Is there such a thing as a healthy for your... - Kidney Disease

Kidney Disease

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Is there such a thing as a healthy for your kidney breakfast cereal and some type of milk?

Dakot profile image
28 Replies

Hi everyone, I hope all is good with you. So in my endeavor to keep my kidney’s healthy and maintain a good weight. I was looking for some lower carb foods for breakfast. I use to eat ceral and stopped because the ingredients, well the ingredients did not look healthy at all.

I am wondering since every thing changes over time if there is such a thing as a heathy breakfast Cereal and what about a bit of milk?

Any suggestions would be most welcomed but so far it is looking like it isn’t a possibility to find a lower carb breakfast cereal that is also healthy for your kidneys. I have looked at all types of milk substitutes and that doesn’t look good either. LOL

Right now my kidneys have rebounded with a healthy diet. So I would like to keep it that way and was hoping to also maintain a good heathy weight.

Thank you all for your suggestions

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Dakot profile image
Dakot
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28 Replies
Bassetmommer profile image
BassetmommerNKF Ambassador

Cereal is really tricky. Cold cereal is not a favorite of mine. I eat oatmeal almost every day with almond milk. My nephrologist suggested the almond mike being fortified with Vit D and calcium since I was not getting enough elsewhere. I eat the oatmeal with fruit, currently cherries. Steel cut is best, but I use old fashion quick oats. Cream of wheat is also another solution. I might switch to having that also because my phosphorous is up, but it is the price I pay for this breakfast.

Dakot profile image
Dakot in reply toBassetmommer

Thanks so much. I know it is all tricky. I worked hard with diet to get my kidney numbers healthy again and now they are. But I stopped working and put on a few pounds that I would like to trim off before it gets problematic for me cutting a few carbs always worked. So I was looking to mix it up a bit for breakfast. Thanks so much for your reply.

Bassetmommer profile image
BassetmommerNKF Ambassador in reply toDakot

The good thing about warm cereal is that you do not get the drop in sugar as fast, there is protein in it and not just pure carbs and it sticks with you. I have this and only one other meal a day.

Dakot profile image
Dakot in reply toBassetmommer

Thank you, although not a fan of warm cereals as mentioned I am open to all suggestions and change is part of life. LOL thank you everyones input is appreciated.

userotc profile image
userotc in reply toBassetmommer

You'd have to drink a massive amount of oat milk to get significant vitamin D levels (especially D3) medicalnewstoday.com/articl.... Are you unable to supplement?

Dakot profile image
Dakot in reply touserotc

Hi thank you for your reply the milk is purely for cereal. I do eat an excellent diet that includes most vitamins and I do supplement with D. My purpose is only to pour a little on a healthy cereal so I can have a bit of breakfast variety. Thank you.

userotc profile image
userotc in reply toDakot

Oh OK. With your original reply, I thought your nephro was suggesting oat milk as your main vit D source. My bad.

Dakot profile image
Dakot in reply touserotc

Oh no I am sorry, I am good on vitamins and minerals. I check them frequently and try to chose my foods wisely. Thank you

Dakot profile image
Dakot

Thank you I am considering all options I was never too crazy about oatmeal or hot cereals. I only eat two meals as well. Not intentionally I just prefer it that way. Thank you again.

Marvin8 profile image
Marvin8

You may want to check out Amaranth grain cereal. It has 4 grams of complete protein per serving and only has 19 carbs. Takes longer than oatmeal to make (which I eat all the time), but it's a bit healthier. So is Quinoa for that matter. I put no-sugar maple syrup and cinnamon in it and it isn't half bad.

Dakot profile image
Dakot in reply toMarvin8

Thank you so much, I appreciate everyones input.

shaun8 profile image
shaun8

The perfect diet is fruits and leafy greens.Fasting also is very beneficial.

I have 0 salt as salt puts pressure on kidneys, we just need organic sodium.

Avoid anything with high protein and mucus forming foods.

Dakot profile image
Dakot in reply toshaun8

Thank you!

Conviva22 profile image
Conviva22

I eat the same thing every morning: a plant based burger paddie with either okra (cooked in hot air fryer), or a small organic potato (steamed in the instant pot). Sounds boring but I seldom waiver from that. I cannot do dairy anyway, so the only thing I drink is water. Right now my ckd is still holding at 2 and my main concern is trying to maintain my weight at above 100 lbs.

Dakot profile image
Dakot in reply toConviva22

That is a very interesting breakfast. I wish you the best of health and hope you can maintain your weight and CKD Thank you

KidneyCoach profile image
KidneyCoachNKF Ambassador

I personally avoid any milk substitutes that come from nuts or beans as they tend to be higher phosphorus. Almond, soy, are types. Rice milk is good. Oat milk is ??Best of luck

Dakot profile image
Dakot

Thank you, I did look at Rice milk and Oat Milk I have been doing research trying to gather as much info to make good choices. It would be nice to have a little healthy variety here and there. I just never know if the info I see online is accurate so I always come here to get info you can trust. I just wanted a splash or two of milk or a milk alternative for a heathy cereal if I can find one.

