Disclaimer

Kidney Kitchen is not designed to diagnose disease or prescribe an eating plan for your stage of kidney disease. The information shared on Kidney Kitchen is developed by experts in renal nutrition and is provided for informational purposes only. The American Kidney Fund, its staff, agents and Trustees are not able to provide medical advice. Please consult with a medical professional or registered dietitian for specific questions you may have about your diet.

Every person’s body absorbs and processes foods and nutrients differently. Not everyone with kidney disease will or should follow the same daily nutrient recommendations. Recipes listed as having a “low” or “moderate” amount of a nutrient might have the right amount for some, but too much for others.

Before making any changes to your diet, speak with a dietitian. Some health insurance plans will cover visits to a dietitian for people in earlier stages of kidney disease. If you are on dialysis, your dialysis center will provide you with a dietitian, whether you do in-center or home dialysis. To check whether a dietitian consultation is covered under your health insurance plan, call the phone number on the back of your insurance card, or find the phone number online, and ask to speak to a representative about your plan.

A dietitian may suggest which blood tests you should have and can review your bloodwork results with you to understand the true levels of potassium and phosphorus in your body. A urine test can look at whether protein is slipping into your urine. Based on the results of these tests, a dietitian can give you a better idea of how much of certain nutrients you as an individual should be consuming in food and beverages. Ask your dietitian for a recommendation for the amounts of nutrients you should have daily to stay healthy. Write this amount down or put in in your phone so you don’t forget!