Build Your 7-Day Meal Plan for Kidney Disease: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Everything in Between 

How can a meal plan help you manage kidney disease? 

If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), you may have been told to change your eating plan. Eating well for kidney disease can help give you energy, support a healthy body weight, and prevent muscle loss. Adequate nutrition can also help slow down kidney disease progression.

Your kidneys help keep nutrients and minerals in balance, but having CKD causes your kidneys to work harder to keep this balance. As CKD progresses, your kidneys will not  work as well and changes to your eating plan & habits may be necessary.*

*Remember, although a kidney-friendly eating plan follows many of the same basic ideas as a general, well-balanced eating plan, you may need to watch or limit certain foods. Recommendations vary based on stage of CKD as well as other factors such as the presence of additional conditions such as diabetes. Please be sure to speak with your doctor and/or healthcare team regarding your individual needs prior to making any changes to your current routine. 

How a dietitian can help

Are you confused about how, what, and when to eat for your chronic kidney disease? A renal dietitian can help!

A renal dietitian is a registered dietitian (RD) with specialized training in kidney disease. They are nutrition experts who can create a personalized plan based on  blood test results, health conditions, and recommendations from your medical team. 

With CKD, your nutrition needs can change over time. Having a dietitian on your care team can help you keep up with these adjustments as your kidney health evolves. They’ll also be there to provide ongoing support and accountability to help you stick to your nutrition and lifestyle changes.

Changing your eating habits can feel hard, but working with a registered dietitian can make managing kidney disease so much easier! Click here to see if you’re eligible to meet with a Season Dietitian for free.

General guidelines for maintaining a kidney-friendly nutrition plan 

Everyone is different, so your needs may vary based on your kidney function. You may need to limit your intake of  protein, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium depending on your doctor’s recommendations. Your medical team will be keeping an eye on your blood test results to help identify any changes that you may need to make. Blood tests can also let you know if the changes you’ve made are helping to support your kidney function.

To give you some inspiration, we’ve put together a sample 7 day kidney-friendly meal guide. Your dietitian can suggest appropriate serving sizes. Always speak with your physician and medical team before making any changes to your current nutrition plan and routine. Working with a dietitian is also important to create a personalized plan for you and your lifestyle. 

Day 1 sample recipes  

Day 1 breakfast 

Dairy-free yogurt parfait, veggie scramble, and toast

Start your morning off with a small bowl of berries (fresh or defrosted from frozen) and top with dairy-free yogurt. Cook up sliced bell peppers and mushrooms and scramble with eggs. Serve this with a side of toasted whole-grain bread.

Day 1 lunch

Baked chicken with couscous salad

Bake a boneless, skinless chicken breast and season with fresh herbs and lemon juice. Dice up carrots and cucumbers and toss with pre-cooked couscous to make an easy salad. For your veggies, include a serving of steamed cauliflower on the side.

Day 1 dinner

Lemon-dill cod, turnips, and kale salad

Mix chopped fresh dill into lemon juice and pour over a filet of cod. Bake in the oven until fully cooked and serve with a side of mashed turnips (a lower potassium swap for mashed potatoes!).

When it comes to leafy greens, raw kale is lower in potassium than other greens like spinach and swiss chard. Make a kale salad and dress it with olive oil and vinegar for a nutrient-packed side.

Day 1 snacks 

Sliced bell peppers and unsalted almonds

If you need a boost in-between meals, slice up the rest of the bell pepper from breakfast and enjoy with a small handful of unsalted almonds.

Day 2 meal plan 

Day 2 breakfast 

Apple cinnamon oatmeal and tea

For a cozy breakfast, make a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh apple slices and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy with a cup of decaf herbal tea. You could also add a source of protein here like eggs, depending on your protein needs. This is where a registered dietitian can help!

Day 2 lunch

Tuna salad on crackers

Make tuna salad using low-sodium* canned tuna, light mayonnaise and mix in chopped celery and carrots. Spread over low sodium whole-grain crackers.

For a food or ingredient to be labeled as “low-sodium” or “low salt”, it must have 140 mg or less per serving.

