Moving to a more plant-based way of eating
Research and international guidelines back up the health benefits to be gained from introducing more plant-based foods into our diet. Foods such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, wholegrains, seeds and legumes (for example, beans, lentils, chickpeas) are all good sources of fibre. Food rich in fibre takes longer to digest, helps you feel fuller for longer and supports good gut-health and overall wellbeing.
Eating a more plant-based diet doesn’t have to mean giving up all animal foods (meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy). Moving towards a more plant-based way of eating could involve just making a few small changes to the way you prepare and cook food. For instance, when you Menu for living well with CKD next cook with minced or chopped meat, try reducing the amount you use and replace it with lentils, and then serve with a wholegrain, such as brown rice, or wholewheat pasta, rather than white varieties. Your dish will be every bit as delicious.
Some Kidney Kitchen recipes include tomatoes and bananas. I thought I couldn’t eat these because of their potassium content?
You might be surprised to see higher potassium fruit and vegetables featuring in some Kidney Kitchen recipes. Do not be alarmed! We include some higher potassium ingredients in our recipes, but these are used in small quantities over several portions.
So, if you have been advised by your kidney dietitian to lower potassium in your diet, as long as you include only the quantity of ingredients listed and eat the portion size suggested, these recipes are safe for you to enjoy.
Reducing phosphate in your diet
Reducing the amount of phosphate you eat may be beneficial for some people. Cooking your own meals is a great way to do this, because you can avoid phosphate additives that are often in processed foods. In the Kidney Kitchen, we've made sure all our recipes are checked for their phosphate levels. Many are low in phosphate and we also give tips on how to reduce phosphate content. If you love baking at home, we have lots of recipes designed to be low in phosphate by skipping ingredients like baking powders and self-raising flours, which usually contain phosphate. Visit our baking page for great tips on baking with less phosphate, without compromising on flavour.
Try to avoid highly processed food
Where possible, limit ultraprocessed foods. Some food processing can be healthy and we do a certain amount of it in our home (chopping, cooking, baking, combining ingredients). Some supermarket foods can also be healthy despite a degree of processing, for example wholegrain breads, wholegrain cereals, tinned lentils, tinned tomatoes or frozen vegetables.
However, ultra-processed foods are those with added fat, sugar, salt and chemicals, such as additives and preservatives, and these are normally less healthy. They are okay to have from time to time, but it is best to limit the amount of ultra-processed foods you include in your diet.
Can I still order a takeaway now and again?
Most takeaways have a lot of added salt and are high in fat. Any takeaway meal is fine to have occasionally, as long as you limit your portion sizes and avoid very high potassium foods if you have been advised by your kidney dietitian to lower potassium in your diet. We have lots of great advice and tips about takeaway meals on our Kidney Kitchen page.
