A standard Renal Diet contains:

• 2000 mg sodium (salt) per day
• 2000 mg potassium per day
• 800-1000 mg phosphorous per day

Breakfast:

Items like donuts, cereal (except for any milk added), pancakes, French toast, muffins, and toast are mostly low in sodium, potassium, and phosphorous. Eggs are also OK breakfast choices, as they are much lower in sodium than sausage or bacon.

Lunch and Dinner:

Please see the next page for tips on planning lunch and dinner meals.

Snack:

Toast and jelly, animal or graham crackers, simple cakes, dry cereal, and low potassium fruits (i.e. apple slices, grapes, canned peaches or pears, and blueberries).

Supplements:

• Pre-dialysis: Suplena (by Abbott Nutrition)
• Hemodialysis: Nepro (by Abbott Nutrition)
• Peritoneal Dialysis: Liquacel (by Global Health Products, Inc.)

Plan a Lunch or Dinner

To plan a quick and well-balanced meal, select one item from each group:

*See recipe below

Spice Mixes

• Be careful when choosing salt substitutes. While these products may be lower in sodium, many of them are high in potassium. Please check with your doctor or dietitian before buying a store-bought salt substitute.
• OR create you own:

* Or check with your local grocery    store to see what renal-friendly versions of baking powder they carry

Fast food restaurants are an option for lunch or dinner on the go, if you learn to choose wisely. Adjust the foods you order for your child so that they are more kidney friendly. Extra sodium, phosphorus and potassium are often hidden in fast foods. Be aware of your child’s preferred choices from the fast food places you visit. Make this your usual list to help avoid getting specials or tempting items that are not part of their diet.

• Hamburger on a bun with lettuce, onion, mayonnaise, mustard or 1 packet ketchup; no cheese or special sauce

• Grilled or broiled chicken sandwich with mustard or mayonnaise, lettuce, onion; no cheese, no breading
• Side salad, limit the dressing
• If you must, onion rings instead of French fries—limit the ketchup and the portion size
• Order the smallest drink — lots of ice, no refills, no cola

• Go for grilled or roasted without the high sodium breading (or remove breading)
• Best sides include: coleslaw, pasta salad, white roll, green beans, 1/2 ear corn on the cob
• Avoid the potatoes and biscuit to keep potassium and phosphorus lower

• Beef, chicken, pork or shrimp fajita
• Beef, chicken or fish taco on flour tortilla; no cheese
• Chicken or beef burrito with rice, sour cream, a little salsa or hot sauce (leave off the beans and cheese)
• Chicken or beef taquitos with sour cream instead of guacamole
• Rice instead of beans
• Limit salsa or hot sauce to 1 tablespoon or 1 packet

• Stick to the 6” sub on a white roll
• Turkey, chicken, roast beef, ham and egg salad are better choicesGood toppings include:  lettuce, onion, cucumber, thin slice of tomato, bell pepper, vinegar, oil, pepper, mayonnaise, small amount of mustard Omit the cheese to keep phosphorus and sodium down Omit sauces, olives and pickles to lower sodium For sides, try a small salad, low-salt tortilla chips or cookie without nuts or chocolate Order the smallest drink — lots of ice, no refills, no cola

• Stir-fry shrimp, chicken, pork or beef with lower potassium veggies such as bell peppers, cabbage, carrots, eggplant, green beans, mushrooms, onions and water chestnuts
• Egg rolls or fried wontons or small salad with vinegar-based dressing for appetizers
• Skip the salty soups to save on fluid and sodium
• Request no MSG and ask for sauces on the side
• Use a small amount of  low sodium soy sauce, if it must be added
• Order steamed white rice instead of fried rice which contains soy sauce

Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Yield:12 portions

Serving size:3 nuggets, plus 1 tablespoon sauce

• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons liquid nondairy creamer
• 3 cups finely crushed low sodium cornflakes
• 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into 36 bite-sized pieces
• nonstick cooking spray  

1. Stir mustard, mayonnaise, honey and Worcestershire sauce together in a small bowl. Chill sauce until nuggets are cooked, then serve as a dipping sauce.
2. Preheat oven to 400° F.
3. Combine egg and nondairy creamer in a small bowl. Crush cornflakes and pour crumbs into a large zip-lock bag.
4. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture then shake in zip-lock bag to coat with cornflake crumbs.
5. Bake nuggets on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray for 15 minutes or until done.

