Store-bought baked goods, even organic ones, often have phosphate additives, which aren’t good for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Phosphates are easier for your body to absorb when they’re added to food, so it’s better to bake at home where you can control what goes into your food. Here, Kidney Care UK offers baking advice for people with CKD who need to watch their phosphate intake but still want to enjoy cakes, muffins, and other treats.* 

Read labels when buying ingredients

When buying ingredients for baking, make sure you read the labels first. Most commercial baking powders, as well as self-rising flours, are high in phosphate additives and sodium. Also beware of low-sodium baking powder, as it may be high in potassium. Look for phosphate-free ingredients, and avoid products whose labels show:

• E450, 
• E341, or 
• Any words that begin with “phos” (such as tricalcium phosphate or phosphoric acid).

Make your own ingredients

One way to ensure that your ingredients are kidney-friendly is to make them yourself. You can whip up your own baking powder by:

• Mixing two parts cream of tartar with one part bicarbonate of soda (bicarb)

Use ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar and ¼ teaspoon of bicarb for every teaspoon of baking powder that your recipe requires. 

Cream of tartar contains very little potassium, but if you’re avoiding cream of tartar, you can help your baked goods rise by combining bicarb with:

• Buttermilk, 
• Plain yogurt, 
• Lemon juice, or 
• White wine vinegar. 

Replace self-raising flour with plain flour and add a bit of bicarb, plus one of the above-mentioned acidic ingredients.

If you plan on needing a lot of it, you can make a large batch of baking powder by adding some plain flour or cornflour to keep it dry while it’s in storage.

Baking tips

If you’re new to kidney-friendly baking, you can start by tweaking recipes that you’re already familiar with, or try very simple ones that are easy to follow, with few ingredients. Some desserts, like angel food cake, don’t require baking powder, so no substitutions may be necessary.

Muffins and tea loaves are fairly easy, and recipes involving fruit can add some fiber to your diet. 

Enjoy experimenting with baking and discovering new favorite treats that are good for your kidneys!

*Kidney Care UK. (2023, November 27). Kidney-friendly baking: how to bake with fewer phosphate additives. https://kidneycareuk.org/get-support/healthy-diet-support/cooking-with-kidney-disease/kidney-friendly-baking/