If you find yourself occasionally craving a fast food hamburger, it's fine to have one every now and then. Remember to order your hamburger with no salt, pickles or grill seasoning, so you can limit sodium and potassium. Also, cheese is limited for those on the dialysis diet.
Kidney friendly options at McDonald's
Stick with McDonald's classic hamburger. Add the lettuce and skip the pickles if you need to avoid potassium additives or extra salt.
Fresh or frozen red meats without breading, marinades or sauce are better choices for a kidney diet. On average, fresh meat contains 65 mg of phosphorus per ounce and 7 grams of protein per ounce. Seafood is an excellent source of low-fat, high-quality protein.
Fresh is always best. If possible, make meat sandwiches from low sodium, fresh-cooked meats such as chicken, turkey breast, roast beef, pork or fish. Use meat leftover from dinner, or cook fresh meat specifically for lunch sandwiches. Consider freezing cooked meat in 2- to 3-ounce portions until needed.
Asian Food:
Dishes without sauces or with a light sauce are more suitable e.g. steamed whole fish, braised meats, crispy skin chicken, sweet sauces such as plum, lemon, orange, and sweet and sour may also be lower in salt.
Your body needs protein to build tissue and stay strong, so eat the right amount without eating an excess. Most people with chronic kidney disease need between 60-70 grams of protein a day, which is the amount in about 7 ounces of meat or 10 large eggs.
Hard cheeses such as cheddar, Edam and Red Leicester are high in phosphate. Better options include: cream cheese • cottage cheese • mozzarella • feta • brie • Stilton.
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.
Objective(s): Despite the nutritional benefits of potato tuber, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) should limit the consumption because of its high potassium content.
Foods to limit or avoid
Dishes containing tinned meats or fish (including dried fish) will be higher in salt and should be avoided. Vegetable dishes made up of baked, fried or steamed vegetables will be high in potassium and should be limited.
Fish and Chips:
Remove batter from battered fish as this is high in salt. A small portion of chips can be eaten as a treat but remember these are not pre-boiled so will be high in potassium. Serve with bread and side salad to fill you up. Avoid battered sausages and burgers as these are high in salt.
Whole eggs provide a nutrient-dense source of calories to meet the increased energy demands of CKD patients. Additionally, eggs are naturally low in sodium, a nutrient which is restricted in renal diets.
Eggs: perfect for meals or snacks
Eggs are the perfect protein for people with kidney disease. Keep hard-boiled eggs on hand but turn up the flavor meter and switch things up. “Deviled eggs are a great side snack,” says Chef McCargo.
Low-quality chocolate containing high levels of milk, sodium, sugar, and preservatives is far from a healthy option. On the other hand, high-quality dark chocolate containing a high percentage of cocoa (above 85%) offers health benefits if you have kidney disease.
Beans are great for people with kidney disease to enjoy. Beans are affordable and easy to get! Beans are available at very low prices at grocery stores, food pantries, corner stores, dollar stores, and more.
A great plant based protein, shiitake mushrooms are an ideal food for those with kidney issues. They are better than white button and portobellos since they contain much less potassium.
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.
Plain white rice is a great choice for kidney diets because it is generally low in sodium (2-3 mg), potassium (12-50 mg) and phosphorus (11-45 mg). The same half cup serving of rice contains approximately 100 to 120 calories, 22 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein and 0 grams fat.
High in vitamin K, vitamin C and fiber, cabbage is also a good source of vitamin B6 and folic acid. Low in potassium and low in cost, it's an affordable addition to the kidney diet. Raw cabbage makes a great addition to the dialysis diet as coleslaw or topping for fish tacos.