If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), your body will be unable to effectively eliminate excess potassium. Excess potassium can cause heart problems, and therefore, it’s important to moderate your intake. In a cooking demonstration with Dr. Blake Shusterman, a nephrologist, known as The Cooking Doc, he discussed:

• A CKD-Friendly Recipe
• Food Sources of Potassium
• Alternatives to High-Potassium Ingredients
• Cooking Tips 

Dr. Shusterman began by discussing the misconception that all potassium must be cut out of the diet upon diagnosis of CKD, explaining that it really varies on the stage of CKD, and so it is a personalized experience for each patient. Patients will know their levels after they do a renal lab panel ordered by their nephrologist.

Cooking a Kidney-Friendly Recipe

Aside from medication, diet is an important area to explore to ensure potassium levels don’t rise even higher. Couscous with carrots, for example, is a potassium-friendly recipe, according to Dr. Shusterman. 

First, he focused on chopping vegetables that he would eventually roast in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and remove after about 15-20 minutes.

He started with carrots, which are a medium-potassium vegetable, so the amount used will vary per person. You can adjust the carrots to how many you want, depending on your doctor’s guidance, but for this recipe, Dr. Shusterman used eight.

Dr. Shusterman shared that by cutting the carrots from an angle, you are able to make the dish more flavorful. Next, he added onion to the dish, which is considered a low-potassium food with a lot of flavor. He added a pinch of salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of olive oil to the vegetables prior to roasting.

Next, he cooked couscous, a type of pasta, on the stove where he toasted them until they became brown. In diabetic nephropathy patients, they may want to decrease portion sizes of couscous or choose another low-glycemic source of grain or pasta. He added no-sodium vegetable stock to the couscous and boiled it with the couscous for 10 minutes until it turned dark with the color of vegetable stock.

He also made a homemade dressing to avoid the low-quality ingredients (e.g., high-sugar or high-sodium) that come with store-bought dressings. Lemon juice, sherry vinegar, fresh garlic, and olive oil are whisked together for dressing. These are low-potassium ingredients.

He then chopped up parsley to add flavor to the finished dish but mentioned it should be left out for those who need to reduce potassium in their diet. Dried cranberries were also added to the dish as they are low in potassium. Raisins, prunes, and dates are higher sources of potassium, making cranberries a viable alternative. 

These ingredients are all added together to make a great side dish for salmon or chicken. It can also be mixed in with a green salad. The recipe suggests one cup per serving.

The full recipe can be viewed on TheCookingDoc.com at https://www.thecookingdoc.co/couscous-with-carrots-cranberries/. 

Other cooking tips

In addition to the recipe, Dr. Shusterman answered webinar attendees’ questions as it related to cooking for CKD.

• Potatoes can be leached (or soaked) overnight to make them a lower-potassium option but should still be moderated in your diet, especially according to your stage of kidney disease. As an alternative, potatoes can be boiled in water two separate times to reduce potassium.
• Vegetable stock can be made at home through vegetable scraps that are covered with water and any herbs for flavor. This is a great alternative to high-sodium store-bought stock.
• Protein allows patients with diabetes and CKD to manage their blood sugar levels; it’s important to work with a dietitian to determine your specific needs.
• Cilantro or mint can be a great alternative to parsley for those who can’t have it due to its potassium content.
• Tomatoes contain potassium, but using a slice or two is usually okay.

Dr. Shusterman offers more advice for kidney disease patients in his book “The Cooking Doc’s Kidney-Healthy Cooking: A Modern 10-Step Guide to Preventing and Managing Kidney Disease.”

*American Kidney Fund. (2021, February 26). “Spark 2020 | Understanding Your Lab Results & Alnylam.” [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URHrJsPQiK0