07/04/2026
Before we start - I need to highlight something.
I use words like ‘limit’ in this post, because this was how the renal diet was presented to me.
I was never asked what my attitudes to food were (profoundly orthorexic at the time) …
I was never screened for unhelpful eating behaviours and unfortunately, first time round on dialysis, these behaviours became quite prevalent.
I was afraid to eat the ‘wrong food’ and make myself sick.
This time round, I feel far stronger and there are strategies I’ve used to improve my approach to nutrition.
1. I’ve listed all my favourite meals and looked at how they fit into the renal profile.
Where some ingredients are very high in potassium/phosphate or protein, I make small adjustments.
For example - I love Mexican food.
But lots of minced beef, tomatoes/tomato sauces and salty spice mixes don’t work well for me.
So, I half the meat portion and add lots of beans.
I make my own large tub of spice mix without the salt.
I use less cheese (less, not none) and forgo my portion of dairy in the morning.
If I really want the salsa and tomato based sauce, I’ll plan a meal like that before dialysis and be cautious with other intakes of potassium throughout my day.
Initially, it took a lot of familiarisation - but now it’s pretty intuitive.
I know which veggies have the lowest potassium.
I know which protein sources have the lowest phosphates.
I focus on adding as much of the allowable foods as I can so I don’t feel restricted.
And I journal - a lot. My self reflective practice goes a long way to keeping me in the right headspace.
2. I’m looking for improvement, not perfection.
3. Ice chips are my best friend - I fill a 1l bottle with water so I know when I’m getting close to my limit.
5. When I find a recipe that is renal safe, I make it as delicious as I can and repeat it
If you have any other tips - please share them below and check out today’s stories (and the highlight- renal diet) for further conversation
