Kidney Diet Tips

Q is for Quince: a quirky kidney-friendly fruit

Quince is a pear shaped, golden yellow fruit related to the pear and apple fruit family. Unlike it’s cousin fruits, the quince is very tannic and bitter when eaten raw, so most recipes call for cooking the fruit. When sugar is added the cooked quince turns crimson red and develops a flavor described as a combination of rose, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom. Some popular quince recipes include quince baked or poached with sugar, quince added to stewed or slow cooked meat dishes, quince tarts, preserves and a spreadable paste known as membrillo.

In the US, quince is available in the fall. You can find it at farmer’s markets, large supermarkets and specialty and ethnic stores. Turkey is the world’s largest quince producer/exporter.

Nutritionally, a medium quince has around 75 calories and 14 grams of carbohydrate. With only 181 mg potassium, 16 mg phosphorus and 4 mg sodium, quince is a great fruit choice for a kidney diet.

Treat yourself to a new taste experience! Look for the raw fruit to cook or shop for quince paste or jelly.

Here’s an easy recipe for Baked Quince: 

Portions:  8           

Serving size:  1/2 quince

Ingredients
  • 4 medium quinces
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 cups water
  • 2-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Peel the fruit, cut in half and remove seeds. Place in a baking dish.
  3. Pour sugar over quince halves and dot each piece with butter.
  4. Add water and bake for 1 hour.
  5. Serve each quince half with a spoonful of whipped topping.
Nutrients

152 calories, 0 protein, 30 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium, 93 mg potassium, 9 mg phosphorus, 9 mg calcium, 0.8 g fiber

Visit DaVita.com to discover more kidney-friendly fruit recipes. Some of  my favorites include:

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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.