Scrumptious, Kidney Friendly Desserts! Renal Diet Approved!

Life without dessert is…well, it’s dull. Food serves so many purposes in our society. Its first purpose is for nutrition, right? We need to fuel our bodies with the nutrients that it needs in order to function optimally. That’s even more important if you’re dealing with chronic kidney disease or other chronic conditions. However, food is also a social connection. Think about your family traditions and holidays, food is often the focus. And food should be enjoyed. It needs to be tasty and that means the occasional renal diet- friendly desserts.

Can You Eat Dessert on A Renal Diet?

Good news! You can eat dessert with any stage of kidney disease. However, when it comes to a sweet tooth and a dessert recipe, it’s important to keep several factors in mind. It’s important to enjoy dessert in moderation. What does moderation mean? Moderation means that you’re not eating dessert more than you are eating dessert. If you’re going to get super specific about it, that would mean that you’re eating dessert three or fewer times a week.

It’s also important to consider the type of dessert you’re eating. You’re aware, I’m sure, that some types of food are better for your kidneys than others. For example, ice cream with bananas wouldn’t be a great choice because of the high potassium and phosphorus.

And let’s not forget that quite often a diagnosis of Diabetes comes along with chronic kidney disease, so we have to talk about sugar and sweets as well.

Are Sweets Bad for Your Kidneys?

Sweets aren’t specifically bad for your kidneys. However, if you have either Type I or Type II Diabetes, then a sweet tooth can be problematic. They can cause high blood sugar which puts a strain on your kidneys. In fact, quite often Diabetes is what leads to kidney damage and kidney disease. So, it’s quite important to keep sugar, tasty desserts, sweets, and sweeteners in mind when choosing a dessert option on a dialysis diet.

What Desserts Can You Eat on A Renal Diet?

When managing CKD, chronic kidney disease, it’s important to monitor your intake of a few nutrients and make better choices for dessert. These nutrients include potassium dessert, sodium, phosphorus, and in some cases protein. When evaluating desserts, you want to make sure that the dessert isn’t high in these nutrients. Also, you want to make sure that it’s not going to cause a huge spike in blood sugar if you have a Diabetes or renal disease diagnosis.

As you’re considering dessert, you’ll want to not only evaluate these nutrients in a particular food item, but you’ll also want to make sure that your daily intake is on track. For example, if you’ve already consumed 100% of your daily sodium intake, then having a high sodium dessert would be a decision that could negatively impact your diet plan and kidney health.

Can You Eat Cake on A Renal Diet?

Love cake? Good news, you can absolutely have cake on a renal diet. You’re better off baking a cake or eating a homemade cake than purchasing a store made one. This is because there are lots of added ingredients to help make the cake last longer on the shelf. And these ingredients can be harmful to your kidneys and overall health. Plus, if you bake your own, you can make it exactly how you like and you can optimize for your kidney health.

For example, using all purpose white flour is better than using whole wheat. Using sugar substitutes may be better for you than using granulated sugar. You can reduce the salt in the recipe to lower sodium. And if the cake recipe calls for milk, you can use a low phosphorus option like rice or soy milk.

Is Ice Cream Okay To Eat With Kidney Disease?

The answer to the question of whether it’s okay to eat ice cream with kidney disease is a bit more complicated. It’s not recommended to eat ice cream because of the high phosphorus and potassium levels in dairy. However, there are many other options available to you in the supermarket that are not ice cream, but ice cream substitutes.

For example, you can have almond milk-based ice cream, rice milk-based ice cream, soy, cashew, and so much more. The options have never been more abundant. You can also find these types of alternative ice creams without sugar. They’re often sweetened with artificial sweeteners like Saccharin. Aspartame, and Sucralose. Kept in moderation, these types of ice cream alternatives are okay.

If cake is generally okay and alternative ice creams can be okay if you’re careful about the ingredients, then what other kidney friendly dessert options are available? Let’s leave you with a nice list of items to add to your “safe dessert” list.

Low Potassium Renal Diet Desserts for Kidney Patients

Pie – Fruit based pies, like apple pie, are the best. They’re typically lower in calories than many desserts and they don’t have unsafe levels of potassium, phosphorus, or sodium.

Cobblers, Crisps, and Crumbles – These are fruit-based desserts with a baked topping.

Cake – Cakes like angel food cake, pound cake, and apple cake are healthier options to consider.

Meringue – Meringues are made from egg whites and sugar. They can be layered to make a trifle, used as a topping for lemon meringue pie, or baked like a pavlova and topped with fruit.

Cookies – Some cookies like sugar cookies, ginger cookies, oatmeal cookies, and lemon cookies can be kidney safe dessert options. Make sure to look at the cookie ingredients and decide if it would be a good choice or not.

Baked Fruit – baked fruit like baked apples, pears, or peaches with a sprinkle of sugar on top can feel decadent. Top them with a little non-dairy whipped cream or ice cream and you have a delicious dessert.

Non-Dairy Ice Cream, Sorbet, Sherbet, and Gelato – Frozen desserts are an option if they’re non-dairy. They’re an even better option if they’re low or no sugar. Always take a look at the sodium content on the label of your frozen dessert. Some flavors like salted caramel or options with nuts tend to have more sodium.

Your imagination is the limiting factor here. There are literally hundreds of dessert options to consider. Even a dish of fresh fruit with non-dairy topping can be a fantastic option.

It’s great news that there are kidney friendly dessert options for CKD patients. As always, renal diet desserts, or any desserts for that matter, should be enjoyed in moderation. That means three or fewer times each week. Pay attention to the nutrients you’re consuming with special attention to potassium, phosphorus, sodium, protein, and sugar. Making a dessert yourself is always better than a store-bought option because you can control the ingredients and nutritional values and modify the recipes to suit your tastes and your kidney health needs while still enjoying a delicious treat. With a little care and a healthy lifestyle, it’s entirely possible to take good care of your health and enjoy an occasional sweet treat.