Fish and CKD
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. Benefits of Fish Fish and CKD With CKD you don’t need to avoid fish. But because it is packed…
Sodium and Chronic Kidney Disease
Sodium is a mineral just like calcium and potassium. Sodium is an essential nutrient, which means that our bodies need to have a certain amount in order to be healthy. Sodium has many important jobs in our body like managing the fluid or water balance, helps with the function of nerve impulses and muscles, and…
PRAL and CKD
You’ve heard many times that diet impacts your kidney and overall health. But one way they do this is through managing the acid-base balance of the body. That is what PRAL and CKD is based off of. Potential renal acid load (PRAL) is a measure of how a food influences the acid or base production…
Overnight Oats
You may have heard about overnight oats. But what are they and are they kidney-friend? Read on to learn. Overnight oats have been so popular lately and several variations of the recipe are all over the internet! They’re basically a no-cook spin on oatmeal. They are left to soak in the refrigerator overnight and enjoyed…
Fresh Kidney-Friendly Pasta
Pasta is one of the most popular and accessible foods around the globe. Each country has their own unique recipe using this staple food item. The mix of flour, eggs and water transformed into a variety of shapes and sizes to create fresh or dry pasta allowed for thousands of versatile dishes. Types of Pasta…
Mediterranean Diet and CKD
February is heart month. And if you have chronic kidney disease, taking care of your heart is just as important as taking care of your kidneys. While each organ has a specific job to keep you healthy, because the kidneys and heart are connected. In fact, if you have kidney disease, you are more likely…
Roasted Cauliflower Salad
Cauliflower is known to be like the brother or sister to broccoli! Because it resembles broccoli but with a white flesh, sometimes called “curd” because it looks like cheese curds. You often only eat the head portion of cauliflower. Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetables with lots of health benefits. It is an incredible source of…
Renal Diet Guidelines
What you eat and drink is important with chronic kidney disease (CKD) because they are filtered through the kidneys. With CKD the kidneys are unable to filter all waste products, so they build up. A diet that helps manage the build up of waste products but also preserve kidney function is often called a renal…
What Is Chronic Kidney Disease
If you’ve just been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and are trying to learn more like what is chronic kidney disease, this post is for you. CKD is a condition that occurs when your kidneys become damaged and do not work as well as they should to filter the blood. The kidneys are two…
Anemia and Kidney Disease
Anemia is a condition where the body does not have enough healthy red blood cell. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues. There are different types of anemia. Some include related to vitamin B12 deficiency, iron deficiency or even anemia of chronic disease (like anemia and kidney disease). Healthy red blood cells last between…
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Soup is one of the most enjoyable foods when it starts getting more chilly outside. And we have definitely reached that time of the year. So, what better way to warm up during the cold months than with a hot bowl full of nutrients and delicious flavours. The word soup comes from the latin word…
Low Protein Diets for CKD
Protein is the basic building block for the human body. And is made up of amino acids. Protein plays an important role as it helps build muscles, blood, hair, skin, nails and parts of our organs. Most of the body’s protein is located in our muscles. Something many people are looking into living with kidney…
Chocolate and CKD
Chocolate is one of life’s most delicious pleasures. In fact it is one of the most popular foods in the world. Did you know chocolate is actually made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels to produce a variety of types of chocolate. But you may be wondering, what about chocolate and CKD? Can it…
Kidney-Friendly Muffins
Muffins are great because they can be enjoyed at any time of the day. But let’s chat about kidney-friendly muffins. They are the perfect grab and go food that you can fill up with all sorts of nutrients and protein. Enjoy them as a quick breakfast on the way to school or work. Or try…
Alcohol and Kidney Disease
Alcohol, which includes beer, wine, ciders and spirits (like gin, rum, vodka, etc) are a big part of the world we live in. In fact, during the pandemic nearly 66% of Canadians reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days. Alcohol activates the pleasure or reward centres in the brain which can give a feeling…
Eating Out With CKD
Eating out at restaurants, take out or attending celebrations is something many of us enjoy. Even with CKD you can still eat out. But it takes some planning. This blog post will walk you through tips and tricks for managing your sodium, protein, potassium and phosphorus and still enjoy your foods. So, let’s get into…
Fresh Spring Rolls
Maybe you have been at a Vietnamese restaurant and been lucky enough to enjoy fresh spring rolls. Their colour and texture are always so inviting and delicious. But what exactly are fresh spring rolls? What Are Spring Rolls? Spring rolls are an incredibly popular dish enjoyed all over the world. Spring rolls can be eaten…
Top 3 Questions About Diet and CKD
Whether you’ve just been diagnosed with kidney disease, or have been living with it for a while, nutrition plays an important role. But if you’re like any of my clients, you have probably Googled something and may feel confused of overwhelmed with all of the information online. You probably have questions about diet and CKD. Diet…
Tips for Plant-Based Diets and CKD
So you’ve read online that plant-based diets are helpful for CKD. In this article, I break down their benefits and tips for including more plant-based foods. Let’s dive in. What Is A Plant-Based Diet? At their roots, plant-based diets mean reducing animal products like dairy, eggs, chicken, beef, etc. And increasing your intake of whole…
Lemon Tofu Stir Fry
Are you on a plant-based diet? Do you have chronic kidney disease and are you trying to avoid animal proteins? If you said yes to either of these, you need tofu in your life! Tofu is a super versatile plant-based protein that can be used in so many ways and can act as a substitute…
Top Nuts and Seeds for CKD
