Low Potassium Early Spring Vegetables

Posted June 1, 2017 in Diet Management, Featured Post, Tips, Tags: early spring vegetables, kidney friendly vegetables, low potassium vegetables, spring produce, vegetables for kidney diet by Michele Damon, RDN.

Spring gardens bring an abundance of fresh early spring vegetables to grocery stores and farmer’s markets. Grab your favorite bag and enjoy shopping for this week’s veggies.

The Potassium Challenge

One of the challenges for some people when following a kidney-friendly diet is the restriction on high potassium vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, chard and spinach. It can seem overwhelming when many favorite foods are limited.

However, there are many lower potassium early spring vegetables to choose from that you can fit into your diet. Some suggestions include asparagus, lettuces, green onions also known as scallions, and green peas. Your dietitian can provide a guide for portion size and how many servings you can safely include each day.

Eating should be enjoyable, and early spring is a great time to explore and try many of these early spring vegetable choices. You can check out a local farmers’ market near you to see what is available in your area by visiting the USDA’s market directory.

Recipes for Early Spring Vegetables

Maybe you’ve never tried some of these vegetables or maybe you need some new ideas for meals. There are many spring vegetable recipes available to choose from to bring variety and enjoyment into your meals.

Red Wine Vinaigrette Asparagus

Feta Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus

Shrimp and Asparagus Linguini

Asparagus and Cheese Crepe Rolls with Parsley

Creamy Peas with Shells and Bacon

Fiesta Roll Ups

I know sometimes when I cook and try out a new recipe, I want to see a picture of what it might look like or a video on how to cook it. I think it gives me more confidence in trying it when I know what the end product should look like. So taste with your eyes these short one minute videos on recipes with low potassium vegetables and see what you could make.

Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad with Green Onions

Strawberry Goat Cheese Spring Salad

Nutrition

A one cup serving, the potassium level of asparagus is 202 mg, green onions 138 mg, green peas 135 mg. A one cup serving of shredded lettuce has 112 mg and one cup of raw spinach has 167 mg of potassium. In addition, these vegetables are low in sodium.

Always consult your dietitian or doctor for the specific diet that is right for you as kidney diet guidelines vary for each individual.

Comments

June 12, 2017 at 5:23 pm

Denise Houck

my husband has high potassium. doctor called today to say it is stilll high(based on blood test from 2 weeks ago). and his number went from 30 to 23. wwe are scared to death. he is allowed to have tea bags. is that bad? what about brown rice which has 70 mg. postassium? doctor said to watch potassoium. we eat the same thing every day.

June 13, 2017 at 10:33 pm

Sara Colman, RD, CDE

I understand your fears. A low potassium diet can help. One tea bag daily is acceptable. White rice is lower in potassium than brown rice but only a 30 mg difference. Use DaVita Diet Helper to plan and track meals so you know how much potassium he is eating. If potassium is still high it could be related to medications–discuss with the doctor.

Reply

June 17, 2017 at 5:45 pm

Jan witherspoon

My husband has stage 5 kidney disease and its so hard to find food that he likes and how many have potassium in them. He has very high potassium and also suffers from heart disease.
Is there a cook book for me that you would suggest that i might buy. Thank you

June 19, 2017 at 1:06 pm

Sara Colman, RD, CDE

Yes, you can download the whole series of DaVita’s Today’s kidney Diet cookbooks. Go to http://www.davita.com/cookbook to see the collection.

Reply

June 17, 2017 at 5:48 pm

Jan witherspoon

Thank you, i need help

March 19, 2019 at 1:19 pm

Elizabeth

My father is a dialysis patient and says he can’t have any dairy since it’s high in phosphorus, ditto chocolate. His blood levels in everything are perfect according to the doctors when they check it. So can he have some dairy? I notice you use feta cheese, goat cheese and cream cheese in some of your recipes. How can that be allowed if he’s not supposed to have phosphorus or potassium?
Also, what about almond milk and/or soy milk? Can he have those instead? He is very very thin and trying to gain weight.

Thanks!

March 20, 2019 at 12:31 pm

Sara Colman, RD, CDE

Most dialysis patients can include 1/2 cup of milk or yogurt or 1 ounce of cheese each day if their potassium and phosphorus is in the normal range. Check with his dietitian before making diet changes so they are aware and can monitor the impact. Cream cheese and whipped cream are low in potassium and phosphorus and acceptable in a kidney diet. Almond milk that says original and that does not contain phosphate additives is acceptable if calcium is not a problem. Most almond milks and other milk alternatives are high in calcium. There are nutrition supplements and bars that could be added to help with weight gain. Ask the dietitian for suggestions or if they have a patient education handout on nutrition supplements.

Reply

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