Any good frozen foods/meals allowed on diet for stage 5 kidney disease?

[miraclelady]

Frozen Foods/Meals

[Jayhawker]

I’m in stage V but not yet on dialysis. I do eat frozen vegetables. Frozen vegetables with no sodium or sauces. I also eat frozen fruit without sugar added. In fact I make high protein fruit smoothies. It’s a Davita recipe:

3/4 c frozen fruit (blueberries and peaches or blueberries and raspberries or strawberries)

Ice

2T powdered egg whites

A little water

There are also two lean cuisine meals that are listed on several websites for persons with CKD as renal friendly:

Apple cranberry chicken

Chicken broccoli Alfredo

Lean cuisine meals have sodium though so be sure it doesn’t overdo your sodium limits. It works alright for me. I don’t add sodium to anything I cook so I typically come in at 1200 mg of sodium daily even with a lean cuisine meal.

I’ve also started drinking 2 fluid oz of a protein drink that is both renal friendly and diabetic friendly. It’s called Vidafuel. It’s developed by renal dietitians. It was recommended for me by the transplant dietician about a year ago. It contains 16 grams of complete protein per serving.

Once I do start dialysis I may be feeling well enough to cook for myself again. But right now I’ve had to convert my diet to this because I’m struggling a little to cook. I live alone. I see my nephrologist again this next Tuesday. I won’t be surprised to hear him say it’s time for the PD catheter placement surgery etc.

Nevertheless, in the meantime, the aforementioned is how I’m managing my diet right now.

Jayhawker

[miraclelady in reply to Jayhawker]

Thank you so much and best wishes to you. I don't cook much and was hoping for more ideas like the Lean Cuisine. Will look for these two you mentioned. Thanks again!!

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

The best frozen dinners are the ones you make yourself. When I make something, I normally make too much So I freeze it in a diner size container and then just pop it in the microwave. I find that from store made breads, to boxed pasta and other pre-made foods really bother me more that the exact product if I make it myself.

I am sure that was not the answer you wanted.

[miraclelady in reply to Bassetmommer]

I appreciate your reply. I was looking for an easier way out, like a Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones meals, but this makes sense too!! Thanks again!

[Love101cats]

I'm at stage 4 so diet maybe slightly more relaxed but because I also have heart failure I'm unable to cook a good hearty meal. Ive gone mainly vegetarian and am using meals from Wiltshire farms every other day. They are nutritious and use the colour code system on line or in their catalogue so if you choose anything with a green square you know its low salt as well as other things. I checked with my dietitian and she was happy with it so worth checking,ing out.

[miraclelady in reply to Love101cats]

Thank you. Sounds like something to look into. I appreciate you replying!!

[Jayhawker in reply to miraclelady]

davita gives several options fir renal friendly meal delivery companies. I’ll copy the link here:

blogs.davita.com/kidney-die...

You may have to copy and paste the link into your web browser to access it. I definitely cooked from scratch consistently until I reached a point where I’m not feeling as well as I used to feel. At this point a meal delivery option is helpful for me. I expect that when I’m placed on dialysis I’ll be feeling well enough again to cook from scratch for myself again. I live alone so I sometimes have to do things a little differently.

Jayhawker

[miraclelady in reply to Jayhawker]

Thank you so much. I have the site up now and will look at it. I hope you get to feeling better soon!!

[Jayhawker in reply to miraclelady]

And renal friendly frozen meals from the grocery store as well as guidelines for selecting better options can be hound with the following link:

cvaleroportfolio.weebly.com...

These options include quite a few lean cuisine meals as well as some healthy choice meals.

I eat a serving of steel cut oatmeal, no sodium added, for breakfast daily. Then I have a serving of frozen vegetables for lunch with 2 oz of vidafuel as a plant based complete protein.

Then dinner is often a frozen meal at this point, typically lean cuisine. So I have very little sodium until dinner. I’m always fine on sodium intake. I calculate potassium and phosphorous on a daily basis and adhere to the restrictions my renal dietician has set.

Again, this shift to lean cuisine for my main meals and Vidafuel at lunch is fairly recent and due specifically to how I’m feeling on a daily basis. I’m still working full time. So I’m often pretty exhausted by dinner time at this point. But the shift is working for me right now. I’ve got another lab draw on Monday so will know for sure how I’m doing with electrolyte management.

Jayhawker

[miraclelady in reply to Jayhawker]

THIS is exactly what I was looking for. Something spelled out with the exact meals that are allowed on a kidney diet. Thank you for your research and your help. I'm new at this and most things that I used to eat are not on any list!!! It's so much easier to pop in a frozen meal when you are cooking for one. Veggies and fruit for the rest of the day seems like a good plan. Hope you get good lab results!!!

[Jayhawker in reply to miraclelady]

You’ll find potassium, phosphorous, sodium, and so forth in the nutritional information on the package. Some frozen meals are low in sodium and sugar specifically. And I have to select entrees that have no dairy (cheese).

The renal dietician I saw in the kidney transplant center identified lean cuisine and healthy choice meals that were good for me. I then tried them out. I settled into a set of 6 options. I rotate between them.

