Renal dietitians (RDs) specialize in nutrition for people with kidney disease. They’re there to help, but some people don’t feel comfortable consulting with someone who they think is just going to dictate what they can and can’t eat for the rest of their life. Here, renal dietitian Brandy Winfree clears up common misconceptions about what renal dietitians do and how they can help you craft an eating plan that works for you.*

What to know about renal dietitians’ approach to helping you eat well

According to Winfree, RDs “hate Do-Not-Eat lists. Most of us love talking about food and we hate asking you to cut things out. I would rather spend hours going through your regular meals and medications to figure out what’s causing your potassium to run high than to tell you that you can never have bananas, tomatoes, or potatoes again.”

Many foods on Do-Not-Eat lists are “perfectly fine for people with kidney disease if prepared appropriately or if eaten in safe amounts,” she says, and her main goal is to discuss how you can keep your favorite foods in your diet. 

Far from being food tyrants, RDs do their best to make as few changes to your preferred diet as possible. For instance, Winfree says, “If your favorite meal in the whole wide world is a bacon cheeseburger, I’m not going to ask you to cut that out. I may ask you to try uncured bacon or to try a different cheese with it. But, I’m going to find a way to keep that a weekly treat in your diet.”

Similarly, she adds, RDs seek to help clients preserve their cultural culinary traditions. “If you’re Latin and you love empanadas, I’m going to figure out how we can make them fit in your diet. It might mean that we play with different seasonings or fillings. But, I never want you to feel like your culturally significant foods are bad for you.”

The main thing, Winfree concludes, is to be proactive in working with an RD. Share your likes and dislikes, share about your lifestyle and culture, so they can help you maintain an optimal quality of life. “Please don’t be afraid of us!,” she encourages readers. “We want to be your partner through this journey!” 

*Winfree, B. (2023, August 13). What You Should Know Before Seeing a Renal Dietitian – from a Renal Dieitian [Social Media Post]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-you-should-know-before-seeing-renal-dietitian-brandy