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

Posted by carnes @carnes, Jun 11, 2018

It seems there is very little you can eat that is healthy for the Kidneys. The web site Davida has plenty of food on it but contradicts what other sources say. Anyone know anything for breakfast, lunch and dinner that does not have any sugar or flour bodies the obvious boring or bland foods good for Kidneys and I’m allergic to sugar of any kind of sweetener and flour. Thank you.

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From eirrol
What is the general opinion about flourless bread ? I asked my kidney doctor and nutritionist about Ezekiel 5:9 flourless bread . They both think it is ok. It comes frozen and certainly was not appealing to my taste at first but now I have adapted to it. It is supposed to be sprouted grains of several kinds and I really have wondered if any of those are not good for the kidneys.

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@eirrol

From eirrol
What is the general opinion about flourless bread ? I asked my kidney doctor and nutritionist about Ezekiel 5:9 flourless bread . They both think it is ok. It comes frozen and certainly was not appealing to my taste at first but now I have adapted to it. It is supposed to be sprouted grains of several kinds and I really have wondered if any of those are not good for the kidneys.

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@eirrol Seeing that your doctor and renal nutritionist have okayed this, I personally would proceed with caution. We have previously posted links to diet recommendations from National Kidney Association and American Kidney Foundation, here. Take a look to see what they say.

While each person is different, it is still an agreed premise to watch your phosphorous, calcium, sugar, salt, and potassium intakes in the foods you eat. Have you checked into the nutritional values of these grains, yet?
Ginger

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@gingerw

@pcjaparis I looked this product up on the internet. People should be aware of the magnesium citrate ingredient, which can be detrimental to some health conditions, including CKD. Also, I note the medical review of the product is from an obstetrician/gynecologist with no mention of nutrition education. This, for me, is a big red flag.

Your endocrinolgist and nephrologist would be good sources to ask the questions about using SuperBeets in your own individual case, as they have the best knowledge of your situation. What may look good on the surface may not be a good fit for you. In my experience, fresh food is always best when possible.
Ginger

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Thank you Ginger. Your answer was very thorough and appreciated.

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@gingerw

@eirrol Seeing that your doctor and renal nutritionist have okayed this, I personally would proceed with caution. We have previously posted links to diet recommendations from National Kidney Association and American Kidney Foundation, here. Take a look to see what they say.

While each person is different, it is still an agreed premise to watch your phosphorous, calcium, sugar, salt, and potassium intakes in the foods you eat. Have you checked into the nutritional values of these grains, yet?
Ginger

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From eirrol
Hi Ginger, happy new year and thank you for your reply. I checked the nutritional value of the flourless bread I am using before I ever ate it and again to write it here. Calcium 9mg, iron 1 mg, potassium 61 mg, thiamin .1 , niacin 2 mg, vit. B6 .o1, folate 1 mcg, DFE 4%, phos. 73mg, mag. 26mg, zinc 1 mg, selenium 13 mcg, manganese .08. Even at that, I eat it occasionally, not every day. The other bread I am allowed is white bread and I look for one with the smallest amounts of potassium, phosphorous, sodium, etc. Lastly, I am allowed cornbread. I am careful of it because of its high magnesium but it truly helped me about a year ago when I could not gain any weight. So now I eat it occasionally. It is hard, but I try not to eat the same things constantly.I used to eat cabbage every day, twice a day as boiled or slaw, or in a mixed salad. Then my caregiver/ friend brought over an article by a reputable couple titled Too Much of a Good Thing can be bad, saying too much cabbage can affect the thyroid and cause goiters. I researched it and it appears to be true. I wondered if it could affect the parathyroid as that sits atop the thyroid but my doctor says no. Anyway, it gave me a “ heads up” to try to vary my kinds of food which remains a challenge for me. I still eat an egg a day. Cereal just does not give me any sustained energy, even with apple and blueberries in it.
From eirrol

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@gingerw

@eirrol Seeing that your doctor and renal nutritionist have okayed this, I personally would proceed with caution. We have previously posted links to diet recommendations from National Kidney Association and American Kidney Foundation, here. Take a look to see what they say.

While each person is different, it is still an agreed premise to watch your phosphorous, calcium, sugar, salt, and potassium intakes in the foods you eat. Have you checked into the nutritional values of these grains, yet?
Ginger

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@gingerw, hello.

Am having a lot of difficulty finding certain information. I know this is the Kidney and Bladder thread and I do have CKD but I also have gastroparesis and am experiencing many roadblocks to getting detailed information about the latter.

CKD patients need to be careful about grains and so do gastroparesis patients. Everything I've read and been told about gastroparesis says to limit fiber, avoid legumes (except refried beans, of all things, and peanut butter!) as well as nuts and seeds.