RonZone profile image
RonZone

At stage 3, I occasionally ate half a bowl of Walmart brand Crunchy Honey Oats with Rice Milk. But it's not low in carbs unfortunately. Hard to find one that is that's low sodium, potassium and phosphorus. It had phosphorus in the contents but I have no idea how much. I alternated that with eggs, oatmeal, cream of wheat, bagel and cream cheese and homemade egg MacMuffins. Come stage 4 I stopped eating cold cereal and replaced it with something called Farina, which is a type of cream of wheat (I know, it's hot, but it's one of the choices) and I put peaches in it. It has zero sodium, no potassium, 4% phosphorus, but it also has some carbs. On the EggMacMuffin I only used a little butter and eggs (no bacon), sometimes a slice of swiss cheese. Fruit was a staple at breakfast. Peaches, Apples, Cuties (mandarins, not oranges), Pineapple, Blueberries, Cherries-All from the "good" side of the fruit chart. And some white bread toast and jam occasionally. Now that I started PD dialysis this week, I'm struggling to find high protein breakfast options that are still low sodium, low potassium, low phosphorus.

Dakot profile image
Dakot in reply toRonZone

Thank you for your information it is so helpful to hear a few options. You can only do so much online and even your doctor is only one person with recommendations, not to be taken lightly of course but I always believe there are more solutions we just have to find them. I appreciate all the suggestions you made and the things that have worked for you. I know it all can be a struggle and I thank you and wish you the very best.

Halebopp profile image
Halebopp

When I don’t feel like cooking oatmeal, I eat Kashi Autumn Wheat cereal. It’s whole wheat, however there is a slight amount of sugar in it. I’ve been using unsweetened soy milk for at least a couple of years. Only 1-3% of the population has a sensitivity or allergy to wheat. Sometimes I just don’t feel like hot cereal & vegetables for breakfast just don’t do it for me!My potassium, phosphorous, & sodium are within healthy range & I’m stage 3A CKD. Labs are done every 3 months & I’ve been stable for several years.

I think it’s important to know what stage CKD you’re in & if your labs are ok.

Good luck.

Dakot profile image
Dakot

Thank you so much. I feel like you sometimes you just want a slight change from the usual heathy meal, a healthy change of course. Congrats on keeping things steady for a number of years. I too go for blood work every 3 months. My numbers have been good and steady too and I am doing everything possible to keep it that way. I am bouncing back and forth between Coconut milk and almond and I have settled on a cereal I just have not taken the plunge yet I felt I should gather up more info and opinions from those of us that have true life experience with this challenge. Thank you so much for your reply.

Darlenia profile image
Darlenia

Hi Dakot. I'm a latecomer to this thread, but I'd like to commend you for seeking out low-sugar, low-carb food choices. As I've often said elsewhere on this site, diabetes truly is a force to reckon with - It took my hubby's kidneys. I'd simply like to note that it's very important, when looking at breakfast cereals, to always look at the "net carb count" - which is carbs minus fiber. In the US, this figure isn't provided - one has to read the label and make this calculation by oneself. The net carb count will always be higher in quick preparation, highly processed cereal because fiber is largely compromised or removed - instant oatmeal is a good example. On the other hand, the carb count will always be lower the less processed something is - steel cut oatmeal is a good representation here. Some diabetics will add or sprinkle fiber over their foods to help lower the carb count but this can give people digestion issues. So, my only real recommendation is to study the labels, do the calculations, and make smart choices. Also ask your nephrologist or primary doctor what your total carb count should be on a daily basis to help you stay on target. Label reading is a gamechanger. There is way too much processed food in contemporary society. Sending lots of encouragement that you're able to to drive your diabetes numbers into the normal range. It can definitely be done - my husband actually achieved that milestone although he waited too long and was forced into dialysis.

Dakot profile image
Dakot

Thank you so much for your detailed explanation. I learn more here then I do from medical professionals. I am so sorry about your Husband. I hope he is doing better. What challenge it is for us. I actually have high blood pressure and the meds and the condition it self although well under control but it has lowered my kidney function. So I decided to get real active with my heath and meals. It worked things are back to a normal range for now. Keeping it there is always work. I am a very big label reader and research anything I see on that label and I prefer everything as natural as possible. I find it amazing at how much we put chemicals in our foods. So many foods. I am sure to stay away from them. But it does get a big boring that is why I thought I would consider just once in a while a change. I don’t know if it is possible but it would be just something for every now and then.

I agree whole heartedly reading and understanding labels is a must I even do it with my dogs. LOL Thank you for taking the time to write in such great detail. I wish all the best for you and your husband and every one here on this thread that has been so kind. Everyone here is appreciated.

TopazForests profile image
TopazForests

I have Keto granola for breakfast, I don't have the name of it right now, with Two Good yougart. I don't like cereal with milk, so I use yougart instead and mix it all together. It's great for those mornings where you don't have time to cook anything.

Dakot profile image
Dakot in reply toTopazForests

Thank you. I like yogurt. Well I am not all that crazy about cereal everyday just once in a while for a change. And like you said not cooking.

Lucido profile image
Lucido

Consider Grits. Original NOT instant. Easy microwavable. No sodium, 140 calories plan but I add dried cranberries and pecan pieces, a little plant based margarine.

Dana66CKD profile image
Dana66CKD

Before my lab yesterday, previous gfr 63/stage 2. Eating 0.8g protein/kg wt., so approx. 45g protein/day or 15g/per meal (3 meals daily).Breakfast: oatmeal, groats, "Just Egg" scramble w/2 corn tortillas/0 sodium & veggies. Just egg= 6 gr. protein/serving, sodium 160mg. Just try to change up. Oatmeal good but soooo filling despite serving size😥.

Also drink coconut milk.

Dakot profile image
Dakot

Thank you for your suggestions. Best of luck.

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