Diet information and advice
Contents
- A healthy diet and lifestyle for your kidneys
- Chin-chin! Choosing alcohol wisely
- Eating out or taking out on a kidney friendly diet
- Getting the balance right
- How can a renal dietitian help me?
- I feel good from my head, tomatoes
- It’s a weighting game. Why size matters in chronic kidney disease
- Lowering your potassium levels
- Managing your fluid and salt levels
This list will be updated as new content becomes available.
We also have a large range of kidney health related booklets available to download or order.
A healthy diet and lifestyle for your kidneys

Most people with kidney problems will benefit from a healthy diet. It is important to try to eat the right balance of foods to stay healthy as a healthy diet will help control your blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and reduce your risk of heart disease.
Chin-chin! Choosing alcohol wisely

For people with kidney disease who are on dialysis or on a low-potassium and/or low-phosphate diet, choosing suitable drinks, especially those containing alcohol can be particularly challenging.
Eating out or taking out on a kidney friendly diet

Choosing to eat out or get a takeaway can be difficult if you have chronic kidney disease and are trying to eat a balanced diet. We have some information outlining a variety of food types and suggesting good options, as well as what should be limited or avoided where possible.
Getting the balance right

Managing a diet to accommodate both diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be challenging as there is no ‘one size fits all’ recommended diet.
How can a renal dietitian help me?

The following information will tell you what a dietitian does and how they can help you.
I feel good from my head, tomatoes!

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are often concerned about eating tomatoes if they have been advised by their renal dietitian to follow a low potassium diet. However, in the right amount and served with the right foods, tomatoes can still be enjoyed safely.
It’s a weighting game. Why size matters in chronic kidney disease

Should carrying a few extra kilos on the hips or around the waist have any bearing on our suitability for transplantation? Kidney Matters asked Karen Stevenson, a Consultant Renal Surgeon in Glasgow, if a patient’s weight influences her decision to perform transplant surgery.
Lowering your potassium levels

The following information is aimed at people who have been advised to follow a low potassium diet by their healthcare team. It gives some initial advice to help reduce the amount of potassium in your diet.
Only follow this advice if you have been advised that you need to lower your potassium.
Managing your fluid and salt levels

This information is aimed at people who have problems with their kidneys and have been advised by their kidney doctor, nurse or dietitian to control the amount of fluid that they drink. Not everyone with a kidney condition needs to reduce their fluid intake so it is important to check with your kidney team before you follow this advice