Cooking Tips for Dialysis Patient Caregivers
Let’s face it, caring for a loved one with a chronic disease is challenging. There is a variety of medications to keep in order. Doctors appointments seem to be never-ending. At times, providing basic care for things the patient is not able to do independently is necessary. Loved ones with end stage renal disease (ESRD) need to be taken to and from dialysis treatments. Then there’s cooking to provide nutritious meals for loved ones.
Kidney Diet Challenges
Most often, medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is needed after a chronic disease is diagnosed. This makes what and how to cook food an even bigger challenge. MNT refers to the assessment of the nutritional status of a patient with an illness, diet-related condition, or injury. The goal is to benefit and improve the patient’s health status. MNT often limits or restricts certain foods or food groups with the need to increase others. Patients with ESRD create the most challenging task. What is it? Cooking meals that follow the many dietary restrictions while still tasting good and being well accepted. The majority of patients with ESRD need to be cautious of potassium and phosphorus in food. They also must eat adequate amounts of protein, and limit sodium to prevent weight gains related to fluid. So then what can you cook for them?
Here are some useful tips to help ease caregiver frustrations.
Utilize Your Resources
Every dialysis center has a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). RDN’s are the experts in the field of nutrition and MNT. Developing a good relationship with the RDN will ensure you are aware of lab values that may or may not lead to dietary changes. For example, if your loved one has low potassium in their blood, they do not need to limit dietary intake of potassium. Ask as many questions as you can think of. As the old saying goes, there is no such thing as a stupid question. RDNs have access to a variety of resources that are sure to be helpful.
DaVita.com has hundreds of recipes for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and ESRD. The RDN can help set up a myDaVita account with you. Then once you create an account, more diet tools with recipes and cooking tips are available.
DaVita Diet Helper
Take a look at what’s available in the DaVita Diet Helper online meal planner and tracker:
- Planner and tracker – helps plan meals and track what your loved one eats to stay within their nutrition goals.
- Shopping lists – create a shopping list with kidney-friendly items that can be accessed on mobile devices.
- My Creations – curious about a recipe that is not from the website? Enter the ingredients to get a nutrition facts report.
- Dining Out Guide – use this guide to help navigate what to eat when you go out.
- Fluid Tracker – to help stay on top of your fluid intake.
Plus, with a myDaVita account, you have access to download free kidney-friendly recipe collections with cooking tips and diet guides.
Variety is the Spice of Life
While some people tend to be creatures of habit, not everyone wants to eat the same foods over and over. Using similar ingredients like vegetables, herbs or cuts of meat while changing up the flavor profile helps with variety. Once you know your loved one likes a certain food, experiment with all the different ways that food can be prepared. For example, eggs are an excellent source of protein with many ways to cook them. Plus they can be eaten at any meal of as a snack. Again, search DaVita.com for new recipes and ways to change things up.
For ideas on healthy foods to include in your kidney diet cooking, read “Top 15 Healthy Foods for People with Kidney Disease“.
Big Flavors Come from Natural Sources
Create flavors from cooking with natural sources, not from salt and additives that can increase fluid weight gains. Herb seasoning blends are excellent options to add flavor without the salt. Here are more salt-free options:
- Fresh garlic is a great choice. Caution – minced or diced garlic sold in jars often has added phosphates
- Fresh or dried herbs – basil, bay leaves, chives, cilantro, dill, mint, parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme
- Natural spices – caraway seeds, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, curry, garlic powder, nutmeg, paprika, onion powder
Focus on Protein
Meals consisting of enough protein are essential for the increased nutritional needs of the ESRD population. Always making sure to highlight a protein food at each meal and snack will help ensure protein intake is sufficient. Good proteins for the renal diet may include:
- Beef, bison, chicken, turkey and fish
- Eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and other dairy products f their diet allows
- Nuts and seeds, beans and legumes in place of animal protieins or in moderation
- Vegetarian proteins such as tofu; consult the RDN for other plant-based proteins
Read the Labels
And finally, become familiar with reading nutrition labels and ingredient lists. Know what’s in the food you purchase, cook and eat. Buy food items with as little processing as possible. Generally the more processing an item has, the more additives it contains which are not healthy for those with ESRD. It is not required to list the amount of phosphorus or potassium a food contains so pay close attention to the ingredient list. Review the list for “phos” additives and items that include calcium, sodium or potassium in the name. Know where to locate the amount of sodium to ensure you are making the best choices. Choose foods with 140 mg of sodium or less per serving. Also be aware that reduced or low-sodium options have added potassium to improve the flavor.
Did I mention that an RDN can help you with all this?
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Consult your physician and dietitian regarding your specific diagnosis, treatment, diet and health questions.