I have been reading these posts for a while now. I am in stage 4. I’ve been watching my kidneys since I had stones when I was 19, am now 55. My one kidney was only working 50% then. That kidney has shriveled up to nothing. Never had anymore stones. Always just thought it was just the one kidney. Seems like once menopause hit the disease really kicked in. I have never been overweight and mostly watched my sodium all these years. I do have high blood pressure (not extreme), assuming this is hereditary. Assuming my disease is hereditary also since one of my brothers had a transplant a few years ago. He was diagnosed in his 50s. What I am looking for are what those of you on plant based diets eat all day. I have never been a vegetable type person. I don’t like tomatoes, onions, peppers, but like stuff like broccoli, spinach, corn, green beans. I’ve seen the recipes and plant based suggestions on DaVita but I don’t see how plant based foods can keep me satisfied. I have a good metabolism that I have to eat something every 3 hours. Can you post your daily meals that you eat so I can get some ideas? Don’t know if I can better my numbers with a plant based diet, but am willing to try anything. Thanks.
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I'm not sure if you are looking to go veggie as you've seen benefits to your kidneys. I truly believe if you eat everything in moderation regarding meat /fish and vegetables. I don't eat beef or lamb but this is a taste thing as suffer from nausea and these seem to make it worse.
Have you tried cutting up the veg you don't like and making a sauce or adding them to chilli or something. Have you tried quorn products.
Try snacking on hummus and veggie sticks or rice cakes and nut spread. I tend to make my own of both as then I know they don't have salt in them. Maybe make a big bowl of fruit salad that's in the fridge so you can go get a bowl when ever you want.
Maybe make some flapjack bar's as the oats will help to keep you full.
If you are going to go veggie then you need to speak to your renal dietician or renal doctor before making these changes to make sure they are happy you can get all you nutrients from a plant based diet.
Thank you Charlene for the suggestions. I’m not going pure veggie, just want to add more plant based foods so as to not keep eating only animal based protein. I’ve just started seeing a nutritionist and she is helping some. I just keep looking at what plant based food are and they don’t seem very filling, more like snack foods unless I want to eat beans all the time. I do eat oatmeal for breakfast 5 days a week and have for years. Those veggies that I don’t like I do eat tomato based stuff just don’t like tomato chunks raw or cooked and I cook with onions for flavor but won’t eat any and peppers don’t like them or the taste they give foods. I never heard of Queen. Just looked it up. Will check that out. Thanks again.
My numbers got better and kept me off dialysis for 7 months before I received a kidney. This was after being put on a diet from a renal dietician. My nephrologist asked how I was staying well enough to not be on dialysis. Told her I went plant-based and she said eliminating meat will do that. Funny the dietician said I didn’t need to be on it at 20% function when we met. Oh well, I can tell you a plant-based diet will keep you satiated. The reason is you’re getting all the nutrients you need, therefore you a full on less food. Secondly the reason we eat so much is our non-nutrient dense processed and fast food doesn’t provide you with what your body needs and your body seeks more food for what it is missing. I’m still plant-based and I’m not deficient, and if you’re worried about protein you’ll get all the protein you need from plants. A typical day for me is:
Bowl of oatmeal with almond milk, topped with strawberries, blueberries, bananas, chia seeds, hemp seeds, ground flaxseeds, crushed walnuts, cinnamon and maple syrup
Avocado sandwich on sprouted bread, veganaise, brown mustard, tomato, red onion and greens with an apple
Large salad topped with cucumbers, carrots, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, black beans, roasted corn, hummus, harrisa, lemon juice, and a vinaigrette
I snack on fruit during the day like a banana, apple, pear or veggies like bell peppers
I also love black bean burritos I make at home. You’ll be surprised you can still eat plant-based even while out. Chipotle is a good option, you can even call ahead to restaurants let them know you’re coming, you’d like to eat plant-based due to your illness. I’m always nice about it, and offer that if it’s difficult for them I’ll work with their sides to build a plate. I hope that helps.
