You have recently been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease and your doctor has told you that you must follow a kidney friendly diet. You may have many questions or thoughts going through your head of where to start and our team of Registered Dietitians are here to help!
To help, we are starting a blog series to help cover all the basics of what to eat, why these foods would be the best choices, and how these foods will help you safely manage your CKD.
If you have discovered this page, there is a good chance that you googled “what foods can I eat
for chronic kidney disease?” – if so, we have answers for you!
Kidney disease can be very scary, and very complicated. The good news is that nutrition can help you not only retain kidney function, but also make you feel better!
Navigating Nutrients for CKD
There are four components that we want you to get familiar with and will need to know to help make following a diet for chronic kidney disease (CKD) easier. Some you may be familiar with and others may be completely new to you. We have listed out the four components below and each will be explained thoroughly in our upcoming blog series, but to start this blog series off we are diving deep into phosphorus and the role it plays in managing CKD.
There are four vital components to a kidney-friendly diet:
1) Phosphorous
2) Potassium
3) Sodium
4) Protein
Easy CKD Food Swaps
Here is an overview of which foods are high in each nutrient that may harm your kidneys and which foods will help you take the some stress off of your kidneys. Each of these nutrients are discussed in more detail in complimentary blogs linked to this blog.
If you find yourself thinking “what on earth is phosphorus? where do I find that?” – if so, you aren’t alone!
Let’s focus on Phosphorous and Kidney Disease
Phosphorous:
Phosphorus is a tricky mineral, as it is hidden in several food additives under a long, complicated name.
Check Labels To Ensure Foods Are Low In Phosphorous
Low Phosphorous Foods Food Swaps:
Looking for CKD Recipes with Low Phosphorous Foods?
Here are some of our favorites.

Photo credit Kaitlin Eckstein

Photo by Klara Knezevic

Photo by Kaitlin Eckstein
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An award winning recipe developer, Dietitian Kaitlin’s mission is to empower others to reach their health goals by encouraging them to get back into the kitchen. Co-author of Nourished: 10 Ingredients to Happy, Healthy Eating and Cooking with Diabetes.
I tried to sign up for your news letter pertaining to CKD and hoping for help navigating as a newbie, but the web site led me asking for a consultation which I don’t want. Please sign me up for the news letter and any help you can offer. Thanks
Hi Jan!
We are a large practice and see clients for a huge range of conditions and concerns. I can certainly sign you up for our newsletter! It covers a large range of topics though, not just CKD. I would highly encourage a consultation so we can better help you navigate the CKD diet, and we are in network with several insurance companies!