best Cereal options / veg breakfast options in US for a kidney transplant patient?

[PatientWhizbang]

hey

im 24 years old. I had undergone transplantation on feb'21. I'll be moving to Florida next month. Can you suggest me good breakfast options/cereal options

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

Please know that after having a kidney transplant you are not a "special" diet. I am 22+ years post-transplant and try to eat heart healthy.

[PatientWhizbang in reply to WYOAnne]

Yeah but I need some breakfast options in cereals (corn flakes and oat meals) which doesn't have too much sodium and fat in it. Can tou Suggest?

[Peyton050621]

Whole grain cereals, cashews, fruits, smoothie, limit whole eggs 2x per week but can have egg white more often. I love scrambled eggs with kale, red bell peppers and onion. Side of whole wheat toast with vegan butter& jelly. Yum

[PatientWhizbang in reply to Peyton050621]

Thanks Peyton, can we eat packaged jelly ? And Cereals like Kellogs which has high potash and Sodium levels? That's my main concern

[littlelinda50 in reply to PatientWhizbang]

My suggestion is if your sodium level is good in your blood work just don't go over board with sodium. I totally understand your concerns. I still watch everything I eat especially my potassium, phosphorus, uric acid, and sodium. I myself want those levels to be at a certain number. You will just have to figure out what is to much sodium for you because everyone is different. For me personally a dietician didn't help at all. I try to eat healthy and exercise even though it's not helping I am still gaining weight because of prednisone.

[LisaSnow]

I suggest you schedule a meeting with your center dietitian. They can teach you how to read and understand label of any commercial food items, calculate the amount of nutrients and their daily intake recommendation based on your health needs, and even teach you how to cook simple meals. They are professionals who work directly with your transplant doctors and know your specific needs much better than others.

[littlelinda50 in reply to LisaSnow]

They are not always helpful and sometimes people can't afford to eat the way they say to eat. I know I can't do organic foods and buy all those different vegetables those are expensive.

[LisaSnow in reply to littlelinda50]

No dietitian will recommend you to buy organic foods over non-organic foods. They know better.

[littlelinda50 in reply to LisaSnow]

Yes they do and they tell you to eat expensive foods. Not everyone can afford fish, chicken, and fresh fruits and vegetables. I did go see a dietician and I cant afford the foods and meal plans she set up for me. If I try to do them no one else in my house can eat and my kids will always eat first me second! Some people are barely making it.

[LisaSnow in reply to littlelinda50]

I am sorry your session left you feel like you were pressured. Dieticians should have bi-directional communication with patients to make the best personalized recommendation for them. If you give them another chance you must speak up with your concerns. Of course there are some patients who can't follow the original recommendation because of things like food allergy or affordability, but it is dieticians' job to make alternative set of recommended food as well as cooking style for you. To get most benefit from your session please be clear about your needs and concerns and prepare a list of what you normally eat, so they can more easily work on improving your list for your kidney health.Are you in the USA?

[littlelinda50 in reply to LisaSnow]

I did all that and yes I am in the US. I also have a medical degree. I know how to eat healthy and the things to eat and not eat. I am so good at it I was able to never do dialysis and find a donor. You just don't understand because you don't have food concerns like some of do or have finicial struggles like some of us do. Not all of us are fortunate to have a job that pays good or get disability.

[Jayhawker in reply to littlelinda50]

I rely on frozen vegetables (eithout sauces) along with fresh vegetables. When fresh vegetables are out of season frozen vegetables are a good alternative. I do not but organic unless it happens to be cheaper.

Jayhawker

[Mandelin in reply to Jayhawker]

Were you told by your hospital to wash your fresh vegetables with vinegar? I was told that which makes me put off fresh, but I eat frozen.

[Jayhawker in reply to Mandelin]

Actually, I’m not eating any fresh vegetables due to bacterial virus risk. We’ve got a real battle ongoing with CMV which I got from my donor organ. As a CMV- recipient, my body is really struggling with CMV. So, I am taking absolutely no additional risks. All veggies are roasted or cooked in some way after thorough washing. And yes, the dietician mentioned apple cider vinegar when washing veggies. However my nephrologist has said that cooking them thoroughly kills any bacteria etc. So I’m washing thoroughly, without vinegar, if fresh and then roasting veggies. I’ve switched to vegan Mayo when I use Mayo to avoid raw eggs. I haven’t eaten any deli meats since my transplant; although, they may be okey if heated first. Of course they have high sodium so not a great choice. Instead it’s roasted meat and lots of cooked eggs as well as plant protein options at this point. I’ve got a sheet pan chicken fajita recipe I love. I’ve made a lot of sheet pan meals since the transplant. I use the left over vegetables to make soup in my Vitamix blender. However, before my transplant I was a major raw vegetable and salad eater. This is a big shift for me. I haven’t eaten out anywhere yet. I’m into my 11th month post transplant… Just hoping and praying this CMV calms down and stays calmed down. I’ll be thrilled if that happens over the next 6-8 weeks.

Jayhawker

[Mandelin in reply to Jayhawker]

Ive been reading about your struggle silent CMV, sorry you are going through all that. I agree about the salads, I thought after transplant I wouldn’t have as many restrictions, but the restrictions are different. Just thankful for the transplant. They said you can wash the lettuces in vinegar/water solution, but I haven’t done that. Yes, I will eat the veggies without vinegar when I cook them, but have pretty much gone with frozen veggies. They also said fruit too and I’ve cleaned and soaked apples and grapes before eating them. Prayers that you get some relief with that CMV.

[littlelinda50]

Things I eat for breakfast if I eat breakfast is malto meal or cream of wheat with honey and blueberries. You can have plain cream cheese on a bagel or English muffin with fresh fruit. You can make your own protein balls and have them. I usually have lunch of 1 boiled egg, 6 pieces of turkey pepperoni and 4 thick slices of cheese of my choice. Dinner is either malto meal, oatmeal, pb&j sandwich or what ever I fixed for dinner. I don't use salt in anything and use herbs and Mrs. Dash for seasonings.

[Jayhawker]

Food costs have skyrocketed Post-COVID. It doesn’t surprise me to see posts talking about costs related to eating a renal-friendly diet. I’ve found the information from the Kidney Community Kitchen helpful. I’m including their website link. They gave a blog you can access.

Jayhawker

kidneycommunitykitchen.ca/d...