How to Build Your Kidney Disease Meal Plan

Meal planning helps you make smart food choices and streamlines shopping. And if you’re living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), it’s an excellent way to support your health. Choosing the right foods and monitoring nutrition is important for helping you feel your best by eating well every day. Planning your kidney-friendly grocery list can be a piece of cake when you learn how to create your balanced kidney disease meal plan.

Stay ahead of kidney disease by eating well. Learn what nutrients to monitor and how to create your own tasty meal plan that’s great for your health.

If you’re living with CKD, your kidneys don’t balance the amounts of nutrients and waste in your body as efficiently as they should. By paying attention to which nutrients you’re taking in and watching portions, you can make this important job easier for your kidneys.

Every person has their own dietary needs, and depending on your stage of kidney disease and how it’s being treated, these requirements may change. For example, if you’re on dialysis, you may need to pay extra attention to your fluid intake and pump up the protein. If you have other health conditions like diabetes or heart disease, you’ll need to factor those needs into your diet as well. If you’re working with a dietitian, they can help you create a custom kidney disease meal plan that supports your whole health. If you’re not seeing a dietitian, talk to your doctor for meal-planning advice.

If you’re living with CKD, there are a few nutrients you’ll need to keep a close eye on. Here’s what you should remember when choosing meals to eat with kidney disease:

• Shake off the salt. Healthy kidneys balance the sodium and fluid levels in your body, but with CKD, you’ll need to help support this process by minimizing your sodium intake.
  Suggested recipe: Lemon Orzo Spring Salad
  
  
• Cut down on phosphorus. With CKD, phosphorus may build up and become harmful to your bones or heart health. It occurs naturally in many foods and is sometimes added as a preservative, so check the nutrition label and watch out for any words that start with “phos-.”
  Suggested recipe: Classic Lasagna
  
  
• Eat low-potassium foods. Potassium is important for your health, but with CKD, your kidneys have trouble keeping this nutrient in check. Excess potassium can build up and cause issues with your heart and nerves.
  Suggested recipe: Chilled Veggie and Shrimp Noodle Salad
        
• Be picky about proteins. In moderation, protein keeps muscles strong and healthy. To minimize waste buildup, choose high-quality proteins like fish or chicken — or try plant-based proteins to put less stress on your kidneys. Eating beans, tofu, nuts, and other plant-based proteins has been shown to help slow the progression of kidney disease and keep people with CKD healthier longer.^1,2
  Suggested recipe: Spicy Tofu Scrambler
  

Eating fresh fruits, vegetables, and proteins is always a great option, but you can make kidney-smart choices when choosing packaged foods too. Packaged foods have nutrition labels that describe which vitamins, minerals, fats, and calories you can expect from each serving. The percent daily value (% DV) tells you how much each serving contributes to your daily diet (based on 2,000 calories per day). Keep a close eye on the % DV to keep your kidney disease meal planning on track.

To stay kidney-friendly, aim for the following % DV with each serving:

• Dietary fiber — more than 10% DV
• Saturated fat — less than 10% DV
• Trans fat — none
• Sodium — less than 10% DV
• Added sugars — less than 10% DV

And remember, people living with kidney disease should avoid foods that say “phos-” on the label.

The trick to eating well—whether you’re selecting meals for kidney disease or not—is to watch your portions. Pay close attention to the serving size listed on the package. One serving might not be the same as how much you actually eat.

Hint: Remember that if you want to eat two serving sizes, all the nutrients and % DV will also double.

Here are some handy tips for estimating portion sizes:

• 3–5 ounces of protein is about the size of the palm of your hand
• ½ cup of fruits and veggies is the amount that could fit within your cupped hand
• 1 cup of breads and grains is about the size of your fist