Unfortunately, the GI specialists where I live and the nutritionists don't seem to know enough to answer my questions.

1. Most if not all commercial/prepared mustard is made by soaking and grinding mustard seeds into paste then adding vinegar, salt, perhaps some oil and sugar. Since the seeds are broken down into a smooth paste and product labels indicate zero fiber, does anybody know if is it ok for a GP person to use 1/2 tbsp mustard once in awhile?

2. I also have a question about celery seeds, which are extremely tiny. I fail to see how 6 to 8 celery seeds occasionally sprinkled into egg salad or potato salad or soup could possibly contribute to bezoar formation or exacerbate diverticulosis, especially since five or six times that amount (or 1/2 tsp) contains only 0.1 grams of fiber. So, can someone tell me if consuming a few celery seeds now and then are safe?

I did check several sources and Crystal Saltrelli is the only person I found who
indicated a GP patient can try such things sparingly and see if they're tolerated.

As you know, renal diets are in conflict with diabetic diets and with gastroparesis diets, therefore I have to do much compromising on a daily basis and am spending an inordinate amount of time and energy calculating nutritional values and appropriate amounts of limited foods. This is far more challenging than if was for me to create my own ovo-vegetarian renal diet which also fits with a very modified vegetarian (meat-free, low-or-no-dairy) diabetes diet.

Nuts and seeds are ok for vegetarians with diabetes but must be eaten sparingly on a renal diet due to mineral content and supposedly should be avoided on a gastroparesis diet.

Meat substitutes and protein veggies are ok on a vegetarian diet and even on a diabetic diet but should be limited on a gastroparesis diet.

Very frustrating!

Although I need to avoid dairy products, I can't get enough nutrition without supplementing with Boost or Ensure daily, which contain milk!

If you or anyone else knows where I can get real answers to real questions besides the burping (pun intended) of "avoid this" or "limit that" gastro diet, please let me know.

Thanks!

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@kamama94

@gingerw, hello.

Am having a lot of difficulty finding certain information. I know this is the Kidney and Bladder thread and I do have CKD but I also have gastroparesis and am experiencing many roadblocks to getting detailed information about the latter.

CKD patients need to be careful about grains and so do gastroparesis patients. Everything I've read and been told about gastroparesis says to limit fiber, avoid legumes (except refried beans, of all things, and peanut butter!) as well as nuts and seeds.

Unfortunately, the GI specialists where I live and the nutritionists don't seem to know enough to answer my questions.

1. Most if not all commercial/prepared mustard is made by soaking and grinding mustard seeds into paste then adding vinegar, salt, perhaps some oil and sugar. Since the seeds are broken down into a smooth paste and product labels indicate zero fiber, does anybody know if is it ok for a GP person to use 1/2 tbsp mustard once in awhile?

2. I also have a question about celery seeds, which are extremely tiny. I fail to see how 6 to 8 celery seeds occasionally sprinkled into egg salad or potato salad or soup could possibly contribute to bezoar formation or exacerbate diverticulosis, especially since five or six times that amount (or 1/2 tsp) contains only 0.1 grams of fiber. So, can someone tell me if consuming a few celery seeds now and then are safe?

I did check several sources and Crystal Saltrelli is the only person I found who
indicated a GP patient can try such things sparingly and see if they're tolerated.

As you know, renal diets are in conflict with diabetic diets and with gastroparesis diets, therefore I have to do much compromising on a daily basis and am spending an inordinate amount of time and energy calculating nutritional values and appropriate amounts of limited foods. This is far more challenging than if was for me to create my own ovo-vegetarian renal diet which also fits with a very modified vegetarian (meat-free, low-or-no-dairy) diabetes diet.

Nuts and seeds are ok for vegetarians with diabetes but must be eaten sparingly on a renal diet due to mineral content and supposedly should be avoided on a gastroparesis diet.

Meat substitutes and protein veggies are ok on a vegetarian diet and even on a diabetic diet but should be limited on a gastroparesis diet.

Very frustrating!

Although I need to avoid dairy products, I can't get enough nutrition without supplementing with Boost or Ensure daily, which contain milk!

If you or anyone else knows where I can get real answers to real questions besides the burping (pun intended) of "avoid this" or "limit that" gastro diet, please let me know.

Thanks!

Jump to this post

@kamama94 You have always demonstrated, to me, how seriously you take your health issues, and diet choices! I simply cannot imagine how filled your day is while you examine information and labels. You know this makes you more of an expert in the field than many professionals, right!?

