Dietary Needs

Renal Diets are used for people on Dialysis and other kidney conditions. However, depending on your specific kidney function, each diet is different. Make sure you are consulting with your doctor and dietarian on what to avoid while eating. 

It is important to follow a diet to help control kidney usage, blood pressure and heart strain. Common restrictions are found within fluid intake, proteins and electrolytes including sodium, potassium and phosphorous. Low potassium is used to ensure good heart health. 

Reduce salt

  • Lower sodium intake results in lower Blood pressure and swelling of the body. Avoid things like soups, gravy, sauces, canned vegetables, frozen meals and salad dressing due to their sodium contents. 

Increase intake of Omega-3 fatty acids

  • Omega-3 is mostly found in fish, fish oil supplements, soybeans, flax seeds and chia seeds. 
  • Omega-3 can help slow the damage in the kidneys by lowering inflammation in the glomeruli. Glomeruli are vessels within the kidney that filter the waste and excess fluids out of the body. 
  • They are also beneficial in lowering blood pressure. 

Less Protein

  • Lowering your intake of protein can help slow the progression of damage to the kidneys. This is caused by proteins needing to be broken down into waste products that kidneys must filter. 

Consider a Plant based diet

Monitoring mineral intake

Reduce cholesterol

  • High fatty foods can raise cholesterol and cause plaque to build up in arteries which leads to the kidneys, creating further damage. 
  • You can reduce cholesterol by reducing saturated fats found in red meat and dairy products.
  • Eliminating trans fats can help reduce cholesterol. Some foods with high trans fat include margarine, refrigerated dough, fried foods, store-bought cakes, cookies, and crackers. 
  • Eating food with highly soluble fibers can make it hard to absorb cholesterol into your bloodstream. Some food products to avoid include oatmeal, kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears.

Drinking alcohol in moderation (Ask your doctor before participating) 

  • Too much alcohol can raise blood pressure furthering strain on kidneys. 
  • For women and men over the age of 65, it is recommended to only have one drink a day. 
  • For men under the age of 65, it is recommended to only have 2 drinks a day.

Based on your level of kidney function it may be recommended to decrease your levels of phosphorous and potassium. 

Avoid

  • Dairy Products
  • Chocolate
  • Seasoned and Processed foods
  • Breads
  • Nuts
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Dark colored sodas

Potassium high foods to avoid:

 Bananas 

 Peas

Molasses

Cantaloupe

 Potatoes Nuts

Orange & Orange Juice

 Sweet Potatoes Meats (Beef and Lamb especially)

Honeydew

 Cucumbers Poultry

Apricots & Apricot Juice

 Zucchini Brown Rice

Prunes & Prune Juice

 Eggplant Wild Rice

Avocados

 Pumpkin Bran cereal

Raisins

 Leafy Greens Breads

Dates

 Tomato Juice Pasta

Cooked Spinach

 Tuna Rockfish

Cooked Broccoli

 Halibut Mushrooms

 

This information is not a medical diagnosis or used for medical purposes but only for education purposes.