Phosphorus and potassium are part of a well balanced diet; however, people with kidney disease must limit these minerals in their diets. Most fruits and vegetables contain some potassium or phosphorus. If you are on restricted diet because of kidney disease, choose low potassium and phosphorus food options to control the amount of these nutrients your body absorbs.
Low Potassium Fruits
Grapes, pears, apples, grapefruit, apricots, mandarin organs, peaches, plums and watermelon are fruits that have less than 250 mg of potassium per serving. Some berries that are low in potassium include strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries and cherries. While these fruits are low in potassium, if you eat large portions, they can become a high potassium serving. To limit the amount of potassium in your diet, choose low potassium fruits and use portion control. This will lower your overall potassium intake while providing vitamins and other nutrients for a well balanced diet. The recommended daily limit of potassium for people with chronic kidney disease is less than 1500 to 2700 mg.
Low Potassium Vegetables
Vegetables contain many essential vitamins and minerals, but some contain high levels of potassium. Soaking vegetables in water for two hours prior to cooking is a process called leaching, which can pull some of the potassium from the vegetables. Some vegetables that contain less than 250 mg of potassium per serving include alfalfa sprouts, green beans, asparagus, wax beans, cooked carrots, cauliflower, celery, cooked cabbage, corn, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, mushrooms, kale, spinach, squash and zucchini.
Low Phosphorus Fruits
The daily recommended limit of phosphorus for kidney patients is 800 to 1,000 mg. However, all fruits are low in phosphorus and most contain less than 110 mg per serving.
Low Phosphorus Vegetables
Many of the same vegetables that are low in potassium are also low in phosphorus. Canned or frozen green peas are lower in phosphorus than fresh, green beans and wax beans are low in phosphorus. Other low-phosphorus vegetables include cabbage, beets, carrots, celery, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, summer or winter squash, potatoes and rutabaga.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Low-Phosphorus Diet: Best for Kidney Disease; Erik Castle, M.D.; Aug. 7, 2007
- Medical College of Wisconsin: Diet For Renal Patient; 3-3-11
- Up To Date: Patient Information; Low Potassium Diet; Geroge L. Bakris, M.D.; Nov. 3, 2009
- Up To Date: Foods With Low Levels of Potassium; 2011
- Nephrology Physicians: Kidney and Renal Food Lists
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