Vegetarian Meal Plan for Kidney Disease

Vegetarian Meal Plan for Kidney Disease

Anyone who is suffering from kidney disease should pay extra attention to their diet chart. What to eat and what not? A perfect renal diet includes meat, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. But what if you are a pure vegetarian or vegan? In such a case you need to modify your renal diet according to vegetarian foods or vegan foods. It is important to get a verified renal diet by a nephrologist and dietician.

Only professionals can help you find the best alternatives to what you cannot eat and what you can eat. The renal diet for vegetarians and vegans in this article has been designed for your reference only. Your dietician and nephrologist know the condition of your kidneys the best. In a renal diet, the management of nutrition is done in such a way that you can get an appropriate amount of nutrients like protein, potassium, phosphorus, and sodium. A renal diet is designed to maintain an adequate amount of fluid in the body. The waste developing from the foods you eat should be decreased. But...

Who is a Vegetarian?

People who don’t eat animal-based products except for dairy products are known as vegetarians. In India, dairy products are considered vegetarian and not animal-based products because it doesn’t include cutting and hurting animals. Vegetarians only eat foods obtained from plants, trees, and dairy-based products. A vegetarian needs to focus on their intake of protein, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins:

Protein

Your body requires protein to build muscles, repair the damaged tissues, and form the cells to fight infections. If you cannot eat the richest sources of protein like eggs and meat, there are substitutes available in the market in the form of pulses and milk. But the main factor that you should not skip from your mind is to maintain a healthy balance of protein in your diet. Following is the list of protein-rich foods that a vegetarian can consume:

• Soy protein (tofu, tempeh)
• Wheat protein (seitan)
• Nut butter
• Soy milk or yogurt
• Beans
• Peas
• Unsalted nuts
• Low-sodium or reduced-sodium cottage cheese
• Whole grains

Sodium

Usually, raw vegetarian foods are sodium-free but when the food is cooked few people add sodium in the form of salts to their foods. Consume sodium in the lowest amount possible. Consume only fresh fruits and avoid the following:

• Avoid frozen foods such as frozen peas, canned soup, dried soups, and pre-cut vegetables and foods. They are rich with a high amount of sodium as preservatives.
• Avoid soy-based cheese.
• Avoid processed cheese, mayonnaise, and other processed foods.
• Avoid normal salt and common salt, soy sauce, and all sauces containing sodium and salt in high amounts.
• If you are fond of salt then try to consume rock salt or saindhav namak only; that too in the lowest possible amount.

Potassium

When you talk about renal diet for vegetarians it is mandatory to limit the amount in the intake of potassium. Fruits and vegetables are the great and primary source of potassium that needs to be limited in a renal diet. Wise choices of foods can help in bringing down the high levels of potassium. You need to verify the intake of potassium with your dietician to consume rich foods. Following is the list of foods that are rich in potassium:

• Soybeans
• Soy nuts
• Soy floor
• Natto (soybean paste)
• Wasabi
• Melons
• Tomato products
• Tropical fruits
• Potatoes
• Textured vegetable protein

Phosphorus

Avoiding the amount of phosphate intake in high amounts is always recommended for the healthy functioning of the body. To keep the kidney’s functioning healthy and in the favor, you must:

• Avoid dark colas
• Processed foods
• Concentrated phosphorus
• Foods containing phosphorus additives

There are phosphate binders present in the market to absorb the consumption of phosphorus. However, the consumption should be taken with the advice of your dietician and nephrologist.

Who is a Vegan?

Vegan is the one who doesn’t believe in harming animals in any way. They consume only plant and tree-based foods. That means no dairy and no dairy products. Rules for the renal diet include the same applies to a vegetarian except for dairy and dairy products. Dairy products are replaced with milk obtained from plants and trees, such as:

• Soy milk
• Coconut milk

What are the perks of being a vegetarian and vegan? In most cases, vegetarianism has given proven results:

• Decrease protein in the urine (Proteinuria)
• Slow the decline of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and kidney blood flow
• Result in less kidney tissue damage when compared to animal proteins
• Reduce kidney cyst growth
• Improve the lipid (blood fat) profile of the blood
• Modification in the diet can be more effective than leaving. Replacing animal-based protein with plant-based protein can boost energy levels more than consuming animal-based protein.
• Vegetarian diet help in slowing down the progression of kidney diseases without even making any comprise in the diet and taste.

What are the Fruits and Vegetables you should consume?

Vegetables to be consumed once a week:

• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Soy
• Cottage cheese (Paneer)

Vegetables to be consumed once in ten days:

• Bitter gourd
• Carrot
• Boiled potatoes

Oils:

• Mustard oil
• Olive oil
• Rice-bran oil

Vegetables that can be consumed daily:

• Bottle gourd
• Sponge gourd
• Round gourd
• Pointed gourd
• Green pumpkin
• Ridge Gourd

Following is the common diet chart of kidney patients

Breakfast

• Veg Upma (once a week) or roti with 1 bowl of vegetable
• 1 bowl wheat namkeen broken wheat with vegetables
• 1 bowl wheat roasted vermicelli with vegetables
• Stuffed boiled onion roti without oil or roti with 1 bowl of vegetable
• Brown bread sandwich 1 time in a week but without edges

Lunch

• Roti with 1 bowl vegetable
• Roti with 1 bowl of vegetables and 20 gm of fresh curd
• Roti with 1 bowl vegetable or cottage cheese curry 25 gm but once a week

