Meat & the Renal Diet

The renal diet allows patients with kidney disease to slow down the progression of the disease and prevent complications. Protein restriction is one component of this type of diet. Because red meat and poultry contain protein, people with kidney disease need to carefully plan their meals and avoid consuming too much meat each day.

Significance

When the body breaks down protein from meat and other sources, the process forms waste products known as creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. When the kidneys function properly, they filter these wastes out of the blood and excrete them in the urine.

The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse explains that kidneys affected by kidney disease do not filter these wastes as well as they should. This allows creatinine and blood urea nitrogen to build up in the bloodstream, which causes nausea, itchy skin and other symptoms. Reducing protein intake prevents the accumulation of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen in the body.

Protein Restriction

The renal diet restricts the amount of protein consumed each day to 0.6 g of protein per kg of a patient's body weight, according to Peggy Harum, a registered dietitian and contributor to the website for the American Association of Kidney Patients. Someone with a weight of 185 lbs. would consume no more than 50.5 g of protein per day based on this recommendation.

Restricted Foods

Patients with kidney disease should avoid meat or eat small portions of meat to stay within the recommended limit each day. One 3-oz. serving of boneless chicken has 27 g of protein, according to Northwestern Health Sciences University. This accounts for more than half of the recommended daily protein intake for a 185-lb. person. One 3-oz. serving of turkey has 25 g of protein, while 3 oz. of lean ground beef has 24 g of protein. Other meats with more than 20 g of protein per serving include ground turkey, lean roast beef, roast pork, beef sirloin and ham.

Alternative Foods

Whole-grain foods, legumes, fruits and vegetables have less protein than meats, making them good alternatives to meats. When selecting alternatives to meat products, patients with kidney disease should choose foods that have low levels of potassium and sodium, as recommended by the Medical College of Wisconsin. Examples of suitable foods for the renal diet include apples, broccoli, carrots, cranberries, watermelon, onions, beans, cucumbers, cherries and grapes.

Warning

Because eating high-protein foods can lead to increased levels of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, patients with kidney disease should seek medical advice before making significant dietary changes. People following the renal diet should also undergo regular laboratory testing to determine if the diet has had the intended effect of reduced creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels.