem.
Drink from smaller glasses during meals. If you’re at a restaurant, turn your cup over when you’re done drinking. This will let your server know not to refill your cup, allowing you to avoid the temptation of drinking too much water. You can try freezing fruit juices in ice trays. You can suck on these juices like popsicles, allowing you to alleviate your thirst slowly. Just make sure to count these popsicles towards your total fluid intake for the day. If you need to limit your fluids, try using a pitcher to track the amount of fluid you are allowed to drink per day. Fill the pitcher with water and only drink from the pitcher throughout the day. If you have something else that counts as a fluid, such as coffee, milk, jello, or ice cream, then pour out the amount of water equal to what you consumed. Make sure to count fluids from canned fruit, canned vegetables, soups, and any other sources as well.
Make sure that you avoid colas and soft drinks that contain phosphate or phosphoric acid. Sodas also have high amounts of sodium in them, and it is important to decrease your sodium/salt intake.
