What Can I Use To Make A Healthy Smoothies Fo
r Kidney Failure?
After looking at what you cannot eat on a renal diet, it may seem impossible to enjoy kidney friendly smoothies. After all the main things that go into a smoothie are limited and that means it won’t be very good, right?
Wrong! Substitutions exist for the common high potassium and high phosphorus foods that are normally added to smoothies – so you can still enjoy that flavor without all the potassium.
Fruits For Kidney Friendly Smoothies
Of course, high potassium fruit should be limited with your current diet. By speaking to your dietitian, you may be able to work higher potassium foods into your diet. Typically, you should try to consume the lower potassium fruits, though, and that is what I am going to use in the recipe so you can have a great smoothie right after you are done reading this!
Low potassium fruit (under 200mg): apricots (2), blackberries (1/2c), cherries (1/2c), peach (1), plum (1), strawberries (1/2c)
Very low potassium fruit (under 100mg): blueberries (1/2c), raspberries (1/2c)
For each serving you are making, use 1/2 cup of fruit above. Frozen fruit works excellent in smoothies and eliminates or cuts down the need to use ice, especially if you have a fluid restriction. So, you can use the flavors to add a little bit of pop to your otherwise ordinary day. And frozen fruit is easy to find all year long – so you won’t be stuck without having an ingredient when you get a craving.
Can I Use Milk In My Kidney Friendly Smoothies?
Milk, yogurt and ice cream which are normally be added to a smoothie must be eliminated because of the high phosphorus levels for most kidney patients. If you are not limiting your phosphorus, then you can use milk as long as you account for the protein it contains. To obtain a similar creaminess, non-dairy whipped topping or non-dairy creamer could be added instead of a dairy product if you can’t have them. Another idea could be to add sherbet.
For each serving you are making, use 2 to 4 tablespoons of whipped topping or sherbet.
Protein In My Smoothie for My Kidneys
If you are on dialysis you have increased protein needs from when you were not on dialysis. For this reason, you may want to add a protein power. For a high quality protein, protein powders such as whey protein powder or egg white protein powder can be used. They must be checked for potassium and phosphorus content. There are many brands that have less than 200mg of potassium and phosphorus. However, there are also even more brands that have high levels of these minerals and have an abundance of additives.
Products that are low in potassium and phosphorus include:
EggPro powder, LiquaCel, Procel Whey Protein Powder, Pro-Stat, Proteinex Liquid, Pure Protein Whey Powder
Since you may have a decreased appetite, you may be familiar with liquid renal supplements. These can also be used to supplement protein as well as add creaminess to the smoothie. Some liquid renal supplements include Re-Gen, Nepro with Carb Steady and Novasource Renal.
For each serving you are making, use one scoop of protein powder or 4 ounces of liquid nutrition supplement.
If you feel the smoothie needs some extra flavor, Crystal Light flavoring can be added to your smoothie to give it a kick!
Sample Recipes:
1/2 c Frozen Mixed Berries
4 Tbsp Non-Dairy Whipped Topping
1 Scoop Whey Protein
1/4 c Water (add more as needed)
Crystal Light Raspberry Peach (*optional)
Instructions: Blend all ingredients together. Add water as needed for the appropriate consistency based on your fluid needs or restrictions as well as based on your preferences.
or
1/2 c Vanilla Nepro with Carb Steady
1/2 c Frozen Mixed Berries
2 Tbsp Non-Dairy Whipped Topping
Crystal Light Strawberry Orange Banana (*optional)
Water as needed
Instructions: Blend all ingredients together. Add water as needed for the appropriate consistency based on your fluid needs or restrictions as well as based on your preferences.
Using one or two items from each section above can help you create a smoothie that you can enjoy on your renal diet. You can even experiment for more variety so that you do not become tired of the restrictions of your diet – which is a very important part of your diet. Watching what you eat all day can be onerous.
If you are interested in more kidney friendly smoothies and other recipes, you can check out our kidney diet cook book on Amazon, that is designed to meet the needs of a person with pre-dialysis kidney disease.
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Mary Perkins says
June 9, 2013 at 6:20 pmOnce more, you have found something I have been thinking about. Things that normally include dairy (yogurt, milk). I recently started getting your menus and am finding inspiration, since I am not a born cook. I fix food out of necessity, so this is when I change and you show me ways to do that. I own 2 copies of your cookbook, plus all of your other books. And your blog has given me tons of information. Thanks.
harrietprince says
June 15, 2013 at 11:04 amThanks for supplying my lunch. I’m gone right now.
stephanie says
August 1, 2015 at 12:49 pmpeople with kidney problems cannot have protein
CatsSkinMom says
December 19, 2017 at 2:45 pmYour statement must not include me, a Stage V CKD. My dietician does all but scream at me to eat protein. (My albumin is very, very low, and she wants me to get 100 gm per day.) It has already been proven that those CKD patients with poor protein levels actually have lower survival statistics. I don’t eat processed foods or any “real” foods that are moderate (except strawberries) or high in phosphorus or potassium. I am not nor have I been on any pills for potassium or phosphorus-blockers. I add one test food a month to ensure that it doesn’t change my labs. I have learned that just with blanket statements from the dietician one should not automatically exclude all foods. Even minor processing of foods (man-made, i.e., high fructose corn syrup or preservatives) is bad. Processing usually means added potassium or phosphorus…i.e., that there are chemical differences between organic vs inorganic potassium that ends up changing food and are absorbed/processed differently by the human body. I have learned to be hypervigilant about what I eat or drink. I’ve even found a manufacturer of dark colas that I can drink, except as when it impacts my new onset diabetes (How can one avoid diabetes when dialysate is like an injection of sugar?) Does the general population know what is in “natural” flavorings,” as in many foods? It ain’t so natural. Margarine is my one weakness. (besides chocolate)
Please continue with your renal diet book. It’s on my Christmas wish list this year.
(How ironic. I used to write food companies asking that they decrease sodium and use potassium as a salt instead. Now they do add potassium, and I’m a renal patient, unable to eat the canned goods. It taught me to be careful what you wish for…or tell others.)
Pat paradise says
April 15, 2016 at 6:48 amCan you help me I am fighting kidney failure and a diabetes I m not to have potassium . I also have blockage in my heart but I need more then lettuce salads I got a spaghetti squash but now don’t know what to do with it
Marco Maldonado says
July 12, 2017 at 3:42 amThis recipe actually turned out pretty tasty! In addition to the ingredients posted here I added some lemon and peach.
I also substituted the whey protein with cooked chia seeds since i am not a big fan of powder proteins.
KATE says
February 8, 2018 at 2:11 pmi have NOT FOUND ANY non-dairy creamer or whipped frozen stuff without PHOSPHORUS ADDED.