Dialysis from the sharp end of the needle

Enjoy Your Own Recipes Using Less Protein

by Anna Bennett

For people in CKD stages 2-4, a low protein diet can help prolong the transition to CKD-5 and dialysis.  As far as our kidneys are concerned, you really are what you eat.

I am a well seasoned veteran of many diets, and in my experience, it is always very effective to modify your eating habits to suit your tastes.  The National Kidney Foundation feels the same way that I do, and they have a guide for people with chronic kidney disease Enjoy Your Own Recipes Using Less Protein.  They even have some examples of recipes before and after protein modification. 

Sometimes, rather than making drastic changes it is easier to adapt and learn, easing yourself into a lifetime of healthy eating.  In the long run, any positive lifestyle changes that you can make, be it not eating that whole steak at once, or taking a long walk rather than watching TV, even these small modifications can make a difference.

Bill has compiled Dialysis and CKD Recipes and Nutrition Information which lists a lot of excellent resources for planning both your pre dialysis diet and a diet compatible with dialysis.

Recipe for those on dialysis, and those diabetic and on dialysis

Tomorrow is the Sunday winter farmer's market near my house; I'll be able to buy all these ingredients for Green Tomatoes with Goat Cheese using this recipe from the Northwest Kidney Centers. Green Tomatoes with Goat Cheese fits well in the diet of people with dialysis and those who also have diabetes. I should be able to whip this up pretty quick - we'll see, last week's Burritos Rapidos took about twice as long as the advertised 15 minutes but I have to admit that I'm just not well organized.

Ingredient green tomatoes	Amount 4 medium
balsamic vinegar	1 tablespoon
oregano leaves, minced	2 teaspoons
goat cheese, crumbled	1 cup
olive oil	4 teaspoons
ground pepper	to taste
toasted French bread	8 slices

Preparation

Cut tomatoes in to ½ inch thick slices. Coat a shallow baking dish with oil. Place tomato slices, in a single, overlapping layer, in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle tomatoes with vinegar and scatter minced oregano over tomatoes. Top with crumbled goat cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Broil 5-8 inches below a preheated broiler and broil until tomatoes are hot and cheese is just starting to brown, about 7-8 minutes. Place on toasted bread, season with pepper and serve immediately.

Nutritional Content:

Calories 173 Carbohydrates 9 g Protein 7 g Sodium 135 mg Potassium 280 mg Phosphorus 161 mg

Serves Four, Nutritional Content is per Serving.

With nightly extended dialysis I can go back for seconds.

Recipe to accommodate dialysis and/or diabetes

This recipe for an Burritos Rapidos is from the Northwest Kidney Centers. Burritos Rapidos fits well in the diet of people with dialysis and those who also have diabetes. As the name implies you can prepare these in 5 minutes, cook them in 10. In 15 minutes you have a delicious meal.

Ingredient	Quantity
Canola or olive oil	1/2 tablespoon
Red bell pepper, diced	1/2 of pepper
Green onions (scallions), sliced thin	4
Eggs, beaten	4
Corn tortillas	4 (6-inch)

Cook Time
10 minutes. Try adding shredded cheese, salsa, cilantro, sauteed mushrooms, and other items for a different flavor.

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a medium frying pan on medium heat.  Add bell pepper and green onion and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add eggs and scramble about 5 minutes or until done.
3. Place tortillas between two damp paper towels, then place on a plate.  Microwave on medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. Spoon egg mixture into warm tortillas.  Roll up the tortillas and enjoy.

Nutritional Content:

Calories	140
Carbohydrates	14 g
Protein	7 g
Fat	6 g
Sodium	50 mg
Potassium	182 mg
Phosphorus	163 mg

Nutritional Content is per burrito.