Evening

• 1/2 cup tea with a marigold biscuit

Dinner

• Roti with 1 bowl vegetable
• Roti with 1/2 bowl of vegetable and radish but once a week
• Roti with 1 bowl of vegetables and carrot but once a week

Diet Chart for Kidney Patients Who Have Proteinuria

Pre-Breakfast

• Drink soaked fenugreek water 1 cup

Mid-Morning and Evening

• Milk/tea-50 ml/ ½ cup without sugar and
• Marie gold biscuits-2

Breakfast

• 1 bowl wheat namkeen broken wheat with vegetables
• 1 bowl veg oats or 2 pieces of Rava idli and ½ bowl of sambar
• 1 bowl wheat roasted vermicelli with vegetables
• Toned milk 100ml
• 1 bowl sprouted salad
• 2 pieces of brown bread potato sandwich and cucumber

Pre-Lunch

• Apple
• Watermelon
• Papaya
• Pear
• Blackberry

Lunch and Dinner

• ½ plate salad and 1 bowl vegetable like bitter gourd, carrot, paneer, capsicum, and ridge gourd and 2 tortillas

Renal diet for Kidney Patients who are on dialysis

Pre-breakfast

• ½ cup tea with whole wheat biscuits/marigold biscuits

Mid-morning and evening snacks

• Apple
• Pear
• Guava without seeds
• Papaya
• ½ cup tea with whole wheat biscuits
• Veg roll

Breakfast

• Stuffed paneer parantha in less oil

Before Lunch

• Apple
• Watermelon
• Papaya
• Pear
• Blackberry

Lunch and Dinner

• Roti with 1 bowl of vegetables like raw papaya or pumpkin

Basic Precautions need to be taken care of:

• Avoid alcohol
• Avoid smoking
• Avoid processed foods
• Avoid pre-made foods
• Avoid processed foods
• Avoid foods that are oily and spicy
• Drink fresh juices
• Eat fresh fruits
• Cook food at home and don’t just order it
• Keep control of your blood pressure
• Keep control of your sugar levels
• Avoid anti-biotic
• Practice yoga and meditation every day
• Keep intervals in eating anything
• Consume foods in small meals

Other guidelines that are necessary to be taken during the renal diet:

• Drink a limited amount of water (approx: 1 liter - 1.5 liters).
• Make a fixed time for lunch & dinner.
• Don’t consume any raw vegetables.
• Don’t consume any vegetables with seeds.
• Don’t consume milk directly in raw form, or boiled form (if, given).
• Remove the peel and seeds of the fruit.
• Boil vegetables properly before cooking.
• Use Rock salt (3-4 gm per day).
• Use olive/mustard/ rice bran oil (1-3 teaspoons per day).
• Use more steel utensils for cooking.

How does Ayurvedic treatment work with the vegetarian renal diet?

The efficiency of Ayurvedic treatment is a bonafide fact. But it is sad to know that people know the Ayurvedic practices for beauty treatments more. Ayurvedic kidney treatment has been in existence since ancient times, the times when artificial methods were not invented. People in ancient times used to lead the Ayurvedic life and they lived more than the average of people living in this modern era. An aforesaid renal diet is a part of the Ayurvedic treatment for kidney diseases that we recommend to our kidney patients at Karma Ayurveda. Ayurveda is the foundation of Maharishi Charak and Acharya Shushrut. They have explained why the Ayurvedic diet is important for survival and leading a disease-free life. It is believed that Shushrut was the first physician and surgeon who conducted the first-ever surgery and followed the Ayurvedic treatment to heal the damaged tissues and cells.

Major Factors of Kidney Diseases

It is a major factor to have a proper diet to live young and disease-free. Above mentioned renal diet plan for vegetarians is purely based on the Ayurvedic ideology and methods. Following are the three aspects that are most important in treating Ayurvedic treatment for kidney diseases:

• Quantity of food: How much you are consuming food at a time. According to Ayurveda be it a kidney patient or a healthy person, one should never eat food to fill the appetite. You should always eat food less than your appetite.
• Time: It is recommended to eat freshly cooked food. Ayurvedic treatment recommends the same including that you should eat food at an interval of 2 hours.
• Process: It may sound old school to some but it is most important to pay attention to the process of preparing the food. Not only the ingredients but the thoughts while cooking the food matter a lot. Ayurveda recommends being optimistic about things and food should be cooked by keeping positivity in you.

Following are the benefits of following the renal diet for vegetarians and Ayurvedic treatment:

• Digestible: Foods that are recommended in Ayurvedic treatment are easily digestible. The diet chart provided according to the ayurvedic treatment for vegetarians is rich in fiber that helps in digesting foods easily.
• An adequate amount of food provides an adequate amount of nutrition: If the renal diet chart for vegetarians is followed according to the recommended Ayurvedic treatment; the renal patient can get the adequate amount of nutrition that the kidney patient needs precisely.
• Saves from falling sick: If followed renal diet for vegetarians properly then this part of Ayurvedic treatment can do wonders in saving the lives from falling ill or sick. Herbs like onion, turmeric, celery, and garlic which are popularly known as vegetables can save you from falling sick.

Disclaimer: "This article is for your reference only. Kindly consult your doctor before consumption". Best Renal Diet Plan for Vegetarians, Renal diet for vegetarians, Vegetable-Based Diets for Kidney Disease.