Kidney Diet Guide
Properly balancing electrolytes like potassium and sodium are key to kidney health and overall well-being. However, it can be hard for those with kidney disease to do so. Luckily, our kidney diet guide can help you better balance your diet. If you have any dietary questions or concerns, give us a call at (301) 567-9245.
Maintaining Optimum Potassium Levels
Potassium keeps your heart beating and blood circulating throughout your body. It maintains a healthy nervous system and brain function, balances fluids and electrolytes and promotes muscle growth. Potassium also lets your brain send nerve impulses that filters blood in your kidneys. It’s important to maintain a healthy potassium level of roughly 3.5 – 5.0 mEq/L in your blood.
Kidney disease lessens the kidneys’ ability to remove extra potassium from the blood. Some medications also cause the body to retain potassium rather than removing it through urination. A high potassium level is known as hyperkalemia. Sypmtoms include muscle cramps, nausea, weakness, feeling tired, slow pulse and even heart failure.
Hypokalemia – a lack of potassium – is rare, because potassium is common in so many foods. But issues like malnutrition, excessive vomiting or diarrhea or taking certain medications can cause hypokalemia. Symptoms include fatigue, confusion, an irregular heartbeat, muscle weakness, cramping and heart failure.
High Potassium Food to Avoid
Potassium is found mostly in fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Avoiding these high-potassium foods will help control potassium levels in your blood. Remember – dairy products are high in phosphorous and potassium. Limit your dairy intake to 1/2 cup serving per day.
- Chinese
- Cabbage
- Banana
- Bamboo Shoots, fresh
- Beans* dried, cooked, canned: kidney, lima, lentils, navy, pinto, soy, great northern
- Beets, fresh
- Bok Choy
- Greens: beet
- Carrot Juice
- Chard, Swiss
- Chocolate*
- Artichoke
- Avocado
- Dried Fruits: figs, prunes, raisins, dates, apricots
- Guava
- Kiwi
- Peppers, sun-dried
- Persimmons
- Melons: cantaloupe, casaba, honeydew
- Milk & Soy Milk*
- Papaya
- Nuts, Peanuts*
- Orange, orange juice
- Parsnips
- Potato Chips
- Peas, mature, cooked*: split peas, black-eyed, chickpeas, pigeon
- Nectarine
- Potato: (unsoaked), French fries, boiled, hash brown, baked
- Kohlrabi
- Mango
- Prune Juice
- Vegetable Juice
- Savoy Cabbage
- Seeds*: pumpkin, squash, sunflower
- Spinach, cooked, canned
- Rutabaga
- Tomato and tomato juice
- Pumpkin canned, fresh
- Succotash*
- Squash, winter
- Sweet Potato*
- Water chestnuts fresh
- Salt Substitute
- Tomato paste- 3 Tbsp., sauce 1/4 cup
- Refried Beans*
- Yams
*Foods are high in phosphorus, Check with your Dietitian before including these foods in your diet.
Acceptable Low-Potassium Foods
The low-potassium fruits and vegetables in this kidney diet guide are okay to eat. However, they still need to be limited. Stick to 2-3 servings each of vegetables and fruits daily. A serving size is 1/2 cup or 4 ounces, unless specified otherwise. (Low-potassium foods have less than 250 mg of potassium per serving)
- Broccoli
- Asparagus, 4 spears fresh
- Corn*
- Cranberries, sauce, juice
- Beets, canned only
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Bamboo Shoots, canned
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Apple with skin, applesauce, apple juice
- Apricots, fresh, 2 small
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cherries
- Coconut, shredded or fresh
- Collards
- Boysenberries
- Kumquats
- Kale
- Leeks
- Figs, 2 small fresh, canned figs
- Fruit Cocktail
- Okra
- Onion
- Grapefruit
- Green Beans
- Peas, green, fresh, frozen*
- Mustard greens
- Lemon, Limes, Lemonade
- Lettuce, all kinds, Endive
- Mandarin Oranges, canned
- Mushrooms*
- Cucumber, 1 cup
- Eggplant
- Peaches & Pears, canned or small fresh
- Grapes, grape juice
- Turnips & turnip greens
- Sprouts: alfalfa, bean
- Strawberries
- Watermelon, 1 cup
- Snow peas
- Spinach, raw only
- Pineapple
- Tangerines
- Radishes
- Raspberries
- Rhubarb
- Plum
- Squash: summer, zucchini, spaghetti
- Water chestnuts, canned
- Peppers, bell
*Foods are high in phosphorus. Check with your Dietitian before including these foods in your diet.
Low-Sodium Diet
Sodium also plays a role in transmitting nerve impulses and regulating blood pressure and balance. Those with kidney disease can have a harder time removing excess sodium from their blood. Excess sodium can lead to shortness of breath, edema, high blood pressure and heart failure. Low-sodium foods are available in every food group, making a low-sodium kidney diet easy and tasty.
Pasta, Rice, Cereals and Bread
Most pastas and bread contain very little sodium. Compare labels to find products with less salt when cooking. There are also plenty of other low-sodium options:
- Shredded Wheats
- Unsalted Popcorn
- Crackers and breadsticks without salted tops
- Granola
- Puffed Rice
- Rolled Oats
- Whole grain bread
- Bagels and English muffins
Fruits
As long as they don’t contain sauces, fruit and fruit juice are generally low in sodium. Particularly low-sodium fruit include:
- Pears
- Raspberries
- Peaches
- Watermelons
- Blackberries
- Cherries
- Bananas
- Apples
Vegetables
All fresh vegetables are low in sodium. Canned or frozen vegetables are a good pick if they don’t contain sauces.
- Chickpeas
- Lima beans
- Cucumber
- Broccoli
- Sweet potatoes
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Green peppers
Protein
Choose fresh meat whenever possible. Check the label, though – some fresh meat has added sodium.
- Low sodium nut butter
- Low sodium, water packed tuna or salmon
- Eggs and egg substitutes
- 6 ounces daily of any fresh or frozen beef, veal, Iamb, pork, poultry, and fish without salt or sodium in the preparation and without skin
- Unsalted nuts and seeds
Fats
- Unsalted butter or margarine
- Low-sodium mayonnaise
- Olive oil and other cooking oils
- Low sodium salad dressings
Dairy
Milk contains almost no sodium. Cheese can be high in sodium – opt for fat-free or low-fat milk and yogurt whenever possible. Yogurt and milk are also good sources of potassium, which helps lower blood pressure.
- Non-dairy creamers
- Sour cream
- Soy-based drinks with added calcium
- Skim or 1% milk
- Fat-free or low-fat yogurt
- Cream
- Low-sodium cottage cheese
- Ice cream
Condiments and Extras
To maintain a proper kidney diet, choose condiments with little or no sodium, and try using seasonings to flavor food instead of salt.
- Mrs. Dash and other sodium-free seasonings
- Cream of tartar • Mustard
- Yeast
- Spices and herbs without sodium or salt
- Tabasco sauce or low sodium chili sauces
- Lemon
- Fresh horseradish or prepared without salt
- Baking soda and powder
- Low sodium tomato sauces and vegetable juices without salt or sodium added
- Vinegar
- Jams and jellies
- Low sodium ketchup
High-Sodium Foods to Avoid
- Bacon (all types), sausages or hot dogs, all lunch meats unless low sodium
- Anything pickled such as sauerkraut, pickles); olives
- Meats koshered by salting
- Buttermilk, malted milk, chocolate milk
- Anchovies and other smoked fish; caviar
- Canned or frozen vegetables if processed with salt
- Breaded meats (such as chicken parmesan)