Thanksgiving Tips for the Kidney Diet
Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for many people because it’s a time for family and friends to be together, plus all that great food. If you are following a special diet, like the kidney diet, you may find that holidays centered around eating are stressful. You can refocus by planning some non-food related holiday events. How about some pre or post meal exercise such as walking, basketball, bonce ball, or a Wii activity? You can plan a time for guests to focus on what they are truly thankful and share with the family. Recalling great family stories is fun and a great way to hand down family history to the younger ones. Think about showing family videos, a photo slideshow or photos albums.
When it comes to destressing over holiday foods, time to stop worrying. The DaVita dietitians have created helpful, kidney-friendly eating guidelines to make your Thanksgiving eating easy.
Good to Eat Guidelines for Thanksgiving
- Soups made with low potassium ingredients and less or no salt
- Roast turkey, chicken, pork, or beef seasoned with pepper, thyme, Mrs. Dash herb seasoning blends other herbs
- Homemade gravy made with plain flour (not “self-rising”), less or no salt, and fat skimmed
- Cranberry sauce or juice (limit amount if diabetic)
- Stuffing/dressing made with homemade cornbread (plain meal, minimal baking powder, egg, liquid non-dairy creamer instead of milk) and/or bread cubes, sage, onion, celery, salt-free broth
- Rice; mashed potatoes made from potatoes soaked to reduce potassium before cooking
- White loaf bread, yeast rolls, or hot water cornbread made with plain cornmeal
- Green beans, turnip greens (in moderation), corn, carrots, yellow squash, green beans, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, string beans, eggplant, peppers, cabbage, coleslaw, small green salad
- Pie or dessert made with apples or berries; chess pie (diabetics please have a very small serving)
- Whipped topping on dessert
- Sprite, & 7Up, or gingerale (“diet” if diabetic or avoiding extra calories)
- Wine or liquor in moderation if OK with doctor / medications
- Tea, coffee, lemonade, Koolaid
Best To Avoid for Thanksgiving
(High in Phosphorus, Potassium or Salt / Sodium)
- Soups made with tomato or potato; canned soups; salty soup
- Baked ham (very high in salt), Country ham (very, very high in salt)
- Canned or powdered gravies; Gravies made with vegetable cooking water (high potassium)
- Stove Top instant stuffing; Cornbread dressing made from cornmeal mix (high in salt and phosphorus)
- Dressings containing chestnuts, raisins, prunes (high in potassium) or giblets (high in phosphorus)
- Macaroni and cheese made from mixes or with lots of cheese (if eaten at all, make “homemade” with liquid non-dairy creamer instead of milk, no salt, and minimal cheese)
- Canned biscuits, biscuits and bread made from mixes or self-rising products (high in sodium and phosphorus)
- Tomato (if more than a slice), yams, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, baked or fried potatoes (high potassium–you can reduce by soaking potatoes and squash)
- Pumpkin pie (high potassium), pecan pie (high potassium, high phosphorus)
- Ice cream that exceeds daily milk allowance (high phosphorus and potassium)
- Coke, Pepsi, or other “cola” drinks, Hawaiian Punch or other bottled or canned drinks with phosphate additives (high phosphorus)
- Beer (high phosphorus)
- Hot chocolate; milk in excess of milk allowance (high phosphorus and potassium)
For a complete Thanksgiving menu with kidney-friendly recipes DaVita.com’s feature article “A Feast for Giving Thanks” will provide everything you need to have a stress-free Thanksgiving meal.
Additional Kidney Diet Resources
Visit DaVita.com and explore these diet and nutrition resources:
DaVita Kidney-Friendly Recipes
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Consult your physician and dietitian regarding your specific diagnosis, treatment, diet and health questions.
Recent Comments