Healthy eating & activity

Follow a healthy eating plan

Eating foods that are low in sodium (salt) and fat can help keep your kidneys healthy. 

Here are some tips to eat less sodium (salt): 

• Cook with fresh herbs, lemon juice or spices to add flavor instead of adding salt to your food.
• Choose fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned. If you do use canned vegetables, rinse them with water before eating or cooking to remove extra salt.
• Shop for items that say "reduced sodium" or "low sodium." If you have kidney disease, check that these foods do not contain potassium instead of salt.
• Avoid processed foods, such as frozen dinners or packaged lunch meats.
• Limit fast food and salty snacks, such as chips, pretzels and salted nuts.
• Limit foods that are pickled or preserved, such as pickles and olives.

Here are some tips to eat less fat:

• Choose low-fat meats like chicken, turkey or fish. 
• Remove the skin and trim the fat off your meat before you cook it.
• Bake, grill or broil food instead of frying it.
• Shop for fat-free or low-fat dairy products or condiments.
• Try cooking with olive or canola oil instead of vegetable oil.
• Try to use egg whites or egg substitute instead of whole eggs.

Following an eating plan that is low in added sugar can help prevent heart disease, manage diabetes and help maintain a healthy weight. These are all important factors when managing or preventing chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Here are some tips to eat less sugar:

• Choose low-calorie or sugar-free drinks instead of drinks with sugar. If you struggle to get enough water in during the day, try adding fruit to your water or try a no sugar added flavored sparkling water. These will give your water more flavor and may satisfy that craving for soda or other sugary drinks.
• Be aware of the condiments you add to your food like ketchup or barbeque sauce that can actually be high in sugar. Instead, use low-sugar options like hot sauce, salsa or mustard.
• Most adults should be eating one and a half to two cups of fruit a day. Fruit can have many health benefits, including helping satisfy your sugar cravings. When craving sweets, choose fruit instead of baked goods. 
  • If you struggle to eat enough fruit in a day, try making a fruit smoothie in the morning or make your own frozen fruit bars like these watermelon coconut swirl popsicles on Kidney Kitchen. 
• If you are baking: 
  • Often you can cut the amount of sugar in a recipe in half and not notice a difference in taste.
  • Try using extracts like vanilla, lemon or almond instead of the full amount of sugar.

Talk to your doctor before starting any new eating plan. 

Your doctor can help you learn what eating plan would work best for you and may refer you to a dietitian (someone with special training in dietetics to know which foods are right for people with kidney disease). The dietitian will help you create a kidney-friendly eating plan that includes the foods you enjoy.

Find simple recipes in Kidney Kitchen

Learn more about a kidney-friendly eating plan for chronic kidney disease

Quit smoking or using tobacco

Using tobacco (smoking or chewing) can make your blood pressure go up, which in time can lead to kidney disease. If you already have kidney disease, using tobacco can make kidney disease worse in time. Using tobacco can also cause other serious health problems such as cancer, heart disease and stroke. Quitting can help lower your chance of getting kidney disease or help prevent your kidney disease from getting worse. 

If you are looking for help quitting tobacco use, talk to your doctor.

Work with your doctor

Staying healthy takes teamwork. Think of your doctors and any other health care professionals as members of your team. As team captain, it is your job to work with your team to get the best possible care. 

Learn more about how to prepare for your next doctor visit.