Smart, kidney-friendly choices for dessert are fine when you have CKD. Low-potassium desserts, such as cake and fruit pies, can fit into a kidney diet and be a delicious sweet treat. It's healthier to enjoy goodies that are baked in your own kitchen than to eat the store-bought kind.
Foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt, such as crisps, chocolate, biscuits and cakes, can be included in your diet. However, because they do not contain good nutrients, they should only be included in small amounts occasionally.
How does sugar affect the kidneys? Sugar is not a problem for the kidneys unless the blood sugar level gets too high. This commonly occurs in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Once the blood sugar level gets higher than 180 mg/dl, the kidneys start to spill sugar into the urine.
Sucralose is reported to be safe on the kidneys, even for those on dialysis. Stevia rebaudiana(Rebaudioside A or Reb A) – refers to a South American plant based sweetener that is processed in a similar way as the way sugar is refined from sugar cane and sugar beets.
If you want to protect your kidneys, try to avoid eating fried foods as much as possible. Instead, opt for healthier alternatives like grilled or baked chicken or fish.
Examples of low potassium desserts include sugar cookies, graham crackers, cheesecake, angel food, spice, or lemon cake.
Snacking is okay on the kidney diet as long as you make healthy choices. Rather than eating food that is high in sodium, such as a small bag of potato chips, a better option is a piece of kidney-friendly fruit. You also need to consider how much you eat overall.
Fresh fruits, veggies, and protein are great everyday choices. You can also enjoy low-sodium chips, crackers, or fruit-based desserts for a treat on the go.
What milk can I have when I have chronic kidney disease? The best milk alternative for damaged kidneys appears to be coconut milk since it has low potassium, sodium, and oxalates. Macadamia milk is also a good choice as it's much lower in sodium than cow's milk.
Carrot cake
This dessert is usually loaded with oil, butter, cream cheese, and sugar in addition to carrots making it difficult to fit into a healthy diet. The average slice of carrot cake contains 800 calories, with 480 of these calories coming from fat.
Phosphorus and Dairy Foods
Most dairy foods are very high in phosphorus. People with kidney disease should limit their daily intake of milk, yogurt, and cheese to ½ cup milk, or ½ cup yogurt or 1-ounce cheese. If you do eat high-phosphorus foods, ask your doctor for a phosphate binder to be taken with your meals.
Large amounts of fried foods are not recommended as part of a healthy diet for anyone, whether a person has chronic kidney disease (CKD) or not.
Potatoes are high in potassium (also know as “K”) which is a nutrient that must be limited when following a diet to manage kidney disease. People following a kidney-friendly diet can cut up and soak their potatoes in water to reduce their potassium content.
People with kidney disease CAN enjoy potatoes! YAY! This myth came to be because potatoes are high in potassium. However, most people with kidney disease DO NOT need to limit potassium!
People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are often concerned about eating tomatoes if they have been advised by their renal dietitian to follow a low potassium diet. However, in the right amount and served with the right foods, tomatoes can still be enjoyed safely.
Potassium levels in the blood can build up when kidney function decreases, and then can cause heart and muscle problems. So, limiting your intake of dairy products may be necessary to control potassium levels in your body.
Ice cream or frozen yogurt can be substituted for the half cup of milk usually allowed on the renal diet. Your dietitian can give you a list of the best non-dairy substitutes to use.