Day 2 dinner

Turkey burger with arugula salad

Make a turkey burger (either choose a premade low-sodium version or make your own!) and serve on a whole-grain bun with sliced red onions.

Add veggies with a side salad of arugula and cherry tomatoes dressed with balsamic vinegar.

Day 2 snacks 

Carrot sticks with guacamole and pear slices

Avocado is a source of potassium, so guacamole should only be eaten in small portions as a snack if you’re limiting potassium. You can cut up some carrots and celery for dipping. Include a few slices of fresh pear to add a little sweet at the end of your snack.

Day 3 meal plan 

Day 3 breakfast

Buckwheat pancakes and fruit

Make simple buckwheat pancakes (try making from scratch since many boxed pancake mixes are high in added phosphorus). Top with lower potassium fruits like apples or blueberries.

Day 3 lunch

Grilled shrimp salad

Grill or saute shrimp and serve over a salad made with chopped lettuce and shredded carrots. Make a vinaigrette using olive oil and apple cider vinegar. To balance out your meal with a carbohydrate, serve toasted whole grain bread or a lower potassium fruit on the side.

Day 3 dinner

Roasted pork loin, green beans, sweet potato

Roast pork loin with rosemary and garlic and serve with a side of sauteed green beans and sweet potatoes. Be sure to soak and boil the sweet potatoes, which helps to lower the potassium content). Your dietitian can help show you other ways to enjoy higher potassium foods in moderation.

Day 3 snacks

Veggies with cauliflower hummus and berries

Make your own low-sodium cauliflower hummus (here’s a kidney-friendly recipe!) and have a small serving with cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes for dipping. Enjoy with a small bowl of strawberries and raspberries on the side.

Day 4 meal plan 

H3: Day 4 breakfast

Steel-cut oats with peaches and yogurt

Get a burst of fiber with steel-cut oats cooked with sliced peaches. Top with dairy-free yogurt.

Day 4 lunch

Chicken Caesar salad

Put together a chicken Caesar salad using romaine lettuce and a spoonful of low-sodium Caesar dressing (or make a homemade kidney-friendly ranch!). Top with grilled chicken strips and whole-grain croutons.

Day 4 dinner

Almond crusted baked trout

Coat trout in a mixture of crushed almonds and dried parsley and bake until fully cooked. Serve with steamed green beans and brown rice.

Day 4 snacks

Garlic and onion popcorn snack mix

Ditch the high-sodium bagged popcorn and make your own kidney-friendly version using this recipe for Garlic & Onion Popcorn Snack Mix!

Day 5 meal plan 

Day 5 breakfast

Tofu scramble

Add in a plant-based breakfast of tofu scrambled with spinach and sauteed mushrooms. Serve with a side of whole-grain toast.

Day 5 lunch

Chicken wrap 

Fill a whole-grain tortilla with shredded chicken and roasted veggies like zucchini, bell peppers, and onions. 

Day 5 dinner

Grilled salmon with roasted asparagus and couscous

Grill (or bake) a salmon filet with a squeeze of lemon and serve with a side of roasted asparagus and couscous.

Day 5 snacks

Nuts and seeds with orange slices

Make a trail mix with nuts and seeds (see here for help choosing kidney-friendly options) and pair with apple slices on the side.

Day 6 meal plan 

Day 6 breakfast 

Smoothie and English muffin

Make a smoothie with frozen low-potassium fruits and veggies of your choice plus non-dairy milk alternative* and a sprinkle of chia seeds for some added fiber. Serve with a toasted English muffin on the side.

*Consider calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and protein content when choosing a milk alternative. Some kidney-friendly milk alternatives include Rice Dream Rice Drink Original Classic, Edensoy Light Original Soy Milk, and Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original

Day 6 lunch

Beet and goat cheese salad

Make a beet salad with a small amount of of goat cheese (a great kidney-friendly cheese option!). Top with walnuts, grilled chicken breast slices, and a few toasted walnuts. Add brown rice for a side carb.

Day 6 dinner

Baked chicken with mashed cauliflower

Bake chicken seasoned with thyme and garlic. Serve with a side of mashed cauliflower and steamed peas.

