Kidney Friendly Pasta Noodles

Kidney friendly pasta should be a staple in everyone’s pantry. There are endless ways to make pasta – select a kidney friendly sauce (or make your own!), toss in some veggies, and you have yourself a kidney friendly meal. If you’ve taken our CKD course, you even know how you can incorporate higher sodium sauces into meals without going over on sodium for the day. If you’re on dialysis, you can either choose a higher protein pasta, or add in your favorite protein to round out your meal.

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There are many different pasta options on the market these days to meet a variety of nutritional demands. Whether you need a pasta that is low protein or high protein, low potassium or high potassium, or gluten free – there is an option that is right for you! In this article, we will explore the different types of pastas available on the market and their nutrition and give you links to the brands that meet your nutritional needs.

Table of Contents

• Types of Pasta (lowest protein first)
• Cassava Based Pasta & Kidney Disease
• Rice Based Pasta & Kidney Disease
• Wheat Based Pasta & Kidney Disease
• Legume-Based Pasta & Kidney Disease
• Vegetable Based Pasta & Kidney Disease

Types of Pasta (lowest protein first)

Cassava Based Pasta & Kidney Disease

To my knowledge, there is only one Cassava-based pasta on the market. This is the lowest protein pasta type available, so it can be a really great option for people with kidney disease who are not on dialysis. Choosing a lower protein pasta will give you some additional flexibility in choosing toppings and mix-ins that may contain protein without going over on your overall protein intake. If you also have diabetes, be sure to limit your portion of pasta to a single serving and to include plenty of non-starchy vegetables with the meal.

Jovial Cassava Pasta

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 1g
• Carbohydrate: 49g
• Fat: 0g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 240mg
• Calcium: 35mg
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 2g

This very low protein kidney friendly pasta is made of cassava. Although this pasta has more potassium than other gluten free pastas, we would not consider this a high potassium food. You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Amazon link below.

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Rice Based Pasta & Kidney Disease

Pad Thai Rice Noodles, Vermicelli, White Rice Noodles

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 4g
• Carbohydrate: 45g
• Fat: 0.5g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 0mg
• Calcium: 0mg
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 0g

These types of noodles are a staple in Asian cuisines and are widely available in grocery stores. They made of white rice and are low in protein and potassium, but are also very low in fiber. They are very quick cooking, so be sure not to overcook them. If you also have diabetes, be sure to limit your portion of pasta to a single serving and to include plenty of non-starchy vegetables with the meal. You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Amazon link below.

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Rice and Corn Based Pasta

The majority of pastas that are marketed as ‘gluten-free’ are made of rice and corn. These will all be lower in protein compared to traditional wheat based pastas. As with other grain based pastas, if you also have diabetes, be sure to limit your portion of pasta to a single serving and to include plenty of non-starchy vegetables with the meal.

365 Gluten Free Penne Regate

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 4g
• Carbohydrate: 44g
• Fat: 1.5g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 0mg
• Calcium: 0mg
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 0g

This gluten free kidney friendly pasta is low in protein, potassium….and fiber. Be sure to add high fiber vegetables to your dish to ensure you get adequate fiber. You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Amazon link below.

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Ancient Harvest Gluten Free Rotini

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 4g
• Carbohydrate: 42g
• Fat: 2g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 160mg
• Calcium: 5mg
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 0g

This low protein, kidney friendly pasta is also low in potassium and contains 3g of fiber per serving. They make several different shapes of pasta including Penne, Rotini, Elbows, Shells, Linguine, & Spaghetti. You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Amazon link below.

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Barilla Gluten Free Rotini

• Calories: 190
• Protein: 4g
• Carbohydrate: 44g
• Fat: 1g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 77mg
• Calcium: 0mg
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 0g

Barilla is a very common pasta brand in grocery stores across the US and they have an extensive line of gluten free kidney friendly pastas that are low protein. Their pastas are also low in potassium. Options include Elbows, Fettuccine, Lasagne, Penne, Rotini, Spaghetti. You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Amazon link below.

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Colavita Gluten Free Fusilli

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 4g
• Carbohydrate: 44g
• Fat: 1g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 0mg
• Calcium: 0mg
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 0g

This low protein, kidney friendly pasta also comes in a Penne, Spaghetti, and Linguine shape. You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Amazon link below.

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Ronzoni Gluten Free

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 4g
• Carbohydrate: 44g
• Fat: 1.5g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 65mg
• Calcium: 0mg
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 0g

Ronzoni is another common brand found in grocery store chains. They make several gluten free kidney friendly pasta options that are low in sodium, potassium, and protein including Elbows, Penne Rigate, Rotini, Spaghetti, Thin Spaghetti. You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Amazon link below.

