If you have high potassium, avoid processed meats (bacon, sausage, deli meats, hot dogs, Spam) and cured meats (salami, pepperoni) due to added potassium and salt; also limit large portions of red meat and avoid certain fish like salmon and anchovies, opting for chicken, lean pork, and fish like tuna (not in tomato sauce) and eggs for protein, but always consult a dietitian for personalized guidance on meat choices and serving sizes.
Avoid sausage, bacon, lunch meats, and any other processed meats with additives that may contain potassium.
Low–Potassium Meats and Fish
Yes, potassium supplements (like potassium chloride, citrate, iodide, gluconate) can cause a rash, often as a sign of a serious allergic reaction (hives, swelling, trouble breathing) or sometimes a less severe reaction, requiring immediate medical attention to stop the medication and manage symptoms. A rash, along with symptoms like itching, swelling of the face/throat, dizziness, or breathing issues, means you should seek emergency care right away.
Your best sources of protein are unprocessed animal foods such as fish, poultry, eggs, pork, and beef. These foods are high in protein and low in potassium and phosphorus. Other foods high in protein are milk products, beans and lentils, nuts and nut butters, seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), tofu, and nutrition supplements.
Some low-potassium options include:
When your kidneys don't work well, the phosphorus can build up in your blood and lead to bone problems. Eating lean, high-quality protein can help you get the right amount of protein-without too much fat or phosphorus. Some good choices include fish, chicken, lean red meat, a bit of low-fat dairy, and eggs.
Itching often happens on both sides of the body at the same time (for example, both arms or both legs). Itching is most common and severe in people with kidney failure,but those in the earlier stages of CKD may also notice milder itching.
Difficulty breathing. Extreme muscle weakness. Severe abdominal pain. Heart attack symptoms, including chest pain or a weak pulse.
By maintaining the precise amount of water inside cells, potassium ensures that skin remains adequately moisturized and internally hydrated, preventing the parched, flaky appearance associated with dehydration.
Potassium and phosphorus content varies with the fish variety–catfish, cod, orange roughy, sea bass and sole are among the lowest. Salmon contains higher amounts of potassium and phosphorus but can still be worked into a kidney diet by combining it with lower potassium sides and adjusting phosphorus binders if needed.
If you find yourself occasionally craving a fast food hamburger, it's fine to have one every now and then. Remember to order your hamburger with no salt, pickles or grill seasoning, so you can limit sodium and potassium.
Foods lower in potassium and phosphate – can have daily
If you need to limit potassium, eggplant, bean sprouts, Gai choy (mustard greens), Gai lan (Chinese broccoli), Pe tsai* (Nappa cabbage) and snow peas are lower potassium options. Order dishes served over rice instead of chow mein noodles as noodles often contain sodium in the list of ingredients.
Choose Fruit Wisely
Whether you put fruit in your cereal or eat it whole, go for low-potassium picks like apples, blueberries, cranberries, grapes, peaches, pears, pineapple, and raspberries. Avoid bananas, melons, oranges, and kiwi.
Your provider may make the following changes to your medicines:
Take water pills (diuretics) or potassium binders as directed by your healthcare provider: Water pills (diuretics) help rid your body of extra potassium. They work by making your kidney create more urine. Potassium is normally removed through urine.
Currently, no home fingerprick collection potassium tests are available. Although potassium is one of the biomarkers offered by the Kitby Vitall kidney function home test,34 it requires a clinic visit (at additional cost) to obtain the blood.
People with kidney disease may notice that their nails are yellow or discolored. If the kidneys are not functioning properly, they can't effectively filter out waste products, including nitrogen waste, which can lead to changes in the color and texture of the nails, making them appear pale or yellowish.
You can check kidney function at home using at-home test kits for urine (detecting protein/albumin) or finger-prick blood tests (checking creatinine/eGFR), often with smartphone apps for analysis, or by monitoring symptoms like increased nighttime urination (nocturia), swelling, or changes in urine (blood, foam) and discussing results with a doctor, as home tests screen but don't replace professional diagnosis.
You feel kidney pain near the middle of your back, just under your ribcage, on each side of your spine where your kidneys are. Your kidneys are part of the urinary tract, the organs that make and remove urine from the body. (pee). You may feel kidney pain on one or both sides of your back.
12 of the Best Drinks for Kidney Health
To support kidney health, focus on plant-based foods like berries, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, garlic, and leafy greens, plus fatty fish (salmon, tuna), egg whites, and whole grains like buckwheat, while limiting salt, processed foods, and high-potassium options like orange juice, opting for water as your primary drink. A kidney-friendly diet emphasizes fresh, whole foods to help reduce inflammation and manage kidney function.
Compared to milk, yogurt and cheese, cottage cheese is lower in potassium and phosphorus. Sodium is still a concern, but it's easy to create a meal low enough in sodium to include cottage cheese when it's paired with low-potassium fruits such as berries or peaches.