I also eat dinner salads. I roast boneless, skinless chicken breasts after marinading them in an apple cider marinade that is renal friendly. That’s an easy way to cook the chicken. I put the chicken breasts in the marinade the night before I roast them. Then I just take them out of the marinade and put them in a roasting dish. I throw the marinade out. The chicken roasts at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. I check to be sure there is no pink inside before pulling it out of the oven. But you can also use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.

I let the cooked meat rest. Then I slice the chicken breasts into thin slices. I freeze them in individual servings. I then only need to take them out to thaw in the refrigerator in the morning. I add a salad and I’ve got dinner. I love to pair this with the apple cranberry coleslaw recipe on the Davita website. But you can use this chicken with any salad for dinner.

I also use to make a lot of meals in my crock pot. Those generally involved chopping fresh vegetable, browning meat and then putting everything in the crock pot. When I made my renal friendly crock pot meals I always had a lot of left overs. I packaged those in zip lock containers and froze them. Then I just warmed them up for future meals.

The Davita website has lots of easy recipes that are renal friendly. So you might try some of them out on the weekends. I used to cook for the week every weekend. Then I was ready to go for the next week.

Jayhawker

[Taisha2121]

Frozen foods are not bad as long as the ingredients such as sugar, phosphate, salt is within the acceptable levels!

I recommend discussing frozen foods with your dietitian!!!

[miraclelady in reply to Taisha2121]

Thank you!! Will do!

[TrixG]

Healthy Choice simply Mediterranean Style Lentil, Healthy Choice Garden Simply Garden Vegetable, Healthy Choice Power Bowl Mango Edamame are good and fairly low in sodium and potassium. Don’t buy the HC chicken items because of added potassium chloride. Amy’s meals are good, you just need to watch the sodium.

[miraclelady in reply to TrixG]

Thank you!!!!

[RhenDutchess123]

Watch Utubes....DadviceTV....he explains a different view of Diet and has some great advice...He is a Kidney Patient who was in Stage V and is now Stage 3...just by changing his diet and attitude and explains why...he is very interesting and up-lifting.....Also Google ...Peptides and CKD....this is very interesting and has a new approach on treating kidney disease

[miraclelady in reply to RhenDutchess123]

Thank you. This sounds very encouraging!!

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador]

For anyone with a potassium and potassium restrictions check your labels. Many soups, pre made meals may say low sodium but they add potassium. Healthy Choice. Cambells, Progresso used to. Blessings

[miraclelady in reply to KidneyCoach]

Thank you. I am reading labels!!! Good advice!

[Sathya77]

I feel that choices of foods and exercise is a big factor... And perhaps certain Supplements. I eat Lots of vegetables that have low potassium and low phosphorous steamed or baked,( I look them up on line), like stir fry's, Hearty Salads, a little Chicken baked now and then, Occasional Chicken Fish or Turkey, No No No Soda or Sugar Drinks, No Carbonated drinks, Decaf Green Tea and Chamomile Tea, can be refreshing, No Sugar Cranberry juices, Gluten Free Breads, Corn Tortillas have 0 Sodium, Lots of Egg Whites, Rice and Organic Black Beans 1/2 cup only, Sun Flower Seed Butter and Organic Jam, Gluten Free pastas with vegetables, White rice or a little Brown rice ( ask your Dietician), Fresh Fruit and Non Dairy Yogurts; Coconut, Soy, Cashewgurt, makes a great snack, Vitamin C, A multi Vitamin, Wild Salmon now and then, Trader Joes has many items that are pretty Creative, Try Lemon and A Cup Warm water first thing in the morning, Or 2 tblspns of Trusty Ol AppleCider Vinegar in a cup of water first thing in the morning perhaps with a little Meditation, No Alchohol, No Smoking, Question many Medications, ( ****which I am doing now and very concerned of some of my medications***) I see an Acupuncturist and Herbalist twice a month( 2 years now), Flaxseed oil capsules, I take a Vitamin B Complex, My Husband and I drink Xango Juice nightly; 1 ounce that gives on a bit of energy! I also take Chlorophyll 1 or 2 times a week to purify the body naturally. I do take 2 blood pressure pills to lower my blood pressure,( I tried to go with only 1 pill.), Vegan Cheese but I am challenged because I love Cheese! I also buy Vege Patties from Trader Joes and local Health Food Stores. I buy Sweet Potato Fries that go with the Vege Burger. Also, Green Drinks seem to be very Refreshing. Either home made or Store bought. All I do is read labels while shopping! Looking at the Sugar and Sodium! I am soooo glad to have found all of you guys...I felt alone and in the dark. I really appreciate you all...Lets Support each other! What Supplements do any of you out there take?******And Drink your proper amount of water!

[miraclelady in reply to Sathya77]

Thank you! My only supplement is Vitamin D. I worked in a doctor's office and we checked everyone's Vitamin D level. 90% of our patients were Vitamin D deficient! Now, my Nephrologist checks my level regularly!