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Target Gluten Free Rotini

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 3g
• Carbohydrate: 45g
• Fat: 1g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 0mg
• Calcium: 0mg
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 0g

For a less expensive option, check your local grocery stores to see if they have a store brand gluten free pasta. Many of them do (such as this one from Target). You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Target link below.

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Brown Rice Based

Delallo Gluten Free Fusilli Pasta

• Calories: 210
• Protein: 5g
• Carbohydrate: 43g
• Fat: 2g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Calcium: 0mg
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 0g

This gluten free pasta is actually considered a whole grain because it is made using 100% brown rice. For this reason, this pasta is a bit higher in protein and fiber compared to other gluten free pastas. If you have diabetes and CKD, your protein needs are a bit higher, so choosing a whole grain pasta that is higher in fiber may be a better choice if you have diabetes. We still recommend limiting portion size to a single serving. They make a variety of gluten free pastas, although not all are whole grain. You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Amazon link below.

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Wheat Based Pasta & Kidney Disease

Wheat based pastas can be whole grain or just the traditional non-whole grain pasta. Notice that they both contain 7g of protein per serving. This would be considered a higher protein food, so people with CKD who are not on dialysis may find it easier to manage their low protein diet by choosing one of the lower protein, gluten free options. If you have CKD and diabetes, your protein needs may be a bit higher and the additional fiber found in whole grain pastas can be beneficial for managing blood sugar, so whole wheat pastas may be a good choice for people with both diabetes and CKD. Be sure to limit your portion size to one serving and include lots of non-starchy vegetables with your meal. People on dialysis may prefer to use a wheat based pasta. If deciding between the two different types of wheat based pasta, we recommend choosing a whole grain pasta for people on dialysis unless their dietitian has instructed them to choose lower potassium foods such as the non-whole grain pasta.

Note: Because there are so many options for regular pasta and whole wheat pasta, and the nutrition is nearly identical across brands, we are only featuring one option of each below.

Target Whole Grain Pasta

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 7g
• Carbohydrate: 41g
• Fat: 1.5g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 260mg
• Calcium: 0mg
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 0g

You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Target link below.

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Target Rotini

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 7g
• Carbohydrate: 42g
• Fat: 1g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 110mg
• Calcium: 12mg
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 1g

You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Target link below. If you have diabetes and CKD, we recommend that you consider choosing a whole grain pasta since those will contain more fiber.

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Legume-Based Pasta & Kidney Disease

Banza Chickpea Pasta

• Calories: 190
• Protein: 11g
• Carbohydrate: 35g
• Fat: 3g
• Sodium: 20mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 520mg
• Calcium: 40mg
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 1g

This high protein pasta is also very high in potassium. This would be a good option for someone on peritoneal dialysis. If you have both CKD and diabetes, your protein needs may be a bit higher than for someone with CKD only, and this pasta could be a good option when paired with lots of non-starchy vegetables. This brand comes in many shapes and sizes (too many to list!). You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Amazon link below.

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The Only Bean Black Soybean Pasta

• Calories: 190
• Protein: 25g
• Carbohydrate: 20g
• Fat: 3.5g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 900mg
• Calcium: 0mg
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 0g

This pasta is very high in protein and also very high in potassium. This would not be appropriate for anyone with CKD not on dialysis. People on peritoneal dialysis may be able to include this high potassium food in their diet. You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Amazon link below.

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Barilla Protein Plus

• Calories: 1900
• Protein: 10g
• Carbohydrate: 39g
• Fat: 1g
• Sodium: 0mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 245mg
• Calcium: 14mg
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 0g

This pasta contains partially grain based and partially legume based. It is a higher protein pasta, so we would not recommend this for people with CKD who are not on dialysis, unless you have diabetes as well and have higher protein needs. However, this is one of the lower potassium options for high protein pastas. This one may also be a good choice for people on hemodialysis who need more protein, but also may need to be mindful of their potassium intake. You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Amazon link below.

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Vegetable Based Pasta & Kidney Disease

Fresh Brand Zucchini Spirals

• Calories: 15
• Protein: 1g
• Carbohydrate: 3g
• Fat: 0g
• Sodium: 5mg
• Phosphorus
  Additives: None
• Potassium: 222mg
• Calcium: 14mg
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 2g

If you need a low calories, low carbohydrate option for your ‘pasta’ dish, spiraled vegetables are a popular option. These would be an excellent option for someone that has CKD and Diabetes and needs to be mindful of the carbohydrate content of their meals. This is a simple (and delicious!) way to include more vegetables into your meals. You can check prices or read reviews about this pasta by clicking the Amazon link below.

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A kidney diet that limits or avoids phosphorus additives and keeps sodium less than 2300 mg per day is recommended.