If possible, make meat sandwiches from low sodium, fresh-cooked meats such as chicken, turkey breast, roast beef, pork or fish. Use meat leftover from dinner, or cook fresh meat specifically for lunch sandwiches. Consider freezing cooked meat in 2- to 3-ounce portions until needed.
But you can still manage to squeeze in a healthy lunch that's in line with your kidney diet. Ingredients to keep on hand for a quick lunch include pre-cooked chicken or turkey, frozen shrimp, ground beef, pitas and flour tortillas, celery, onion, lettuce and mayonnaise.
Whole grains and whole wheat are both great options for people with kidney disease. Both whole grain and whole wheat products contain the entire kernel. Whole wheat refers to products that are only using whole wheat kernels.
Tuna is kidney-friendly and an inexpensive source of protein.
Sandwiches are easy to make and don't take long to prepare. In the dialysis setting, sandwiches are a popular item to eat before or after dialysis treatment. Sandwiches that are low in sodium and phosphorus, plus limit potassium are a great fit with the kidney diet.
Processed meats often contain high amounts of sodium and preservatives, which can be harmful for kidney health. One of the main ingredients you want to avoid for optimal kidney health is excess sodium, which is abundant in processed meats (think hot dogs, bologna, and deli meats).
Tomatoes are a good way to add extra potassium to your diet and decrease the need to take an additional potassium pill. Eating tomatoes will not have an effect on forming kidney stones.
Mushrooms are rich in Vitamin D and are essential to regulate kidney function and help prevent kidney disease.
Large amounts of fried foods are not recommended as part of a healthy diet for anyone, whether a person has chronic kidney disease (CKD) or not.
Limit the Deli Meat
By far, deli meat is the highest sodium ingredient in Subway® sandwiches. Try to stick to the non-deli meat options to keep sodium low. Deli meat is also generally packed with phosphorus additives, which can be dangerous for people with kidney disease.
High in vitamin K, vitamin C and fiber, cabbage is also a good source of vitamin B6 and folic acid. Low in potassium and low in cost, it's an affordable addition to the kidney diet. Raw cabbage makes a great addition to the dialysis diet as coleslaw or topping for fish tacos.
Phosphorus and Dairy Foods
Most dairy foods are very high in phosphorus. People with kidney disease should limit their daily intake of milk, yogurt, and cheese to ½ cup milk, or ½ cup yogurt or 1-ounce cheese. If you do eat high-phosphorus foods, ask your doctor for a phosphate binder to be taken with your meals.
Carrots contain a moderate amount of potassium and can healthfully be included in a kidney-friendly diet.
Generally, patients with CKD, especially those who suffer from hyperkalemia, should avoid consuming large amounts of raw vegetables, such as lettuce, in order to reduce their potassium intake from meals.
Foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt, such as crisps, chocolate, biscuits and cakes, can be included in your diet. However, because they do not contain good nutrients, they should only be included in small amounts occasionally.
Yet people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have to limit dairy products in their kidney diet. High levels of phosphorus, potassium and calcium in something like low-fat milk are not good for someone on a kidney diet.