We are honored to welcome registered dietitian Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, FAND for our latest guest blog. Melanie is a nationally recognized researcher, speaker and educator in kidney stone nutrition. She is the Founder & CEO of The Kidney Dietitian and has helped thousands of people prevent kidney stones with food. As a leader in the field, she has published and presented numerous research articles and sits on the board or is an advisor for the Renal Practice Group, American Kidney Fund and the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. If you or a family member are experiencing kidney health issues we hope this blog provides some valuable information. We also welcome you to visit Melanie’s website where you can learn more, request information and even attend classes.

What is a kidney friendly diet?

What is a kidney friendly diet in the first place? Ultimately, a kidney-friendly diet is different for everyone with kidney disease. Kidney nutrition is different based on your: (1)

• Stage of kidney disease
• Blood and urine lab results
• Other medical history
• Body size and composition
• Lifestyle and activity levels
• Personal food preferences and resources

It is always best to work with a renal (aka “kidney”) dietitian to figure out the specifics of your diet.

Even though the details of a kidney friendly diet are different for everyone, there are some things that hold true for everyone with kidney disease.

No matter your stage of kidney disease, these recommendations are good to keep in mind for kidney friendly eating.

Keep sodium in check

Eating too much sodium (or salt) is bad news for kidneys. A high sodium diet can lead to (or worsen) high blood pressure, which is the leading cause of kidney disease in the United States.

Most people with kidney disease should eat no more than 2,300mg sodium per day.(1) This might sound like a lot of salt, but most of us are eating much more than this. Most of the salt we eat is hidden in the foods we eat. Many people don’t realize how much salt they are really eating.

The first step to cutting back on sodium is reading nutrition labels to see how much salt is in the food you eat. A good rule of thumb is the limit foods with more than 140mg sodium per serving.

With the meals from Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating, you can save time and stress from label reading for a kidney diet. Their Registered Dietitians do the work for you to be sure you are staying below 2300 mg of sodium each day.

Eat more plant foods

People with kidney disease that eat lots of plant foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and legumes tend to have better kidney function for longer. They are less likely to need to start dialysis or need a kidney transplant and even a lower risk of mortality. (2)

Diets with lots of these plant foods can help control blood pressure, blood sugar and acid levels – all of which can help protect your kidneys. (3)

Unfortunately, people with kidney disease are often told to limit lots of healthy vegetables that are higher in potassium like bananas, tomatoes and potatoes. But, we now know that plant based diets can actually help potassium levels in kidney disease. (4)

Ask your dietitian what is best for you.

Avoid too much protein, especially from animal foods

A low protein diet is recommended for people with kidney disease in stage 3, stage 4 or stage 5. (1). People on dialysis have higher protein needs.

Protein from animal foods like chicken, beef, fish, dairy and eggs is harder on kidneys compared to plant protein. Swapping some animal protein for plant proteins like beans, nuts, seeds and lentils is a great way to help keep your kidneys healthy.

Ask your dietitian exactly how much and what type of protein is right for you.

Limit ultra-processed foods

There is no official definition of “ultra-processed foods”. However, many experts classify foods and drinks made from things extracted from “whole foods” as ultra-processed food. They tend to have added sugar, salt and other food additives. Examples of ultra-processed foods are chips, crackers, instant soup, bacon, lunchmeat, soda, fruit snacks, biscuits and French fries.

Remember, not all processed foods are harmful. Frozen vegetables or canned fruit can be wonderful, affordable and healthy options for people with kidney disease. Many food additives help keep our food safe and more affordable.

The problem is when ultra-processed foods have a lot of salt and sugar added to them. Also, some food additives have potassium or phosphorus in them. This extra potassium and phosphorus can be dangerous for people with kidney disease because our bodies absorb a lot more of it compared to whole foods. (5) (6) Also, ultra-processed foods generally do not have as many health benefits like fiber, vitamins and minerals.

People with kidney disease do not need to completely avoid all processed foods. But, it is a good idea to check out food labels for sodium, added sugar and ingredients that have potassium or phosphorus in them.

Top 5 Ways Home Delivered Meals Can Help Kidney Disease

Because kidney nutrition is so personalized based on your labs, it can feel like there is no way home delivered meals with a preset menu will work.

However, there are actually lots of benefits to home delivered meals for people with kidney disease. Here are the top 5 reasons why people with kidney disease might want to try home delivered meals.

1. Get familiar with healthy portion sizes With the meals from Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating, you can save time and stress from label reading for a kidney diet. Their Registered Dietitians do the work for you to be sure you are staying below 2300 mg of sodium each day. 
2. Find new favorite healthy recipes One of the biggest benefits of home delivered meals is that they are a great way to discover new, healthy meals you love. How many times do you find a recipe you want to try, but never actually try it? Home delivered meals take that work out of it for you! Once you’ve found some new favorites, you can add those recipes to your meal rotation.
3. Reduce stress Planning for, shopping and cooking healthy meals can add a lot of stress to your life. Stress can have a huge impact on your blood pressure. (7) Controlling your blood pressure is key to protecting kidneys. Not only is high blood pressure the #1 cause of kidney disease, kidney disease itself makes it harder to control your blood pressure. Stress management is key for anyone with kidney disease. Home delivered meals can help take one thing off your plate to reduce stress and control blood pressure.
4. Try new fruits and vegetables Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is a cornerstone of any kidney friendly diet. We are all creatures of habit, and many of us tend to default to the same few fruits and vegetables. But, the more variety of fruits and vegetables we eat the better! Eating lots of different fruits and vegetables can help make sure you get all the different vitamins and minerals your body needs! Home delivered meals are a great way to expand your repertoire of produce!
5. Well balanced meals Perhaps the biggest benefit of home delivered meals is that can be sure you are eating healthy, well balanced meals that include all food groups in recommended portions! Seattle Sutton’s meals are planned by registered dietitians. Even if the meals are not necessarily kidney disease specific, general healthy meals like from Seattle Suttons can still be a great starting point for a kidney friendly diet.

Remember, kidney friendly eating is NEVER about “following” lists of “good” and “bad” foods. Instead, it is about building healthy meal patterns and meals.

Kidney friendly and general healthful nutrition have a LOT of overlap. They both should focus on meals that:

• Are low in sodium and added sugar
• Have lots of fruits and vegetables
• Include mostly whole grains compared to refined white grains
• Avoid large portions of animal protein
• Are mostly made of minimally processed foods and ingredients
• Home delivered meals from Seattle Sutton meet all of these criteria.

Chances are, home delivered meals offer a much more varied, healthy diet compared to what most of us are eating. Utilizing home delivered meals to help jumpstart a kidney-friendly eating plan, or give yourself a break from the meal planning and preparation process.

Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, FAND is a nationally recognized researcher, speaker and educator in kidney stone nutrition. She is the Founder & CEO of The Kidney Dietitian and has helped thousands of people prevent kidney stones with food. As a leader in the field, she has published and presented numerous research articles and sits on the board or is an advisor for the Renal Practice Group, American Kidney Fund and the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois.

Visit the Kidney Dietitian Website to learn more about Melanie and your kidney health.