What’s good for a kidney diet on Thanksgiving

Many of our holiday favorites don’t always have our health’s best interest in mind. There are plenty of ways, however, to alter your cooking style or ingredients slightly to accommodate every dietary need, including for those with kidney disease.

Turkey

Turkey is the main event—a necessary Thanksgiving staple. You may not know, though, that when buying a whole turkey, it’s often brined or injected with sodium or phosphate additives, which can be harmful in excess for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. You can avoid this by buying the pieces of turkey that you want to cook separately, such as the breasts, thighs, and legs. This way, the turkey will be much lower in sodium. 

When cooking the turkey, it’s recommendable to do so either by roasting it in the oven or a slow cooker, with minimal to no salt. Try pepper, thyme, and other herbs, as well as seasoning blends, like Mrs. Dash, to add flavor instead.

Soup and gravy

Avoid store bought or premade gravy, as well as those made from a can, box, or in powder form. Instead, opt for homemade gravy made with plain flour, little to no salt, and with the fat skimmed off. (Be careful to not buy self-rising flour!) 

The same goes for soup. It’s best to avoid anything canned or storebought and make soup from scratch instead, using ingredients that are low in potassium and little to no salt.

Potatoes

You’ll notice that potatoes are included below under “foods to avoid,” but there is a way to still enjoy them—as long as you remove some of the potassium first and limit the amount you eat (approximately a half-cup (½ cup) maximum). When you cut potatoes or sweet potatoes and soak them for several hours (or overnight), you can reduce their potassium content. This can also be done by boiling them.

Stuffing

Many people love stuffing, but this traditional dish tends to be high in sodium. Avoid boxed stuffings, like Stove Top instant stuffing, and opt for a homemade version where you can control the ingredients and amount of each seasoning. Use low sodium bread and salt-free broth and butter, as well as sage, onion, and celery. Another option is to make a rice-based stuffing, like this wild rice stuffing or festive cranberry rice pilaf.

Cranberries

Cranberry lovers are in luck! As long as you’re not eating the canned or storebought kind, cranberries are one of the fruits that are lowest in potassium—making them a very safe choice for people with CKD. Get creative with how you prepare them this year by making a cranberry cabbage vegetable dish, a cranberry salsa, and more.

Desserts

Pumpkin and pecan pie should both be avoided, due to high levels of potassium in both pies and phosphorous in pecan pie. Desserts made with apples or berries, including pies, are your best choice, and you can still add a dollop of whipped topping.

Other good-to-know tips

Some other dishes and beverages you have the green light to eat and drink on Thanksgiving include:

• Rice
• White loaf bread, yeast rolls, or hot water cornbread made with plain cornmeal
• Green beans, turnip greens (in moderation), corn, carrots, yellow squash, green beans, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, string beans, eggplant, peppers, cabbage, coleslaw, and green salad (small)
• Wine or liquor, in moderation (as long as you have approval from your doctor that has factored in any medications you take)
• Coffee and tea
• Lemonade
• Koolaid

For those who are also diabetic, the following foods can be eaten, albeit in minimal quantities:

• Cranberry sauce or juice
• Pie or dessert made with apples or berries
• Sprite, 7-Up, or ginger ale (choose the diet version if diabetic)

What foods to avoid

DaVita Kidney Care has a great comprehensive list of items to be avoided, or consumed in moderation, on Thanksgiving, which we’ve broken down into three main categories: sodium, potassium, and phosphorous.

High in sodium (salt)

• Canned soups, particularly soup made with tomato or potato
• Ham (baked or country)
• Stove Top instant stuffing
• Cornbread dressing made from cornmeal mix
• Boxed macaroni and cheese (or made with excess cheese)
• Canned biscuits or biscuits and bread made from mixes or self-rising products

High in potassium

• Canned or powdered gravy (also gravy made with vegetable cooking water)
• Stove Top instant stuffing
• Dressings with chestnuts, raisins, or prunes
• Tomato (if more than a slice), yams, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, and baked or fried potatoes (can reduce by soaking potatoes and squash)
• Pumpkin pie
• Pecan pie
• Ice cream (if exceeds daily milk allowance)
• Hot chocolate
• Milk in excess

High in phosphorous

• Stove Top (name brand) instant stuffing (box)
• Cornbread dressing made from cornmeal mix
• Giblets
• Canned biscuits or biscuits and bread made from mixes or self-rising products
• Pecan pie
• Ice cream (if exceeds daily milk allowance)
• Coke, Pepsi, or other “cola” drinks
• Hawaiian Punch or other bottled or canned drinks with phosphate additives
• Beer
• Hot chocolate
• Milk in excess

More great Thanksgiving food tips for people with CKD can be found on 

*Colman, S. (2018, Nov. 21). Thanksgiving Throw-Back: Kidney-Friendly Thanksgiving Meal Suggestions. DaVita Kidney Care. https://blogs.davita.com/kidney-diet-tips/thanksgiving-throw-back/