Kidney Diet Tips

Hanukkah Food Traditions

With holidays come memories of family, friends and food. Many holidays have traditional foods associated with them. Hanukkah is no exception. This festival of light is a celebration to remember the miracle of one day’s oil lasting eight days to light the lamps in the temple. Many foods served on the eight days of Hanukkah are fried in oil – latkes and donuts come to mind. Latkes are fried potato pancakes. Challah bread and beef brisket are among other dishes traditionally served at Hanukkah.

So what do you do if you want to enjoy the traditional foods of Hanukkah and you are on a potassium-restricted diet? Potatoes are one of the highest potassium vegetables out there. What can you substitute? A little creativity with lower potassium vegetables are the key to keep these fried fritters. Vegetables lower in potassium such as broccoli, onion, cauliflower and zucchini make delicious vegetable latkes.

Davita.com has several great latke recipes using lower potassium vegetables. latkesbroccolionion-small

For a new twist on donuts, try this fritter recipe with apples, a low-potassium fruit.

Here are a few more kidney-friendly recipes for Hanukah holidays.challahbread_0908-small

Michele Damon, RDN

Michele Damon, RDN

Michele has been a dietitian since 2002. She enjoys vegetable gardening, cooking, trying new foods and ethnic restaurants. MIchele volunteers as a board member for her local farmers' market. She also help with cooking demos and am passionate about having people try local foods, new foods and keeping farming in her home state, New Jersey.