Day 6 snacks 

Raw Veggies and Dip

This recipe for Raw Veggies and Dip combines herb seasoning and sour cream for a delicious snack!

Day 7 meal plan (you made it!)

Day 7 breakfast 

Poached egg on toast

Poach an egg and put it on a slice of whole-wheat toast with a few sliced cherry tomatoes. Sip on a cup of caffeine-free green tea on the side.

Day 7 lunch

Wild rice salad

Make a wild rice salad with cucumbers, a few cherry tomatoes, and dress it up with lemon juice and olive oil. Top with low-sodium  shredded chicken or canned tuna.

Day 7 dinner

Tofu stir fry with veggies

Saute tofu with bamboo shoots, cauliflower, or other kidney-friendly veggies of your choice along with low-sodium soy sauce and a splash of sesame oil. Serve over a bed of brown rice.

Day 7 snacks 

Dairy-free yogurt with berries

Top a handful of berries with dairy-free yogurt for a nutrient-packed midday snack.

Foods to limit on your diet-plan

When it comes to nutrition and kidney health, there is no “one size fits all” plan. However, you may be instructed to limit your intake  of sodium, potassium, and/or phosphorus.

Sodium

Sodium is commonly used in food preparation and is often found in processed, canned, and packaged foods. It is also found in many processed meats (bacon, sausage, deli meat), seasonings, and condiments. To cut down on sodium, follow these tips:

• General guidelines:

  • Limit meals to 650 mg of sodium or less each.

  • Limit snacks to a total of 300 mg of sodium or less per day.

• Compared Nutrition Facts labels of various brands.

• Avoid foods that have sodium/salt in the first 5 ingredients. Look for sodium-containing ingredients that may not be as obvious. For example:

  • Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

  • Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)

  • Disodium phosphate

  • Sodium alginate

  • Sodium citrate

  • Sodium nitrite

• Look for food labels that say:

  • Sodium free

  • Salt free

  • Very low sodium

  • Low sodium

  • Reduced or less sodium

  • No salt added

  • Unsalted

  • Lightly salted

Remember, everyone is different! Speak with your doctor or registered dietitian to determine your sodium goal. 

Potassium

With CKD, you may need to limit your potassium intake to keep your blood potassium levels within the recommended range. 

• Choose foods that are lower in potassium. 

  • Opt for vegetables lower in potassium (<200 mg per serving) - asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, mushrooms, radishes.

  • Opt for fruits lower in potassium - apples, berries, grapefruit, peaches, pineapple, watermelon.

  • Remember: You do not need to avoid high potassium foods altogether. If you enjoy these foods and want to incorporate them into your meal plan, focus on having smaller portions (i.e., half of an orange, one slice of tomato on a sandwich).

• Avoid salt substitutes & seasonings that contain potassium. Instead, use spices and herbs in cooking and at the table. 

• Read the nutrition facts label on packaged foods.

  • Pay close attention to serving size.

• Drain & rinse canned fruits and vegetables before eating.

Phosphorus

Speak with your provider to determine whether you need to limit phosphorus and how much phosphorus is right for you. Remember, you do not need to avoid phosphorus-containing foods altogether!

When it comes to phosphorus, it’s important to distinguish between organic phosphorus (found naturally in protein-rich foods) versus inorganic phosphorus (added to foods during processing for flavor, color, and to increase shelf life). 

To keep your phosphorus within the recommended range?

• Eat smaller portions of foods that are high in protein at meals and for snacks.

  • Meat, poultry, & fish → about 3 ounces cooked, which is similar to the size of a deck of cards

  • Dairy foods → ½ cup of milk or yogurt, or one slice of cheese

  • Beans & lentils → about ½ cup of cooked beans or lentils

  • Nuts → about ¼ cup of nuts

• Check the Nutrition Facts label on packaged and processed foods for added phosphorus. Look for phosphorus on the ingredient list or ingredients that contain the word “PHOS”

• Eat fresh or frozen fruits & vegetables if and when you can!

Nutrition is an important part of managing, and slowing the progression of, CKD. If you have CKD, working with a dietitian will help you stay on track and ensure you’re following a personalized plan suited to your needs.