The holiday season is a time for celebration, fun, and decadent food. Eating healthy can be a challenge for anyone, but especially for those with kidney disease. Holiday dishes and old family recipes, while delicious, are often laden with sodium, potassium, and phosphorus, making it difficult to follow a renal diet.
“Mindless grazing on snacks and hors d’oeuvres can make anyone veer off track and can cause a lapse in dietary compliance. Thankfully, with a little planning, preparation, and mindfulness, you can enjoy a kidney-friendly holiday season, “says Jennifer Ross, MS, RD, CDN, Clinical Nutrition Coordinator with the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute.
Ms. Ross recommends that you keep the following tips in mind as festivities are in full swing:
- Bring a kidney-friendly dish. For general dietary compliance, this can be helpful, as you are ensuring that there is at least one thing at the party that you can eat. The National Kidney Foundation provides many kidney-friendly recipes that can be enjoyed by everyone.
- Keep a food diary. It may be helpful to closely monitor what you are eating throughout the day to help keep your overall potassium and phosphorus intake in control.
- Avoid salt as a seasoning. Party foods and larger holiday portions typically mean an increase in salt consumption. Therefore, it may be beneficial to decrease overall sodium intake. Instead of salt, incorporate flavorful components like onions and roasted garlic or fresh herbs like oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
- Eat small portions. If high-potassium foods like pumpkin, brussels sprouts, or potatoes are being served, indulge in a small portion of only one of those foods.
- Do not forget your medication. Make sure to take any prescribed phosphate binders with meals and snacks to keep your phosphorus level in control.
Below are some additional ideas for each course that will help to keep you on track with your renal diet:
Appetizers and Snacks
- Unsalted popcorn
- Cream-cheese or ricotta-based spreads with low-sodium crackers, unsalted pretzels, apples, or celery for dipping
- Macaroni, chicken, or egg salad
- Deviled eggs
- Low-sodium soups and stews made with turkey or chicken and low-potassium vegetables
- Breads made with zucchinis or apples
Main Courses and Accompaniments
- Fresh roasted turkey or chicken
- Baked, broiled, or grilled fish
- Beef, lamb, and pork chops
- Roasted low-potassium vegetables like green beans, peppers, cabbage, asparagus, and mushrooms
- Glazed carrots
- Low-sodium gravies
- Cranberry sauce
- Roasted cauliflower, which can also be prepared like mashed potatoes for a low-potassium alternative
- Homemade stuffing
Desserts
- Pies, tarts, custards, and cakes that incorporate kidney-friendly fruits like apples, berries, lemons, and cherries.
- Ginger cookies
- Glazed pears
- Non-dairy whipped topping
Remember, if you have kidney disease, or reduced kidney function, make an appointment with a dietitian to create a tailored plan to address your health needs.
Jennifer Ross, MS, RD, CDN, is a clinical dietitian at The Mount Sinai Hospital with the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute. She works closely with patients who are pre- and post-liver and kidney transplants. She is passionate about helping her patients conquer the world of nutrition in relation to their disease in order to help them live their healthiest life.
What is a renal diet?
A renal diet is one that is low in sodium, phosphorus, and potassium. Those with kidney disease, or compromised kidney function, are unable to adequately filter waste from the body. A diet that reduces these nutrients limits the amount of waste, preventing the compromised kidney from being overworked. Depending on the condition of the kidney, people on a renal diet may need to limit protein, calcium, or fluids. If you have kidney disease, or reduced kidney function, make an appointment with a dietitian to create a tailored plan to address your health needs.