Knowing what to eat is important when you are living with kidney disease, especially if you also have diabetes or high blood pressure. Here are some tips to help you make good food choices and stay healthy this holiday season!
Communicate!
- Speak with your dietitian or doctor and come up with a plan that fits your body’s needs. Consider other conditions you may have like diabetes or high blood pressure, as well as any fluid restrictions you may have.
- Ask the host what’s on the menu at your holiday gathering so you know what foods will be safe to eat, and which ones should be restricted to a single spoonful.
Be Prepared
- Eat a snack before coming to a holiday meal. Arriving hungry makes it harder to control portion sizes.
- Offer to bring a dish, that way you know there will be something safe and delicious to enjoy.
- Prepare foods at home using fresh ingredients. This is the best way to control what goes into your body at the holidays.
Time to Eat!
- Limit foods high in potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and fat.
- Watch the salt substitutes! Avoiding salt is a good idea but salt substitutes are high in potassium.
- Limit yourself to one alcoholic beverage. Drinking alcohol makes it more likely for you to overindulge in food and increases fluid intake.
- It’s not all about what you can’t eat, there are plenty of tasty foods you CAN enjoy (always in moderation). Here is a list of some kidney safe fruits and vegetables that are low in potassium and sodium.
- Low potassium fruits: apples, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, pineapple, strawberries
- Low potassium veggies: celery, cucumber, peppers, squash, broccoli, carrots
