Cooking Out on Dialysis

Warm weather is here again, so it is time to break out the grill and enjoy a little extra time outdoors. Even for people with restrictive diets, such as those on renal diets, the joys of a cooking out offer simple, delicious, and relaxing alternative mealtime options. Whether it is for a special occasion, holiday, or just a good excuse to enjoy the nice weather, a cook out is fun for everyone involved.

Dialysis patients often spend a lot of time thinking about and monitoring every swallow of food or drink. To keep their kidneys functioning as well as possible, and to make the dialysis process easier, there are many foods to avoid. Monitoring fluid intake is another big part of living with chronic kidney disease and dialysis.

There are still many options for dialysis patient to enjoy a good backyard barbeque or cook out. Try some of these delicious options for your next cook out:

Turkey Burgers

Burgers are a staple of most great cook outs. For dialysis patients, however, red meat can be very unhealthy. Turkey burgers are an excellent, and really delicious, alternative to red meat hamburgers. Simply combine lean ground turkey, some fresh ground black pepper, and reduced sodium Worcestershire sauce and form into patties. Cook them on the grill and serve on buns just like you would normal burger patties.

Kabobs

A cook-out favorite, kabobs are a versatile option that can be modified to fit any dietary needs or preferences. Even better, it is a lot of fun to have all the different ingredients and options laid out so each person can build their own kabobs before putting them on the grill.

For dialysis patients, fill your kabob with lots of delicious red, yellow, and green peppers, onions, summer squash, and chunks of lean chicken breast or fish. Simply fill up your kabob and set on the grill for a few minutes on each side until meat is cooked through.

Grilled Chicken

For a grilled dish that everyone will love and that will fit into your dialysis diet, simple and delicious grilled chicken options are perfect.

Marinate boneless skinless chicken breasts overnight in one part olive oil, one part red wine vinegar, and Italian spices for an easy flavorful recipe. For those of you who love flavour, these wood pellets can be used with your grill/smoker and will add even more flavour!

There are also many low sodium options for sauces that go great on chicken, turkey, and seafood options as well. Try low sodium sauce options such as teriyaki sauce, barbeque sauce, and specialty toppings such as mango salsa. Grilled chicken goes perfectly with a side of mixed vegetables, a salad, or rice.

Of course, you should speak with your physician and/or nutritionist to make sure that you are following guidelines for your specific case, but there are delicious options out there for you. Be sure to monitor you fluid intake and avoid salting your food. Instead, opt for delicious salt-free seasoning choices like fresh or dried herbs and spices.

Cooking out can still be enjoyable to matter what your dietary restrictions. You can cook out while on dialysis and enjoy your food.

Don’t forget to check out my other blogs and comment  and tell me what your favorite thing to make for family get together or cooking out!!!