If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), it's important to watch what you eat. That's because your kidneys are not removing waste from your body the way they should. A diet that is good for your kidneys can help you stay healthy longer and is good for your kidney tests.
You may need to change your diet for kidney test. Work with your dietitian or doctor to develop a diet plan. The diet plan includes foods you like to eat while benefiting for kidney test.
The following points will help you choose the right diet for your kidney test. The first three points are important for all patients with kidney disease. The last two points may be important for people with severe kidney disease.
The first steps to eating right for kidney test
1: Choose foods low in salt and sodium for your chronic kidney disease cure
Why choose and prepare foods with less salt and sodium? To help control your blood pressure in favor for kidney test. Your diet should contain less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day.
- Buy fresh food often. Sodium (a part of salt) is added to many prepared or packaged foods you buy at the supermarket or at restaurants.
- Cook foods from scratch instead of eating prepared foods, “fast” foods, frozen dinners, and canned foods that are higher in sodium. When you prepare your own food, you control what goes into it.
- Use spices, herbs, and sodium-free seasonings in place of salt.
- Check for sodium on the Nutrition Facts label of food packages. A Daily Value of 20 percent or more means the food is high in sodium.
- Try lower-sodium versions of frozen dinners and other convenience foods.
- Rinse canned vegetables, beans, meats, and fish with water before eating.
Look for food labels with words like sodium-free or salt-free, or low, reduced, or no salt or sodium, or unsalted or lightly salted.
Look for sodium on the food label. A food label showing a Percent Daily Value of 5% or less is low sodium. Also look for the amount of saturated and trans fats listed on the label.
2: Eat the right amount and the right types of protein for kidney test
To help protect your kidneys in favor for kidney test. When your body uses protein, it produces waste products. Your kidneys remove these wastes. Eating more protein than you need may bad for kidney test.
- Eat small portions of protein foods.
- Protein is found in foods from plants and animals.
- Most people eat both types of protein.
- Talk to your dietitian about how to choose the right combination of protein foods for you.
Animal-protein foods:
- Chicken
- Fish
- Meat
- Eggs
- Dairy
A cooked portion of chicken, fish, or meat is about 2 to 3 ounces or about the size of a deck of cards. A portion of dairy foods is ½ cup of milk or yogurt, or one slice of cheese.
Plant-protein foods:
- Beans
- Nuts
- Grains
A portion of cooked beans is about ½ cup, and a portion of nuts is ¼ cup. A portion of bread is a single slice, and a portion of cooked rice or cooked noodles is ½ cup.
3: Choose foods that are healthy for kidney test
To help keep fat from building up in your blood vessels, heart, and kidneys in favor for kidney test.
- Grill, broil, bake, roast, or stir-fry foods, instead of deep frying.
- Cook with nonstick cooking spray or a small amount of olive oil instead of butter.
- Trim fat from meat and remove skin from poultry before eating.
- Try to limit saturated and trans fats. Read the food label.
Heart-healthy foods:
- Lean cuts of meat, such as loin or round
- Poultry without the skin
- Fish
- Beans
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese
Learn more about heart-healthy eating
Choose heart-healthy foods to help protect your blood vessels, heart, and kidneys.
Limit alcohol
Drink alcohol only in moderation: no more than one drink per day if you are a woman and no more than two drinks per day if you are a man. Drinking too much alcohol can damage your liver, heart and brain, and lead to serious health problems. Drinking alcohol can have serious effects for kidney tests
The next steps to eating right for kidney test
As your kidney function declines, you may need to eat foods that are lower in phosphorus and potassium. Your health care provider will use lab tests to check your blood levels of phosphorus and potassium, and you can work with your dietitian to adjust your meal plan. The NIDDK health topic "Nutrition in End-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease" provides more information.
4: Choose foods and drinks with less phosphorus for kidney test
To help protect your bones and blood vessels in favor for kidney test. When you have CKD, phosphorus can build up in your blood. Too much phosphorus in your blood pulls calcium from your bones, making your bones thin, weak, and more likely to break. High levels of phosphorus in your blood can also cause itchy skin, and bone and joint pain.
- Many packaged foods have added phosphorus. Look for phosphorus—or for words with “PHOS”—on ingredient labels.
- Deli meats and some fresh meat and poultry can have added phosphorus. Ask the butcher to help you pick fresh meats without added phosphorus.
Foods Lower in Phosphorus
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Breads, pasta, rice
- Rice milk (not enriched)
- Corn and rice cereals
- Light-colored sodas/pop, such as lemon-lime or homemade iced tea
Foods Higher in Phosphorus
- Meat, poultry, fish
- Bran cereals and oatmeal
- Dairy foods
- Beans, lentils, nuts
- Dark-colored sodas/pop, fruit punch, some bottled or canned iced teas that have added phosphorus
Your health care provider may talk to you about taking a phosphate binder with meals to lower the amount of phosphorus in your blood. A phosphate binder is a medicine that acts like a sponge to soak up, or bind, phosphorus while it is in the stomach. Because it is bound, the phosphorus does not get into your blood. Instead, your body removes the phosphorus through your stool.
5: Choose foods with the right amount of potassium for kidney test
To help your nerves and muscles work the right way in favor for kidney test. Problems can occur when blood potassium levels are too high or too low. Damaged kidneys allow potassium to build up in your blood, which can cause serious heart problems. Your food and drink choices can help you lower your potassium level, if needed.
- Salt substitutes can be very high in potassium. Read the ingredient label. Check with your provider about using salt substitutes.
- Drain canned fruits and vegetables before eating.
Foods Lower in Potassium
- Apples, peaches
- Carrots, green beans
- White bread and pasta
- White rice
- Rice milk (not enriched)
- Cooked rice and wheat cereals, grits
- Apple, grape, or cranberry juice
Foods Higher in Potassium
- Oranges, bananas, and orange juice
- Potatoes, tomatoes
- Brown and wild rice
- Bran cereals
- Dairy foods
- Whole-wheat bread and pasta
- Beans and nuts
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