Those with advanced renal disease are limited in the types of foods they can eat. Taking a serious look at your diet in relation to your kidney issues allows you to consider how to widen the scope of your diet to include food that you can eat or make changes in treatment that might expand your dietary choices.
Sodium
Salt gives food its savor, and you may feel deprived if you have to limit your sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day, as suggested by the American Heart Association. Kidney patients often have sodium restrictions because they invariably suffer from high blood pressure. This problem is so severe that heart disease is the leading cause of death among kidney patients. One solution is to spend a few hours every week preparing low-sodium meals in advance. Always having something tasty in the fridge goes a long way to making you feel less deprived.
Potassium and Phosphorus
The potassium and phosphorus restrictions that many patients must follow eliminate many favorite foods, especially if you love fruits, vegetables and cheese. Moreover, explaining to others that you cannot eat healthy foods such as broccoli is almost impossible. It's hard enough for you to follow this diet, let alone explain it to others.
You may do better if you structure your diet to allow for small treats. For example, being rich in both phosphorus and potassium, pizza may seem entirely off limits. However, if you work with the limits your nephrologist gave you, you may find that a small slice of pizza is acceptable from time to time. By building in these small treats, you may have more success heeding your nephrologist's recommendations.
Gourmet Items
Another way to make renal diets more palatable is to occasionally purchase high quality, gourmet items. Mushrooms are one of the few vegetables that patients can eat freely, but they can get expensive. You can prevent these from becoming tiresome if you start exploring different types of mushrooms found at your grocery store. Try grilled porcinis, for example, and experiment with stock made from dried morels.
Research and Adapt
Being a culinary adventurer makes the renal diet easier. Research recipes that include ingredients that fit your new diet and compile your own list of favorites. When you have new and interesting food to eat, you will feel less deprived of the foods you can't eat. One example of culinary adventure includes expanding your use of spices, such as those used in vibrant Mexican and Indian cuisines, to give dishes new interest.