• Calories: 175
• Protein: 9 g
• Carbohydrate: 13g
• Sodium: 116 mg
• Potassium: 92 mg
• Phosphorus: 76 mg

• 1 meat
• 1/2 starch
• 1/2 high calorie
• 1 fat

• Serve nuggets on a tray with decorated toothpicks for a festive look.
• Try a variety of dipping sauces, such as: barbeque sauce, curry sauce, fruit spreads or low sodium salad dressing.

• Calories: 196
• Protein: 6 g
• Carbohydrates: 25 g
• Sodium: 227 mg
• Potassium: 83 mg
• Phosphorus: 74 mg

• 1 starch
• 1 fat
• 1/2 milk

• To get more protein, add browned and drained ground beef (dialysis only).
• Most cheese spreads are very high in sodium and phosphorus. The pimento spread in this recipe is made with cream cheese instead of processed cheese. (Look for the Philadelphia® brand cream cheese logo on the label). This is what keeps the sodium and phosphorus content low enough for a renal diet.  Avoid bottled or canned spreads made with processed cheese.

• 6 corn taco shells
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped (divided use)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco® sauce
• 3/4 cup lettuce, shredded
• 1/3 cup tomato, chopped
• 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1. In a large frying pan, brown ground beef over medium heat. Drain well, remove from pan and set aside.
2. Heat oil in pan.  Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and cook until clear. Add garlic, cook and stir for one minute.
3. Add cooked beef back into pan. Stir in chili powder, pepper, cumin and Tabasco® sauce. Remove from heat and prepare tacos.
4.  Add 1/4 cup meat mixture inside each taco shell. Top with 2 tablespoons lettuce, 1 tablespoon each tomato, cheese and the rest of the onion.

Nutrients per serving

• Calories: 240
• Protein: 10 g
• Carbohydrate: 14 g
• Sodium: 182 mg
• Potassium: 214 mg
• Phosphorus: 135 mg

• 1 meat
• 1 starch
• 1/2 vegetable, low potassium
• 1-1/2 fat

• Select cheese that has the word "natural" on the package. Avoid processed cheese due to higher sodium and phosphorus contents.

• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced fine
• 2 cups zucchini squash, chopped
• one 14-ounce can stewed  tomatoes, crushed
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Spray pan with cooking spray and add oil.
2. Sauté ground turkey, onion, garlic and zucchini until zucchini is tender.
3. Drain excess liquid well.
4. Add stewed tomatoes and spices.
5. Simmer covered for about 1/2 hour.

• Calories:  164
• Protein:  17 g
• Carbohydrate:  6 g
• Sodium:  214 mg
• Potassium:  517 mg 
• Phosphorus:  189 mg

• 2 meat
• 2 vegetables, medium potassium

• Two medium zucchini yields about 2 cups.
• Use lean ground beef instead of turkey if you wish.
• Serve over cooked rice or pasta for a filling meal.
• Be sure to count as 2 servings of vegetables in your daily meal plan to allow for the potassium in this recipe. If you are on a low-potassium diet, stick closely to the serving size above.

Yield: 4 servings

Serving size: ½ cup

Ingredients:

• large cooking pot or pan of water
• 2 cups baking potatoes (2 large potatoes)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 1/4 cup half and half or liquid nondairy creamer

Preparation:

1. Peel and slice the potatoes into small pieces then add to a large pot of water. Let them soak for at least 4 hours. Drain off water and repeat process. (This is called leaching, which removes some of the potassium.)
2. Add new water. Boil potatoes and garlic over medium heat until soft.
3. Drain off cooking water.
4. Whip potatoes and garlic with beater, slowly adding margarine and creamer until whipped smooth.

Nutrients per serving:

• Calories: 208
• Protein: 2 g
• Carbohydrate: 22 g
• Sodium: 111 mg
• Potassium: 161 mg*
• Phosphorus: 57 mg 

• 1 starch
• 1 vegetable, medium potassium
• 2 fat

• Calories:  293
• Protein:  2 g
• Carbohydrate:  42 g
• Sodium:  166 mg
• Potassium:  106 mg
• Phosphorus:  37 mg