Eating well to feel well

Eating well is not just about optimising nutrition. Here in the Kidney Kitchen, we know that preparing good, tasty food for our family, with our friends or just for ourselves is part of who we are.

Gone are the days when a kidney dietitian would give you a list of foods to avoid to keep us well with chronic kidney disease. It’s time to start to enjoy the foods you CAN eat in ways you never imagined possible.

Each of our recipes has been modified by our team of chefs and kidney dietitians to fit more closely with the individual needs of people living with kidney disease.

As the leading source of expertise for kidney nutrition in the UK, you can be reassured that The British Dietetic Association Renal Nutrition Specialist Group (RNG) carefully analyses and provides detailed nutritional information to accompany each recipe we cook in the Kidney Kitchen. This means that as well as having a great selection of delicious meals, snacks and treats to try, you are getting nutritional information you can trust.

New to cooking for someone with kidney disease?

We know how important it is for our recipes to fit in with the dietary advice you have been given by your dietitian.

If you are new to kidney disease and have not yet talked to a kidney dietitian or are cooking for someone you know who has kidney disease, you may not feel sure about what food to prepare. Here are some tips to help you.

People with chronic kidney disease stages 1 and 2 (not on dialysis)

In the early stages of kidney disease, you may not need to make significant changes to what you eat and drink.

Like the rest of the population, people with CKD benefit from eating a balanced, healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking plenty of water to help support good kidney health. It’s also important to resist the temptation to add salt to your food as it can contribute to high blood pressure, which is harmful to everyone, but especially so for people with CKD.

All the Kidney Kitchen recipes will help you eat a healthier diet if you have kidney disease.

• You can be reassured that we never add salt to our recipes.
• If you are trying to reduce the amount of sugar or fat you eat, we recommend you try the healthier options.
• Eating more healthily can slow down the progression of kidney disease and help control diabetes.

People with chronic kidney disease stages 3, 4 and 5 (not having dialysis)

At this stage most people can continue to eat a balanced and healthy diet and should not modify their diet unless advised to do so by a kidney dietitian or their doctor.

As your kidney function declines, your dietitian or doctor may recommend that you reduce the amount of protein, phosphate, potassium or fluid you consume, but this does not always happen, as the advice you will be given will be for you and your specific circumstances.

Making changes to improve your diet and lifestyle may help preserve the kidney function you have and help slow down any further damage. You will find it easy to select Kidney Kitchen recipes to fit in with the individual advice you have been given by your dietitian.

People with kidney failure stage 5 (receiving dialysis)

At this stage you should have met your kidney dietitian. You will find it easy to select Kidney Kitchen recipes to fit in with the individual advice you have been given.

Your dietitian will have talked to you about what changes you may need to make to your diet to keep you healthy and feeling well. This may include increasing the amount of protein you eat and reducing the amount of phosphate, potassium or fluid you consume.

People with diabetes and chronic kidney disease

If you have diabetes, all of the Kidney Kitchen recipes are suitable for you and will help you eat a healthier and balanced diet.

If you are trying to reduce the amount of sugar or fat you eat, we recommend you try the healthier options. We also provide the carbohydrate value per serving of every recipe for those who have been trained in insulin adjustment.