Fish is a good source of protein that is low in saturated fat. But fish has been considered a superfood because it is packed with many great nutrients. Let’s take a look at fish and CKD.
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Benefits of Fish
- Fish is a great lean source of protein with on average 18 g protein in 2.5 oz serving.
- Fish is a great source of minerals, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium. Check below to see how fish can be included in your kidney-friendly diet.
- Fish is a source of important vitamins like as D and B2 that we need in our diet.
- Fatty fish, like salmon, trout or mackerel are some of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids a nutrient that our bodies are not able to produce which are anti-inflammatory.
- Fish are a big component of the Mediterranean Diet. Check out this blog post for more information on the Mediterranean Diet.
Fish and CKD
With CKD you don’t need to avoid fish. But because it is packed with protein so portion size matters. You might be wondering what about the potassium and phosphorus content of fish. We’ll let’s take a look and fish and CKD. Here are some of my favourite kidney-friendly fish to include in your diet.
| Type of Fish (75 g serving) | Potassium (mg) | Phosphorus (mg) |
| Tuna (light canned in water) | 134 | 104 |
| Sole | 138 | 202 |
| Crab | 150 | 96 |
| Lobster | 170 | 139 |
| Cod | 184 | 104 |
| Shrimp | 230 | 128 |
| Salmon (canned, no bone/skin) | 234 | 177 |
| Tuna | 242 | 244 |
| Sea bass | 246 | 186 |
| Perch | 258 | 193 |
| Haddock | 263 | 208 |
| Tilapia | 285 | 153 |
| Salmon (Atlantic, farmed) | 288 | 189 |
| Mackerel | 301 | 208 |
| Trout | 338 | 202 |
Mercury and Fish
Larger fish have more mercury in them compared to smaller fish. So, limiting consumption of larger fish like fresh/frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, escolar, marlin, and orange roughy is recommended. In general, you can eat up to 150 g per week of these fish species combined. Check out this information from Health Canada about mercury and fish.
Looking To Add Fish To Your CKD Diet?
My Honey, Lime, and Garlic Baked Salmon is the perfect addition. This recipes comes from my cookbook The Complete Renal Diet Cookbook. The fish is tender and flavourful and the fish can be eating hot or cold as leftovers. I like to pair this recipe with rice and vegetables like green beans but you could easily use potato (or double boiled if needed) and a salad. But getting acces to good fish can be a challenge, that is where companies like TrueLocal can help. Check out their site here.
Honey, Lime, and Garlic Baked Salmon
Ingredients
- 1/8 cup Honey
- 2 Garlic clove, minced
- 2 TBSP Lime juice
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces Salmon, fresh
- 1 Lime, sliced
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2. In a small bowl, combine the honey, garlic, lime juice, pepper, and red pepper fakes.
- 3. Place the salmon on the prepared baking sheet and coat with the sauce. Top the fish with the lime slices.
- 4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fish is tender and flaky. Adjust the oven to broil and broil the fish for an additional 3 minutes.
Notes
Are You Looking For A Balanced Diet With CKD?
If you’re looking to make changes to your nutrition or learn about what you should be eating for your stage of CKD my Kidney Nutrition Fast Track course is here to help get you started. This includes information about fish and CKD. Learn about it here.
Want to learn more about Emily? Learn more here.
This baked salmon recipe sounds delish! I love salmon and I miss it so much! I don’t eat it very often due to high price. I’ll be keeping this recipe!
Thank you. I have been really into canned salmon recently too. Great price when on sale and shelf stable.
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