Potlucks are a great way to spend time with family, friends, coworkers or members of your community. Holiday meals, church luncheons, office parties and backyard BBQs often center around eating with the people you care about most. But if you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), navigating the twists and turns of a buffet line can feel overwhelming. Will you know which foods to avoid? How much should you plate up? Will there be anything you can eat at this party (there is if you bring the best pasta for kidney disease)?
Luckily, kidney disease doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy social outings. Armed with a little preparation and a tasty dish from home (like the recipe for the best pasta for kidney disease below), you can have your fun and eat for kidney health too. When you contribute a go-to kidney-friendly dish, you ensure you’ll have a meal you can eat and enjoy, plus you can help promote healthier food options for others
Why bring your own food
One way to feel less overwhelmed at a potluck is to bring one of your own dishes. Potluck dishes tend to be higher in sodium, like casseroles made with canned soups and processed meats, chips and cheeses, or pre-made dressings. Eating too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and fluid retention. For these reasons, reducing sodium in the diet is one of the goals for people with CKD.
When you make your own recipe, you also have more control over the ingredients used and the portion size. Fresh herbs, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, and spices can be used to flavor foods instead of salt or packaged seasoning mixes, which are often high in sodium.
Remember that nutrition advice will vary for each person with CKD. Your stage of kidney disease, lab values, medications, and if you are on dialysis will determine your healthcare team’s recommendations for sodium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, and fluid intake.
Potluck and kidney-friendly recipes
Recipes that are simple to make, travel well and are often adaptable to fit kidney nutrition recommendations. Here are some of our favourites and the recipe for the best pasta for kidney disease!
Mediterranean pasta salad: Who doesn’t love a light pasta salad? You can add this to any potluck and it’s sure to be a hit. By mixing lemon juice and olive oil you can create a dressing with big flavour without the sodium found in Greek or Italian bottled dressings.
Ingredients:
- Pasta (whole grain)
- Cucumber
- Red bell pepper
- Red onion
- Fresh parsley
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Minced garlic
- Black pepper
Creamy herb chicken pasta salad: Creamy pasta salad? Yes, please! Just substitute plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. A little mayo can be added to thin out the Greek yogurt if you prefer.
Ingredients:
- Pasta, cooked
- Chicken breast, grilled and chopped
- Celery
- Green onion
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Light mayonnaise
- Fresh dill
- Lemon juice
- Black pepper
Vegetable and rice salad: Mix together cooked rice, cucumber, bell peppers, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and herbs. Boom. Done.
Vegetable platter with yogurt dip: Chop up cucumber, celery, cauliflower, bell peppers and radishes. Place them on a platter with a side of yogurt dip. Make the yogurt dip by mixing dill, garlic and lemon juice into plain yogurt.
Berry fruit salad: Fresh berries and grapes are always a simple dessert option that doesn’t require any added sugar.
Tips for potluck success
Plan ahead to keep potlucks low-stress (and allow you to enjoy the recipe for the best pasta for kidney disease at your next event). Before you go, eat a balanced snack so you don’t arrive extremely hungry, this helps keep portions in check. Volunteer to bring a kidney-friendly dish to share, this way you always have something to eat.
Use these tips to make potlucks enjoyable:
- Practice Mindful Eating. Part of healthy eating is being mindful of how you eat. Mindful eating at social events can help you connect with others and honor your body’s hunger cues.
- Scan the table before you plate up. Take a moment to survey all the food options before you load up your plate. When you see everything available, you can better decide what you really want instead of mindlessly piling food onto your plate. Ask what is in things if needed.
- Take small portions. There is sure to be a variety of foods that you love at potluck parties. Rather than loading up your plate, take a small helping and browse the table. If you’re still hungry once you finish eating, go back for seconds.
- Slow down when you eat. Our bodies need time to tell our brains we are full. Research shows it takes about 20 minutes for signals of fullness to occur. Eating slowly can help you avoid overeating.
- Engage with those around you. Remember potlucks are a social event. Take time to talk with others. Put your fork down between bites and focus on the conversation.
- Stop when full. Don’t eat just because food is available. Ask yourself if you are still hungry or if you are comfortably full. Knowing when to stop is part of mindful eating.
It’s all about balance with potlucks and kidney disease
One of the biggest fears people face when eating healthy is that one holiday or special occasion is going to ruin all of their good habits. Luckily, when it comes to kidney-friendly eating, it’s about the big picture, not perfection! Having your favorite food once in a while and eating healthy most of the time is realistic and much more manageable than trying to cut out treats completely.
If you have CKD, know that you can still enjoy celebrating holidays and going to social gatherings. Potlucks can be fun if you plan ahead, bring a healthy homemade dish that you love, and practice mindful eating. Eating fresh foods, practicing portion control, and enjoying yourself and the company you are with can go a long way when it comes to enjoying life and keeping your kidneys healthy.
Try thinking of potlucks as a time to showcase healthy recipes you love (including the best pasta for kidney disease), meet new people, and create memories that will last a lifetime. By making small, mindful decisions you can feel proud of yourself and your management of CKD.
This article was written by Nadine Abdelmalak, Nutrition Student Volunteer.
This article was reviewed by Emily Campbell, RD CDE MScFN.