Managing chronic kidney disease (CKD) requires a well-balanced diet that supports kidney function while keeping sodium, phosphorus, and potassium in check. Eating well with kidney disease doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor or variety. This article provides kidney-friendly lunch ideas that are simple, satisfying, and packed with nutrients. Dietary needs vary based on individual health conditions, medications, and specific kidney function levels.
The Importance of a Renal Diet
When you are on dialysis, your diet is an important part of your overall treatment plan. Following a healthy meal plan that is high in protein and low in sodium and phosphorus can prevent many health problems such as heart disease, bone disease, and infections. This will help you feel better and live longer.
General Tips for Kidney-Friendly Lunches
With today’s busy pace, eating on the run is all too familiar. But you can still manage to squeeze in a healthy lunch that’s in line with your kidney diet. Here are some general tips:
- Plan ahead: Set aside time each week to plan meals and prepare recipes.
- Prepare ahead: Prepare large amounts of soups or other dishes and freeze individual portions for easy reheating.
- Fresh is always best: The freshest and least processed items are best for the renal diet.
- Pack your lunch the night before.
- Use an ice pack to keep foods cool.
- Always remember to take your binders!
Ingredients to Keep on Hand
Ingredients to keep on hand for a quick lunch include pre-cooked chicken or turkey, frozen shrimp, ground beef, pitas and flour tortillas, celery, onion, lettuce and mayonnaise. Look for pre-chopped onion and celery, or chop veggies ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator until needed. To complete your quick lunch, add fresh or canned fruit, low-sodium crackers and a sweet treat such as cookies.
Lunch Ideas
Here are some kidney-friendly lunch ideas:
Read also: Renal Diet Guide: Navigating Orange Juice Consumption
Sandwiches
Good choices for sandwiches are tuna, egg, or chicken salad. Avoid processed deli meats, even if you have the counter cut slices for you. These ‘lunch’ meats are full of sodium and phosphorus.
Tips for packing a super sack lunch:
- Fresh is always best. If possible, make meat sandwiches from low sodium, fresh-cooked meats such as chicken, turkey breast, roast beef, pork or fish. Use meat leftover from dinner, or cook fresh meat specifically for lunch sandwiches. Consider freezing cooked meat in 2- to 3-ounce portions until needed.
- Egg salad or fried egg sandwiches are good low-sodium, high-protein choices.
- When selecting canned tuna or chicken, pick the no-salt-added brands or rinse salted products for three minutes to reduce sodium content.
- Make sandwiches to pack in your sack the evening before. If you make it a habit, you will always be ready with a lunch to go.
- Freeze bread and meat sandwiches in individual sandwich-size freezer bags. Before leaving home, pack it up with a separate container for toppings, such as mustard, mayo, lettuce, oil, vinegar, cucumbers, bell peppers or onions.
- Remember to pack your phosphorus binders!
Add variety to your sandwich:
- Breads: bagels, cracked wheat, dinner rolls, tortillas, buns, pita, rice cakes, sourdough or plain white bread
- Spreads: cranberry sauce, cream cheese, flavored mustard, horseradish, hot sauce, jam, jelly, mayo, low sodium ketchup and salad dressing, sour cream or yellow mustard
- Toppings: alfalfa sprouts, basil leaves, bean sprouts, bell peppers, cilantro, cucumber, lettuce, low-sodium pickle, onions, one tomato slice or water chestnuts
- Adding flavor: black pepper, curry powder, flavored oil, Mrs. Dash Herb Seasoning, olive oil, red pepper flakes, sweet pickle relish, vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
Sandwich fillings:
- Turkey, roast beef, egg salad, chicken, tuna
- White bread, bagel tortilla, pita, dinner roll and hamburger buns
- Jelly mustard mayo and horseradish
Kidney-Friendly Pasta or Rice Salads
Choose wholemeal pasta and brown rice for extra fibre or try quinoa, bulgur wheat or buckwheat. Add a lean protein of your choice (eggs, chicken, turkey, pulses, beans, lentils, reduced-fat hummus) and your favourite salad vegetables (peppers, radishes, cucumber, sweetcorn, cooked broccoli, red onions, spring onions, peas, grated carrot).
Kidney-Friendly Homemade Soup Served with a Wholemeal Roll
Opt for high-fibre ingredients like vegetables, beans and lentils.
Other Lunch Ideas
Other lunch ideas include beef or chicken fajitas or green salad with grilled chicken or hard-boiled eggs. For that occasional fast food meal, a plain hamburger is a good choice.
Recipe: Summery Homemade Green Salad with Lemon Pepper Grilled Chicken
Follow these steps and enjoy a summery homemade green salad with lemon pepper grilled chicken. This easy yet tasty lunch recipe includes protein and a good amount of vegetables. The recipe includes two options for the dressing. Cooking fresh chicken at home makes this dish delicious and good for you.
Read also: Kidney-Friendly Cat Food Explained
- 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
- 12.
Make ahead of time. Chill in refrigerator.
- 2. 3. 4. 5.
Drinks, Fruits, and Sweets
Drinks:
- Apple juice, grape juice, cranberry juice, lemonade, Kool Aid, Sprite, ginger ale, 7-UP, water
Fruits:
- Apples, plums, pears, grapes, raspberries, strawberries
- Applesauce
- Canned peaches, pears, fruit cocktail and pineapple
Sweets:
- Angel food cake, vanilla cupcake, Rice Krispy treats
- Gingersnaps, shortbread cookies, vanilla wafers, graham crackers
- Hard candies, gum
Snack Ideas
- Unsalted pretzels
- Popcorn
- Bread sticks
- English muffin
- Bagel with cream cheese
- Graham crackers
- Rice or Chex cereal
- Hard-boiled egg
- Protein bag
- Custard
- Nilla Wafer
- Shortbread cookies
- Fruit pie
- Cupcake
- Fig Newtons
- Dry cereal
- Popsicle
- Sorbet
- Unsalted tortilla chips
- Piece of fruit
- Animal Crackers
- Unsalted Saltines with cream cheese
- Teddy Grahams
- Doughnut
Planning Your Lunch When Away From Home
Planning your lunch ahead of time will allow you to be in control of all of your diet restrictions.
School cafeteria foods are generally loaded with sodium and phosphorus. Even some foods that you may think are “safe” often contain hidden sources of sodium, phosphorus and potassium. If a bag lunch isn’t an option, and you must buy a school lunch, stick with what foods you know are safe. Remember the freshest and least processed items are best for the renal diet.
Be open with the school lunch director, and let him or her know about your dietary restrictions. They should be able to help you identify what foods are lowest in sodium and phosphorus. They may even be able to make you special lunch orders using lower sodium and phosphorus substitutes.
On dialysis days, try bringing your bag lunch with you, and eat it before or after your dialysis session. By bringing your own lunch on treatment days, you will be less tempted to skip lunch or buy lunch in the cafeteria, or even worse, fast food!
Quick Tips for Packing a Lunch
- Pack your lunch the night before
- Use an ice pack to keep foods cool
- If buying a school lunch is a must, talk with the cafeteria director about your diet restrictions
- Choose a variety of foods that are safe for your diet
- Always remember to take your binders
Read also: Comprehensive Guide to Renal Diet Meals