Nuts and seeds are tiny but mighty. They actually deliver quite a punch of nutrition. Are there top nuts and seeds for CKD? Did you know nuts are actually the seeds of plants? Whereas seeds come from vegetables, flowers or other crops. But they are packed with healthy nutrients like omega-3, fibre, and plant-based protein. …
Best Drinks for CKD
What are the best drinks for CKD? You may even be wondering why are we concerned about drinks fluids or drinks with CKD. Well the kidneys play a role in removing extra fluid from our body. And if your kidneys are not working properly, extra fluid can build up around the body, like in the…
Top Fibre Sources for CKD
Fibre is mostly found in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. But it is actually a type of carbohydrates that the body can’t digest. Fibre plays many important roles. It can help to: Keep our bowel movements regularLower cholesterolControl blood sugarsHelp maintain a healthy body weight But it can be a challenge to get enough…
Top 5 Snacks for CKD
Are snacks good or bad for you when you have CKD? What is even considered a snack? There are some common questions. So let’s break down what snacks are and the top 5 snacks for CKD. A snack is general something eaten between meals. Most people snack at least once per day. And it could…
Best Milk For CKD
If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD) you’ve probably googled what to eat and found lists that say no more milk and you should use almond milk instead. But, is that really what your body needs? One of the most common questions is around dairy products. So, let’s break down what the most kidney-friendly milk…
Chia Seed Pudding
If you are looking for a simple nutritious breakfast you can make ahead of time and enjoy on the go you are in the right place this chia seed pudding will fit the bill. Chia seed pudding can be made in advance, in fact you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge…
The Best Ice Cream Choices For CKD
The warm weather is here and if you’re living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) you may be wondering if you can enjoy ice cream still. Well the short answer is, of course! This article has you covered to help you choose kidney-friendly ice cream flavours. So what exactly are the best ice cream choices for…
Five Myths About Nutrition For CKD
Nutrition plays an important role in preserving kidney function and helps to delay disease progression. I’ve said this many times before. And it does not matter if you are newly diagnosed or have been living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) for a while. But there are five myths about nutrition for CKD that I hear all…
Whole grains and CKD
One of the biggest questions I get as a renal dietitian is “should I be eating white or brown bread?”. I think this is a topic of confusion for many who are living with chronic kidney disease because whenever we read something online, the first thing we find is that you need to have white…
Frozen vegetables and fruit and CKD
Spring has finally sprung and there is plenty of fresh in season vegetables and fruit available for us to enjoy. But, that is not always the case throughout the year. One question I often get as a renal dietitian is “are frozen vegetables and fruit healthy?”. Well, this post will give you the answer, and…
Intermittent Fasting and CKD
Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? You’ve probably heard about intermittent fasting (IF) and wonder if you should be having breakfast or not. This post will dive deeper into what IF is and some breakfast options for CKD. Can you follow intermittent fasting and CKD? Breakfast just means the first meal of…
Protein bars and CKD
Protein is important to help us fight infections and build muscle. We need to eat protein from plant or animal sources to help keep us healthy. But when we have CKD, we want to limit our protein amounts to help preserve kidney function, so what about protein bars and CKD? Can these be included? For…
Best Bread for CKD
The white bread or brown bread debate is one of my favourites with chronic kidney disease. If you’ve read anything online or been given an outdated, you’ve probably seen that white bread is best. But really is it? Let’s take a look at the best bread for CKD. Previously, white bread or refined carbohydrates were…
Phosphorus and CKD
Phosphorus is a mineral that is important for keeping your bones strong. With kidney disease, phosphorus can build up. Excess phosphorus can cause itchy skin and painful joints. But excess phosphorus also causes calcium to be pulled from the bones, and can make our bones weak. Controlling our phosphorus is important, but we’ve got some…
Dessert and CKD
Everyone loves a little dessert, and when we have CKD this is not something we always need to avoid. Desserts are a great ending to a meal or delicious treat on a special occasion. But, with desserts we are often concerned with the extra potassium, phosphorus, protein and sugar which comes with it. Long story…
A renal dietitian’s guide to smoothies
Who doesn’t love a smoothie? It can be overwhelming with how to build a nutritious and delicious smoothie. So here is a renal dietitian’s guide to smoothies. They are so versatile and can be a quick, nutritious, and delicious breakfast (well really any meal), snack, or event dessert. And smoothies can be enjoyed all year…
How to include beans in your CKD diet
You’ve probably heard about pulses like chickpeas, lentils, or other sorts of beans. But what exactly are they and why are they so important with CKD? Wondering what beans you can eat with CKD? Well this post has you covered. Beans, peas, and lentils have been getting a lot of spotlights in the media and…
How To Stock A Kidney-Friendly Pantry
Have you ever opened the cupboards and wondered “What’s for dinner?”. If you’re like me, and many others, this has probably happened before. But how do you stock a kidney-friendly pantry so that you always have nutritious and delicious foods available to help with your kidney disease? Well look no further. This post has you…
What You CAN Eat with CKD and Diabetes
Managing diabetes and CKD can be confusing and overwhelming. This post takes you through the foods to include in your diet.
Five Reasons To See A Renal Dietitian
Whether you’ve just been diagnosed with kidney disease, or have been living with it for a while, nutrition plays an important role. A renal dietitian like myself can help to preserve kidney function. This blog will dive into the five reasons you should see a Renal Dietitian.
About Me
Hi, I’m Emily! A registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. I work with individuals living with kidney disease and make healthy eating easy to understand!
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