I wish there were simple answers to your questions. For a long time I have struggled somewhat with what to eat to keep me in the best health and in least compromised situations. For me, it comes down to experimenting constantly, as what worked at one time doesn't anymore. Trying out different things, crossing my fingers and hoping there won't be negative reactions.

Crystal Saltelli may have it right when she says to try, and see what we can tolerate. Many will say, "moderation is the key", and my take is to each of us to be an individual, follow what our body says is okay.
Ginger

REPLY
@kamama94

@gingerw, hello.

Am having a lot of difficulty finding certain information. I know this is the Kidney and Bladder thread and I do have CKD but I also have gastroparesis and am experiencing many roadblocks to getting detailed information about the latter.

CKD patients need to be careful about grains and so do gastroparesis patients. Everything I've read and been told about gastroparesis says to limit fiber, avoid legumes (except refried beans, of all things, and peanut butter!) as well as nuts and seeds.

Unfortunately, the GI specialists where I live and the nutritionists don't seem to know enough to answer my questions.

1. Most if not all commercial/prepared mustard is made by soaking and grinding mustard seeds into paste then adding vinegar, salt, perhaps some oil and sugar. Since the seeds are broken down into a smooth paste and product labels indicate zero fiber, does anybody know if is it ok for a GP person to use 1/2 tbsp mustard once in awhile?

2. I also have a question about celery seeds, which are extremely tiny. I fail to see how 6 to 8 celery seeds occasionally sprinkled into egg salad or potato salad or soup could possibly contribute to bezoar formation or exacerbate diverticulosis, especially since five or six times that amount (or 1/2 tsp) contains only 0.1 grams of fiber. So, can someone tell me if consuming a few celery seeds now and then are safe?

I did check several sources and Crystal Saltrelli is the only person I found who
indicated a GP patient can try such things sparingly and see if they're tolerated.

As you know, renal diets are in conflict with diabetic diets and with gastroparesis diets, therefore I have to do much compromising on a daily basis and am spending an inordinate amount of time and energy calculating nutritional values and appropriate amounts of limited foods. This is far more challenging than if was for me to create my own ovo-vegetarian renal diet which also fits with a very modified vegetarian (meat-free, low-or-no-dairy) diabetes diet.

Nuts and seeds are ok for vegetarians with diabetes but must be eaten sparingly on a renal diet due to mineral content and supposedly should be avoided on a gastroparesis diet.

Meat substitutes and protein veggies are ok on a vegetarian diet and even on a diabetic diet but should be limited on a gastroparesis diet.

Very frustrating!

Although I need to avoid dairy products, I can't get enough nutrition without supplementing with Boost or Ensure daily, which contain milk!

If you or anyone else knows where I can get real answers to real questions besides the burping (pun intended) of "avoid this" or "limit that" gastro diet, please let me know.

Thanks!

Jump to this post

@kamama94 greetings in the New Year. I’m responding to your post to @gingerw regarding nutrition for gastroparesis. We’ve discussed nutrition for diabetes and CKD in the past. Your cookbook / recipes for those conditions have been wonderful. You are a good cook and are so thorough and thoughtful. Now you have to concern yourself with gastroparesis. I have a history of that too. I was told that it is a complication of diabetes and a type of autonomic neuropathy. I also was told to go with low fiber because of it. I found out it is very challenging to feed the body when there are multiple diseases at play and the various recommendations for each are contradictory. In my case it was in the order of diabetes, gastroparesis, then CKD. It doesn’t really matter because the dilemma is the same. I want to remind you that your CKD was pretty serious to the point of dialysis and you have improved so much. My gastroparesis has improved that I now refer to it as a history. It only flares up occasionally. Improvement is possible. Last summer I had a trip to ER and ended up with a 4th diagnosis, Diverticulitis! The dietary recommendation for that is high fiber (but not nuts & seeds). It is pretty much the exact opposite of what is necessary for gastroparesis! My primary doc said “This will be touch and go for awhile”. I asked him what he meant and he said it will take time with ups and downs to figure out what works for me. Don’t change everything for diverticulitis to the detriment of the gastroparesis. Don’t do anything drastic. Make small changes to find out what works. I don’t know if this is helpful or not but please keep trying. You’ve done exceptionally well in the past. My hope and prayer for you is that you can learn to deal with this newer challenge. Blessings to you in the New Year.

