Navigating the Holidays with Kidney Disease

Nutrition Tips for a Healthy Celebration: What You CAN Eat With CKD

The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and indulgence. But if you are living with kidney disease, navigating these festive feasts can be challenging and emotional. Maintaining a kidney-friendly diet during the holidays while successfully navigating the holiday meals and still enjoying foods is possible. In this blog post, we’ll explore some nutrition tips and tricks to help navigate the holidays with kidney disease.

Mindful Meal Planning

Start by planning your holiday menu with kidney-friendly foods. Opt for lean proteins such as turkey, chicken or fish. Or perhaps try some plant-based options like chickpeas or lentils as the star of the show.

Remember that balanced plate and incorporate vegetables like green beans, cauliflower, salad. If you are following a low potassium diet, check out these tips for how to incorporate potatoes in your meals.

Savvy Sodium Control

CKD often requires monitoring sodium intake. And remember this means following a low sodium diet, not a no sodium diet. During the holidays, where many dishes are laden with salt, it’s essential to be mindful. Prepare homemade meals to control the amount of salt, and use fresh or dried herbs, spices, citrus or aromatic vegetables like onion, garlic or leeks can pack a lot of flavour without the salt. If using packaged items, remember to read the food label and look for foods with 5% daily value or less for sodium or look for no added salt products.

Portion Distortion And Navigating The Holidays with Kidney Disease

We tend to feel anxious about our food choices around the holidays because our usual eating habits can become disrupted, there are traditional or even new foods around (and often in larger portions), and we may make less healthy eating choices. When navigating the holidays with kidney disease, remember, no one meal will make or break the progress you’ve made in managing your health this year. Changes to your eating can often leave us feeling guilty and afraid that our health will suffer the consequences.  But that doesn’t need to be the case during the holidays, moderation is key. Keep an eye on portion sizes to avoid overloading your system with excess nutrients. Use smaller plates, savour each bite, and be mindful of your body’s signals of fullness.

Communicate With Others

If you’re attending holiday gatherings hosted by friends or family, don’t hesitate to communicate your dietary needs when navigating the holidays with kidney disease. Most hosts will appreciate knowing about any dietary restrictions, and this allows them to prepare meals that align with your kidney-friendly requirements.

Navigating The Holidays With Kidney Disease: What You CAN Eat With CKD

By being proactive and mindful of your dietary choices, you can navigate the holidays with kidney disease while still enjoying the festive season. Prioritize kidney-friendly ingredients and communicate your needs to ensure a happy and healthy celebration. With these nutrition tips, you can savour the holidays without compromising your kidney health. Here are some of my favourite kidney-friendly foods:

• Appetizers: raw vegetables and dip, fruit and unsalted nuts, low sodium cheese and crackers like my Apple Cranberry Baked Brie recipe, devilled eggs
• Vegetables: string beans, peas, cauliflower, asparagus, cabbage, salad
• Sides: rice or stuffing prepared with whole grains and low sodium seasonings
• Sauces: cranberry sauce, applesauce, low sodium gravy
• Dessert: apple or berry pie, shortbread or ginger cookies, pound or angel food cakes

If you are still looking for some personalized recommendations this holiday season, a renal dietitian with Kidney Nutrition can help you put together a personalized plan.