Christmas is so heavily focussed on food and drink it can be an incredibly difficult time for people with kidney disease to plan and enjoy what they eat. The Kidney Kitchen was created by Kidney Care UK to support patients and their families to live well with kidney disease. So, whilst we’ve all had to spend much of this year keeping our distance from the people we love, here at the Kidney Kitchen we didn’t want you to have to distance yourself from all your favourite foods at Christmas!

Many people living with kidney disease think that Christmas is just a time of year when there’s no option but to overload on potassium and phosphate or not partake at all. You’ll be relieved to know, that is not the case, thanks to the Kidney Kitchen Christmas recipe collection.

In preparation for the festive period our Chef, Paul Ripley and Baker, Lizzie Morey have been busy developing recipes with the support of the British Dietetic Association Renal Nutrition Specialist Group (RNG) to bring you delicious, kidney-friendly recipes that will fit into the eating plans you may have been given by your renal dietitian.

We will show you, in a series of easy-to-follow steps, how to prepare and cook delicious, kidney-friendly festive dishes. Choose from a traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings, Christmas pudding or mince pies. Or if you fancy trying something new and a little more daring, why not try making our brie and cranberry parcels, gingerbread Christmas log or Christmas pudding cheesecake. View the whole collection to build your own festive menu with options for canapes, starters, mains and desserts.

Each recipe has been modified to fit more closely with the various needs of people living with kidney disease and comes with a comprehensive set of ‘Food Facts’ to help you manage your diet. For those living with diabetes and who have been trained in insulin adjustment, the carbohydrate value is also provided for every recipe.

Many of recipes include the option to adapt one or two ingredients to make the dish vegetarian, vegan, or gluten free. They also include tips and advice on making the recipes even healthier, reducing the cost with cheaper options and how to safely store and use up any leftovers.

Where next:

• Have a look at our Christmas recipe collection
• You can see the full list of our video recipes on our Kidney Kitchen YouTube channel
• If you have made a dish, we would love to see it. Share your photos online and don’t forget to tag us #KidneyKitchen
• If you have any feedback about any aspect of Kidney Kitchen please contact us.