Kidney Diet Tips

Potassium Content in Recipes

Potassium content is often difficult to find on food labels or in recipes. Exceptions include cookbooks and websites specifically for chronic kidney disease or dialysis patients (see Kidney Diet Tips blogroll).

Another recipe source with potassium analysis I’ve discovered is a cooking magazine called Eating Well.  Eating Well All the recipes in this publication include nutrient analysis for potassium as well as protein and sodium. Phosphorus is the only nutrient not included that would be useful to kidney patients. You can pick up a copy of Eating Well magazine at your local store, or go online to view recipes at www.eatingwell.com (some of the older online recipes may not include potassium yet).

Keep in mind, Eating Well magazine recipes are not developed for the kidney diet. Recipes vary from low to high potassium and phosphorus analysis is not available. Some of the recipes can easily be modified to reduce phosphorus content. People who want assistance with modifying recipes for a kidney diet can ask their Renal Dietitian for help.

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.