Kidney Diet Tips

Favorite 4th of July Kidney-friendly Picnic Recipes

Fireworks, outdoor games and friendly gatherings are a great way to kick off the first holiday of the summer. Naturally, when people get together there’s bound to be food. It can be a challenge to stick to a kidney-friendly eating plan when attending 4th of July picnics and cookouts. To help with planning, here are a few picnic-favorite recipes—including muffins, salads, chicken and cookies—to bring along so you can enjoy the festivities and not pay for it by feeling bad later.

“An Apple a Day” Muffins

Blueberry Dream Muffins

Cranberry Muffins

Zucchini Muffins

Deviled Eggs for Parties

Coleslaw

Homestyle Macaroni Salad

Picnic Potato Salad

Pasta Salad

Chicken Apple Crunch Salad

Turkey Waldorf Salad

Tuna Pasta Salad

Sweet and Tangy Oven-fried Chicken

Buffalo Wings

Gingersnap Cookies

Lemon Cookies

Old Fashioned Short Bread Cookies

Snickerdoodles

Apple Bars

Pineapple Bars

These are just a small sampling of the kidney-friendly recipes on DaVita.com—take a look for other mouthwatering recipes. Make sure you bring a variety of foods that you can enjoy to your July 4th picnic. If you’re going to share pot-luck-style, double check which fruits and vegetables are high in potassium and which foods are high in phosphorus so you can limit or avoid them. And, pack your phosphorus binders in your picnic basket so you’ll remember to take them.

Make sure it’s a happy and safe 4th of July with delicious picnic foods and good times with friends and family.

Additional Kidney Diet Resources

Visit DaVita.com and explore these diet and nutrition resources:

DaVita Food Analyzer

DaVita Dining Out Guides

Today’s Kidney Diet Cookbooks

DaVita Kidney-Friendly Recipes

Diet and Nutrition Articles                                                       

Diet and Nutrition Videos

Kidney Smart® Virtual Classes

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.

Sara Colman, RDN, CDCES

Sara is a renal dietitian with over 30 years experience working with people with diabetes and kidney disease. She is co-author of the popular kidney cookbook "Cooking for David: A Culinary Dialysis Cookbook". Sara is the Manager of Kidney Care Nutrition for DaVita. She analyzes recipes and creates content, resources and tools for the kidney community. In her spare time Sara loves to spend time with her young grandson, including fun times together in her kitchen.