Tips to encourage eating with chronic kidney disease

Children with CKD often struggle to eat for many different reasons including having a poor appetite, suffering from nausea, vomiting, acid reflux and taking lots of medications. This can be an anxious time, however providing a safe, calm, happy environment for your child to eat will help him / her to have a positive association with food.

Meal ideas

This page is packed with helpful snack ideas, lunch suggestions, and practical tips for preparing meals while managing CKD. All the ideas provided here are designed to fit within the guidelines of a renal-friendly diet, making it easier to enjoy delicious and kidney-friendly food while supporting your kidney health.

Meal ideas for CKD

Tasty meal ideas

Meals may require a bit more thought and planning when following a renal diet, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on delicious, satisfying food. With the right approach, it’s still possible to enjoy flavorful and nutritious meals that you can share with your family and friends. To help you get started, we’ve put together some suggestions and ideas to inspire you in the kitchen. Remember to consult your dietitian to ensure these meal ideas work for your specific health needs.

Tasty Meal Ideas

Tips to spice up your meals!

Spicing up your meals can make following a renal diet more enjoyable. With some creativity and careful ingredient choices, you can add flavor to your food without compromising your kidney health. The tips below offer ideas to enhance the taste of your meals while staying within your dietary guidelines. Be sure to discuss these tips with your dietitian to ensure they are suitable for your individual needs.

How to make my meals tasty?

Eating out tips

Eating out is a lot of fun. With careful planning, it is possible to choose from most menus when following a renal diet and make eating out a fun experience. The suggestions below provide tips for eating out. It is important to discuss these suggestions with your dietitian to make sure they are suitable.

Eating out information here

Food diary

If you have been asked to make dietary changes or monitor your dietary intake by your Dietitian or Doctor, keeping a food diary can sometimes help with this.

Download our editable food diary. You can detail the foods and drinks that you have in this and show it to your dietitian and doctor so they can advise you further on what changes you may need to make.

Download this weekly food diary

General tips

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Choose restaurants that serve fresh food to order. Before eating out, contact the restaurant to discuss your dietary needs.

Plate with chicken, broccoli and carrots

Many restaurants display their menus on their website, so it could be helpful to familiarise yourself with any of the meals that are suitable or could be easily adapted beforehand.

Always check with the dietitian regarding what options are suitable when eating out.

Checklist with energy, protein, potassium, phosphate, salt, fluid and vitamin D

On the day you are eating out, be mindful of the meals eaten at home and consider reducing portion sizes of foods that are high in potassium, phosphate and sodium.

Pasta, broccoli and chicken in a cookpot

If a phosphate binder is needed remember to take this to the restaurant to have alongside the meal as the medical team have recommended.

Ask for your vegetables to be boiled as this helps to lower the amount of potassium they contain.

Salt is used in cooking and to season meals. Ask for meals to be prepared without salt and follow the tips below to choose lower salt alternatives.

Sauces can be high in salt and count towards fluid allowance. Order dishes without a sauce or ask for the sauce to be served separately so you can control the amount added.

If a fluid allowance is in place, avoid soups and free refills of drinks. Soups are usually high in salt and potassium and are best avoided. Remember that any drinks, sauces or soups must still be counted when eating out.

Be sure to consult your dietitian to ensure these suggestions align with your specific dietary needs.