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@cehunt57

@kamama94 greetings in the New Year. I’m responding to your post to @gingerw regarding nutrition for gastroparesis. We’ve discussed nutrition for diabetes and CKD in the past. Your cookbook / recipes for those conditions have been wonderful. You are a good cook and are so thorough and thoughtful. Now you have to concern yourself with gastroparesis. I have a history of that too. I was told that it is a complication of diabetes and a type of autonomic neuropathy. I also was told to go with low fiber because of it. I found out it is very challenging to feed the body when there are multiple diseases at play and the various recommendations for each are contradictory. In my case it was in the order of diabetes, gastroparesis, then CKD. It doesn’t really matter because the dilemma is the same. I want to remind you that your CKD was pretty serious to the point of dialysis and you have improved so much. My gastroparesis has improved that I now refer to it as a history. It only flares up occasionally. Improvement is possible. Last summer I had a trip to ER and ended up with a 4th diagnosis, Diverticulitis! The dietary recommendation for that is high fiber (but not nuts & seeds). It is pretty much the exact opposite of what is necessary for gastroparesis! My primary doc said “This will be touch and go for awhile”. I asked him what he meant and he said it will take time with ups and downs to figure out what works for me. Don’t change everything for diverticulitis to the detriment of the gastroparesis. Don’t do anything drastic. Make small changes to find out what works. I don’t know if this is helpful or not but please keep trying. You’ve done exceptionally well in the past. My hope and prayer for you is that you can learn to deal with this newer challenge. Blessings to you in the New Year.

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@cehunt57, thanks for the compliments, the encouragement and the info. Although I don't have diverticulitis (yet) I do have diverticulosis as most people my age do. Please let me know how things go for you and let's hope 2023 is a good year for all of us!

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@kamama94

Both neph and primary are pleased and say they expect further improvement.
When I first noticed my GFR was dropping several years ago I knew to lower K, P and Na.
After the dramatic drop last Feb post-flu in Dec-Jan and before I even consulted with the neph or a dietitian, I started a renal diet similar to that of my former CKD patients.
Then in May my neph suggested that a vegetarian diet MIGHT help. It was an easy transition since I already was limiting meat. We all believe it's at least partly responsible for improved renal function since a renal vegetarian diet doesn't stress the kidneys as much as a regular diet does.
Dietitian consult helped some but you'd be surprised how many professionals understand a vegetarian diet and know about a renal diet but not both combined into one. Vegetarian diets rely heavily on legumes, for instance, and tomatoes - no-nos for a low K & low P diet.
So I've spent a great deal of time reading labels, contacting food manufacturers to learn mineral content of their products (phosphorus is not required to be listed,) and going online to various websites to find nutrient values. I wish I could post links as two in particular are approved by my neph but as a new member I'm not allowed to post URLs.
BTW, I have only one functioning kidney, the left one stopped working years ago and finally atrophied but no one knew because I was asymptomatic, therefore no reason to suspect a problem requiring imaging. Last May neph, primary and I were all three surprised to see a tiny bean that used to be a kidney.

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kamama94 ~
As a newly diagnosed Stage 3 CKD patient (eGFR 54 in August 2022) and a new member here, I find your story fascinating and informative. Thank you for sharing it. I've visited a dietician once within the past two years but left with more questions unanswered than answered. I appreciate the research you've done into foods (good & not-so-good) for CKD and also look forward to when you are allowed to link URLs for us to check into. Just lately, I've veered more into the vegetarian side of things (more for improving problems with IBS/Constipation than because of CKD). I am very motivated to eat as healthy as possible for my condition. I look forward to your sharing more of your journey with your veggie diet.

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@dks, thank you for your kind words. Your eGFR sounds good to me, under the circumstances.

Like you, I couldn't find any good (and realistic) vegetarian and vegan diets and dietitians in my area knew even less than I did about meat-free kidney diets! So I had to find values myself for vegetarian kidney recipes and experimented in my own kitchen for a couple of years.

I can post links, the problem is that I have no links to my recipes to post because my research was published in pdf format and posted here as pdfs. My computer crashed about a year ago and the refurbished replacement pc won't allow me to post pdfs. However, if you contact @gingerw. volunteer mentor in the kidney thread, I'm sure she can show you where those recipe collections are.

When you find them, please bear in mind that nutritional values for some brands and some ingredients have changed. When I wrote the first recipes, potassium amounts were not required to be on a label, for instance, but now they are on most labels. Phosphorus content still is not on most labels, though.

A good way to check nutrient values is the USDA website and I have found good information also on Self.com, just google those and you can navigate to those sites.

Since I first started "concocting" recipes, too many manufacturers have altered ingredient amounts so some of the values in my earlier research may not be accurate.

This doesn't mean the recipes are no longer good; they are still very doable on a kidney diet. It's just that some of the nutrition amounts may need to be updated.

Please keep me posted about your journey. Hopefully Ginger can help you find the pdfs in one of the kidney threads.

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