Stage 3 Kidney Disease and Diet: What can I eat?

There are figures for required minimums and that sort of thing, but my experience is that everyone is different and processes food in their own way and with their own level of efficiency. EGFR is an estimate of your kidneys efficiency. not an absolute, although it may be the best we have. Nine years of dealing with my ESRD has lead me to say that it's a trial and error process. Make changes in your diet, see what your labs say and then make revisions based on your labs.

@carnes I’m type 1 Diabetic and have CKD (wavering between stage 3 & stage 4). I have an autonomic neuropathy complication called gastroparesis that gets aggravated by high fiber foods, particularly legumes & cabbage. I’ve been blessed to not have food allergies and I’m not a picky eater at all. I’ve been on a carb:insulin counting low sodium diet for a long time. I generally avoid fat and go with a moderate amount of lean protein. I’ve had pretransplant (kidney) evaluations and reviews. The nutritionists tell me to “eat for the kidney labs”. My nephrologist monitors labs and I currently have no restrictions such as potassium or phosphorus. The thing that was most helpful for me was seeing a dietician to figure out the requirements of my medical conditions as they came up and develop a plan that worked for me.

Everything you said is true. My problem is l have not been able to get my Dr. to even tell me anything about having CKD stage 3a. Over 10 years ago my doctor then said l had CKD 1. And told my sister and I there was nothing wrong with my kidneys after saying l have CKD stage 2. I then changed my doctor. After a year with that doctor he told me l had CKD stage 3a. I am 68 years old , l understand your kidneys slow down. But why all the lies. Is it not nothing to care about? My Daddy past 7 years ago from CKD.
From. Willing

Everything you said is true. My problem is l have not been able to get my Dr. to even tell me anything about having CKD stage 3a. Over 10 years ago my doctor then said l had CKD 1. And told my sister and I there was nothing wrong with my kidneys after saying l have CKD stage 2. I then changed my doctor. After a year with that doctor he told me l had CKD stage 3a. I am 68 years old , l understand your kidneys slow down. But why all the lies. Is it not nothing to care about? My Daddy past 7 years ago from CKD.
From. Willing

@willing First, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! This is a great place to "talk" to others who have been down similar health paths, and share experiences.

I am Stage 4 in my CKD journey, now showing a eGFR of 22. There are many reasons as a cause of kidney disease, and it is important to understand the root cause. Mine is an ultra-rare kidney disease, where collagen is blocking the filtering components of my kidneys, effectively shutting them down slowly. Two main causes of kidney disease are high blood pressure issues, and diabetes. Life style choices, long-term drug interaction, and congenital issues like polycystic kidney disease are others. Do you know what the cause of your kidney disease is?

If the dr you are working with is not a nephrologist, I suggest getting to one as soon as you can. Because kidney disease can be silent, and not deteriorate quickly, some medical professionals brush it off. If you have a large teaching hospital or university hospital near you, check them out for a good nephrologist. As @m1miller said, you will be working with one the rest of your life.
Ginger

Everything you said is true. My problem is l have not been able to get my Dr. to even tell me anything about having CKD stage 3a. Over 10 years ago my doctor then said l had CKD 1. And told my sister and I there was nothing wrong with my kidneys after saying l have CKD stage 2. I then changed my doctor. After a year with that doctor he told me l had CKD stage 3a. I am 68 years old , l understand your kidneys slow down. But why all the lies. Is it not nothing to care about? My Daddy past 7 years ago from CKD.
From. Willing

@carnes I also am borderline Stage 3/4 Kidney Disease. Currently I follow five limiting diets: low fiber, low carbohydrates, low fat, low dairy and low oxilate. I eat popcorn, rice cakes, rice, Grape Nuts, Shredded Wheat, bananas, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, pears (few), cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, oranges (few), green beans, peas, corn, cabbage, cucumbers (raw), onions, tomatoes, avocadoes, summer squash, carrots (few and most often cooked), asparagus, chicken, lean beef, tuna, fresh/frozen fish, a little pork, and a small amount of dairy from cheese, yogurt, ice cream and milk. The way to enjoy the foods you can eat is with your seasoning. I had very little available to me during a long hospital stay and watched cooking shows. Now I often check recipe sites for ideas: FoodNetwork, Cooking.com, Allrecipies.com, to name a few. I do put canned dry beans in my chili, but we only eat that a few times a month. I encourage you to check some things out and would love to hear how you are doing. Good luck.