Thanks CNeb. I’ve always considered myself a pretty healthy eater 5 days a week then cheat a little on the weekends but I guess I can be even healthier. I am eating Birds Eye frozen vegetable pasta right now. It’s pretty good. Probably need something else to go with it to keep me from getting hungry soon. I’ve built big salads before but am always looking for a candy bar cause it never satisfies me. I guess I’m going to have to get some fruit or something to keep at my desk. I’m willing to try anything to keep my kidney function the same or better.
I did not see if you mentioned if you were having issues with potassium or phosphorous. I try to eat mostly plant based but have to be mindful of my potassium which makes it very tricky.
One suggestion I have for you is to get a vegetable spiralizer. It will make different shapes of vegetables such as noodles. I love zucchini prepared that way until I found out how high in potassium zucchini is. You can make squash and beets and other root vegetables into noodles and it is satisfying.
You do not mention whether or not you eat things like pasta and rice. Adding vegetables, such as a vegetable lasagna, is really tasty. Use potatoes (extremely high in potassium) for stews if you can eat them.
Adding beans can also bulk up a meal, but be careful...again if potassium or phosphorous may be an issue. Lentils are tasty, but high in potassium. One cup has 731mg.
I add a lot of my own grown herbs to my recipes to add flavor. I do not add salt or substitutes.
Watch out for those frozen products. Sometimes they add salt and additives which are harmful to the kidney. Your goal right now is to protect what you have.
Want chocolate after dinner, have two miniatures and you will be satisfied. Or have a Popsicle. You do not say if your diabetic, so sweets in small doses are ok. Chocolate is made from a bean after all. Stay away from ice cream though.
Here is another tip, when you make something, make enough to freeze. It helps when your hungry but do not want to fix. When I make stuff to put in to a salad, I prepare a bunch of it and bag them in sandwich bags. For example, I will chop up peppers, cukes, radishes ( you choose what you like) and put in bags. I eat salad three times or more a week so this makes it easy to fix. I wash my lettuce for the week. I use a variety of lettuces like red and green leaf (no spinach for me) and other lettuces. I actually grow my own in season. I keep the lettuce in a big Tupperware container in the fringe but I wash it and completely dry it before I store it. (salad spinner) it keeps for the week or five days.
And to your question as to whether or not it will help to eat more plant based foods. The kidney works very hard to process animal protein. You are lessening the load on the kidney. You want to preserve what you have so by eating foods that do not tax the kidney you are helping it to remain vital.
Thanks Bassettmommer. I do not have problems with phosphorus or potassium yet. I usually don’t get a lot of sodium, been looting that for years, usually 500-1,000. I did try the Birdseye Zuccini pasta in the freezer section, my nutritionist pointed these out to me, the one I am looking at now has 160mg of sodium per serving and has 2.5 servings in the bag. The one I had before had even less sodium. It does have 450mg of potassium per serving and another one I have has 224 per serving. I think I will watch eating that for a while because my potassium was right on the border the last time but I’m hoping that is because I was on vacation and not eating as well as normal. They are coming out with more low sodium things that I’ve been seeing. I may have to look into that spiral tool to make my own. It would be cheaper. I have another blood test in two weeks, so will watch my potassium for now. I am not diabetic, so no problems with sugar. Don’t eat a lot of it anyways except for at Halloween. I just ordered an instant pot and hope to start making some more vegetarian meals that I am finding online. I do like pasta and rice and that lasagna sounds really good. I like salads, but don’t feel like they satisfy me. I worry about the time I won’t be able to eat potassium. I am not a huge vegetable person and the stuff I do like are potassium veggies. Thanks for all of your suggestions.
My consultant always tells me there is no special diet unless you have problems with potassium, sodium and phosphates, I am st one of the most successful renal units in the Uk so things work well for most patients.
I am told to eat s good balanced diet, do not overeat and as little processed food as possible. Above all work with your renal dietician who will advise if changes need to be made following regular blood tests. Exercise as much as you can, I do a brisk walk of 3 miles at least 4 times a week.
Being in kidney failure really sucks but it can be managed successfully working with your renal team.
Thank you Philipjm. I appreciate the advice. I have been exercising for years until the last several months cause of a problem with my sacroiliac bone. Been in therapy and going for an MRI. Hoping to get back to it soon.
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