Switching to Plant-Based Diet

Grocery Shopping Tips

Below are important reminders when doing your groceries:

• Plan your meals. Decide on what you want to eat for a particular time. Plan the meals and snacks you will eat for each day of the week. To save time, devote a certain day each week to sit down and carefully plan your meals before hitting the grocery store.
  
  List down meals that are simple and easy to prepare in case you need a healthy grub when you’re in a hurry (as always, consult with your dietitian when creating your meal plans).
  

• Create a grocery list each time. Whether it’s on a small notepad or saved on your phone, having a grocery list ensures that you don’t miss out on any food and ingredients you need. It becomes easier to fill up your grocery list once you have all your meals and snacks planned out ahead. 

  See all the ingredients you need for all your meals and snacks for the week, then check the items you already have in your fridge/pantry. Write down those that you don’t have and will need to purchase.

• Practice reading labels. Pay attention to the serving size. If you consume a lesser or greater amount of the product, you’ll also be consuming a lesser or greater amount of every nutrient stated in the label.
  
  Also, check the amounts of sodium, phosphorus, potassium, and protein. Note that phosphorus and potassium are not always indicated in nutritional labels. It’s best to ask your dietitian which foods are safe for you to eat. Know whether you need more or less protein based on your CKD stage.

Food Preparation and Kidney-Friendly Cooking Tips

One of the greatest challenges with kidney-friendly cooking is maintaining the flavor of a dish. Removing one or two ingredients might reduce the flavor of your food. However, there are certain cooking techniques that help get the essence of remaining ingredients while still making them easy on your kidneys.

1. Replace animal protein with plant protein. Grains, tofu, seitan (a kind of wheat protein), beans, and couscous all make a delicious alternative to beef. 

2. Roast veggies to increase flavor. When cooking soups and sauces, roast the vegetables first to extract their flavor. You can also dry-rub a mixture of natural herbs on tofu and other plant-based proteins to flavor them up.

3. Use plant-based sauces for dry dishes. Add more moisture and flavor to grilled tofu or seitan. Replace traditional sauces with rice milk or roasted vegetable stock.
   
   You can also use homemade vegetable stock as a substitute for salad oils/dressings. The stock helps maintain flavor in your salads while doing away with animal fat.

4. Mix dried herbs together over heat. Replace salt with natural, homemade seasoning mixtures to lower your sodium. Chef Duane recommends combining whole herbs and seeds and roasting them in a pan until they release aroma.
   
   This is a great way to bring out their flavor without adding salt. Afterwards, allow the mixture to cool down then grind it in a coffee grinder. 
5. Eat fruit for snacks and dessert. Cut back on your sugar consumption by eating fresh fruit for when you crave cakes and pastries. Examples of kidney-friendly fruits are apples, blueberries, and strawberries.

Tips for Dining Out or Parties

You can still enjoy dining out at a restaurant or at a party if you have kidney disease. However, you need to stay mindful of your food choices and how much you eat. Here are some tips:

• If you plan to eat out or order takeaway food, consider the foods and drinks you’re allowed to eat as well as the serving size.
• Limit your consumption of salty food items like crackers and soup.
• Before ordering, ask the restaurant staff about the ingredients of the dish you wish to have.
• Ask to leave out ingredients that are high in potassium from your dish.
• Avoid or limit your use of condiments like ketchups, soy sauce, and dips.
• Sauces tend to be high in sodium, so it’s best to leave them out of your food.
• Ask for your order to be cooked/served without salt.
• If possible, ask for dressings or sauces to be served in a separate container. This way, you can control how much you can have.
• Avoid heavily-seasoned dishes.

Getting Started with Food Journaling

Keeping a food journal/food diary helps you stay on top of your diet. It’s an effective way to track your progress as well. 

If you prefer a physical journal, choose a notebook that will fit in your purse, pocket, or bag so you can take it with you at all times. You can also download free journaling apps on your phone. Any platform is fine. What’s important is you develop the habit of listing down every food and drink you consume daily.

A detailed food journal contains the following pieces of information (set different columns for each):

• How much you eat - Record the amount of food and drink you consume every time. List the measure of your food and drinks in volume (e.g. 1 cup), weight (e.g. 2 ounces of water), or the number of items (e.g. 5 strawberries).

• Nutrient content - Indicate the amount of sodium, phosphorus, potassium, protein, and other nutrients each food item contains.

• The kid of food - You need to be as specific as possible when it comes to the type of food and drink you consume. That includes the extras, like the sauces, condiments, or toppings that come with your food. Also, list down the supplements you take.

• Date and time - Log the specific date and time of day of your meals/snacks.

• Place - If you eat at home, write down the room (e.g. dining room or kitchen). If you dine out, indicate the name of the restaurant.

• Company - You also need to take note of the person or people whom you eat with (e.g. name of your spouse, brother, sister, son, daughter, or friend). If you live on your own, write “alone.”

• Activity - Specify the activities you do as you eat your meals. This can be anything, like typing a document, watching TV, or conversing with someone.

• Mood - Your mood can affect your diet and when you eat/drink. Pay attention to how you feel each time. Are you happy, sad, bored, or inspired? Write it down.

Your food journal should contain every last bit of food, drink, or vitamin supplement you feed your body. List down all the details as you go or right when you take them. 

During your regular checkups, share your journal with your nephrologist and your renal dietitian so they can review it. They will use the information as they plan for your further treatment.

How to Get Started with CKD-Friendly Plant-Based Diet

When switching to a new diet, every CKD patient has unique goals and individual pace. Some people can completely eliminate animal products from their diet. Others start with baby steps; they slowly introduce plant proteins one meal per day and build a momentum from there. Both actions are a step in the right direction!

How you proceed from here is entirely up to you. What’s important is you honor your pace with the help of your renal health team. The following are a few tips to get started with a kidney-friendly plant-based diet: