Healthy Living
Kidney Friendly Recipes
Have you ever wondered how a kidney friendly recipe would taste? Wonder no more; the answer is delicious. Properly maintained, the kidneys help combat disease. Without proper nutrition, the kidneys will fail to function normally, increasing the risk of various diseases, such as cardiovascular disease. The recipes below are just a few examples to consider for kidney health.
Zucchini Hash Browns
Ingredients:
- 1 large zucchini grated or shredded
- ½ small yellow onion
- diced 1 small red pepper
- diced 1 garlic clove finely diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
After shredding your large zucchini, squeeze by hand to remove excess moisture. Throw peppers in with zucchini and mix together by hand, let sit for a few minutes while you heat the oil in a pan. In a skillet, heat oil and then sauté onion and garlic until the onion is transparent. Add the zucchini mixture to the pan and cook until browned, flipping and “scattering” as needed.
Although super convenient, deli meats are typically full of extra sodium. Instead, use meats left over from dinner the night before or freshly slice lean meats yourself. Do this ahead of time to make hassle free lunch options.
Delicious Deli Bagel Sandwich
Ingredients:
- 1 plain bagel
- 2 ounces freshly sliced turkey breast
- Shredded carrot
- 1-2 leaves of fresh raw kale
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Pair your sandwich with a sliced apple or a handful of grapes and a glass of sugar free lemonade.
Dinner: End your day on a delicious and healthy note. To omit a lot of sodium and added phosphorus, try to avoid using processed foods whenever possible. Instead, stick to lean proteins, white starches, and lots of fresh produce.
Oven Baked Tilapia with Sautéed Veggies
Ingredients:
- ½ large onion
- 1 3 ounce tilapia fillet
- 2 lemon wedges
- salt free spice
- mix 1 cup fresh
- sugar snap peas
- 1/2 cup bell pepper mix
- julienne cut ½ cup cauliflower florets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Cut one thick slice of onion, set on baking sheet. Put tilapia fillet on top of the onion and sprinkle with your choice of salt free spice mix. Squeeze lemon wedge over fish and leave the wedge on top of the fish while baking. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until white and flaky.
While fish is baking, heat oil in a skillet over medium- high heat. Saute sugar snap peas, bell peppers, and cauliflower. Season with salt free spice mix and squeeze a lemon wedge over veggies before removing from pan.
Pairs well with white or saffron rice. Any salt free seasoning mix will work, so you can use your favorite. For a bit of spice, sprinkle a tiny bit of crushed red pepper flakes or fresh ground black pepper over the fish before baking.
Strawberry High-Protein Fruit Smoothie
Servings: 1 | Serving size: 1 cup, approximately (egg whites increase volume slightly)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tablespoons Just Whites® (powdered egg whites)
- 1/4 cup water (or 1/2 cup ice)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (or use artificial sweetener to taste)
Preparation 1. Place strawberries in blender and blend until smooth. 2. Add all remaining ingredients and continue blending until smooth. Renal and Renal Diabetic Food Choices
- 1-1/2 meat
- 1 fruit, medium potassium
- 1/2 high calorie
- 1-1/2 carbohydrates
Helpful Hints
- Just Whites® are a powdered egg white product available at your local grocery store in the baking section. The product is pasteurized so it is safe to consume without cooking.
- If using frozen fruit, the degree of “frozenness” will determine how much your blender will be able to take. It will also give a more “soft serve” consistency than a smoothie, which is great in the warmer season.
- Adjust sugar or artificial sweetener to taste.
Chicken Salad
Servings: 4 | Serving size: 1 cup
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 2 cups apples, diced
- 3/4 cup seedless grapes, cut in half
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Preparation
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, celery, apples and grape halves.
- Add mayonnaise, cinnamon and lemon juice. Stir to coat ingredients.
- Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.
Jambalaya
Servings: 12 | Serving size: 1 cup
Ingredients
- 2 cups Uncle Ben’s® converted white rice, uncooked
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 1 cup bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- one 8-ounce can low-sodium tomato sauce
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled
- 1 stick butter
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- In a large bowl combine all ingredients except butter.
- Pour into a 9” x 13” baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Slice butter and place over top of ingredients.
- Cover with a lid or foil.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve hot.
Renal and Renal Diabetic Food Choices
- 2 meat
- 2 starch
- 1 vegetable, medium potassium
- 2 carbohydrates
Helpful Hints
- 1 stick of butter is equal to 1/2 cup.
- For variation, try substituting cooked chicken cubes for shrimp.
Recipes courtesy of DaVita.com