Deciding what type of bread to eat with your renal diet can be downright confusing. Do you choose white or wheat and still stay within your dietary restrictions for chronic kidney disease? It really comes down to your specific renal diet guidelines for different nutrients such as potassium or phosphorus.

This article is designed to help you decide which type of bread is best for you, and if you can have wheat bread with your renal diet!

Nutritional Differences in Types of Bread

You may want to learn more about the different types of flours used in bread to decide which is best for you on your renal diet. For example, refined white bread usually has less phosphorus and potassium and is therefore safe for CKD patients to eat.

For wheat bread, there are still different varieties you can choose from. A soft wheat bread that has no whole grains added may be your best choice, since the more bran added to bread the higher its contents of potassium and phosphorus.

Nutritional Facts for Wheat Bread

Looking at the nutritional information for different kinds of wheat bread may help you determine which is best for your renal diet. Below are the average nutrition facts for soft wheat bread and whole wheat bread.

One slice of soft wheat bread

• 46 mg potassium
• 39 mg phosphorus
• 130 mg sodium
• 9 grams of fiber

One slice of whole grain bread

• 70 mg potassium
• 57 mg phosphorus
• 130 mg sodium
• 9 grams of fiber

Another important factor to consider is the amount of sodium that comes with all breads. Most patients with CKD have to limit their sodium so their kidneys don’t have to work so hard to remove excess fluids and wastes.

If you must include wheat bread in your renal diet, you may be able to do it safely by limiting the amount you eat. Having a half sandwich (one slice of bread), for example, will help to limit your potassium, phosphorus, and sodium intake.

Alternative Choices for Grains on a Renal Diet

For those looking to still get whole grain in their diet without having too much phosphorus and potassium, there are some alternatives you can choose. The following foods contain lower amounts of these nutrients, so they may be a better fit for your renal diet:

• Barley
• Buckwheat (kasha)
• Bulgur
• Wild Rice

No matter what whole grains you choose to consume, you still have to monitor the sodium content so that your renal diet isn’t working against your kidneys!