Kidney-friendly Takeout Tips

While many people are now preparing their own food, you may want a break from cooking and opt to order takeout. It’s a great way to support local businesses and satisfy cravings for food items not available in grocery stores. Many restaurants that were previously dine-in are now offering delivery and takeout. These options promote limited or no contact, social distancing and, depending on the restaurant, some healthier food options.

Takeout Tips

Choose restaurants that offer kidney-friendly options. Many restaurants have limited menus at this time, so a good start would be to look ahead at all the items available. Check to see if the nutrition content is available for the items that suit your needs the best. Restaurants that use fresh items as opposed to canned, instant or processed items will better fit into a kidney diet guidelines.

Family style meals are becoming popular on takeout menus. If purchasing a family meal, monitoring portion sizes is important. Keep in mind that restaurants often serve larger portion sizes than necessary, plus having some leftovers takes the thought out of meal planning for another day.

Look for less processed foods.  Better choices are baked foods without high phosphorus ingredients or salty sauces and toppings. Choose vegetables plain or in a buttery sauce.  Avoid menu items such as cream sauce, cheesy, loaded, carbonara, smothered or white sauce.

Watch out for condiments. Condiments often contain high amounts of salt and may contribute to fluid retention in some people. Ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, salad dressings, olives and pickles are historically high salt offenders. 

If you are concerned with germ transmission on takeout containers, transferring the food into your own dishes is an option.  Discard the takeout containers and always wash your hands prior to eating.

If you are still not ready to order takeout but you crave restaurant foods you can make your own at home. Checkout the Today’s Kidney Diet Restaurant Favorites cookbook in the DaVita cookbook collection.

Additional Kidney Diet Resources

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

• DaVita Kidney-Friendly recipes
• Today’s Kidney Diet cookbooks
• Diet and Nutrition articles
• 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.