If you have CKD and are not on dialysis, you are probably following a low protein diet and wondering what you can eat for breakfast that is also low in sodium, phosphorus. Well, you’ve come to the right place for renal diet breakfast ideas!
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Table of Contents
- 1. Smoothies
- 2. Yogurt and Fruit
- 3. Oatmeal
- 4. Cold Cereal
- 5. Pancakes
- 6. Hash
- 7. Trail Mix
- Plus – some tips on what to drink with your kidney friendly breakfast!
- Other Food Guides You Might Find Helpful:
1. Smoothies
Smoothies are an excellent way to get in lots of healthy fruits and vegetables into a single, easy, delicious meal. The key to making a kidney friendly smoothie for people who have CKD and are not on dialysis is to skip the protein powder and make sure you include lots of healthy fats. The fats will help balance out the carbohydrates from the fruits and vegetables, which will make you meal more satisfying and avoid blood sugar spikes. We like to use avocado, nut butters, coconut oil, and even unrefined peanut oil (if you like the taste of peanut butter but don’t want the protein).
Also, be sure to sneak a vegetable into your smoothie. Our favorites are spinach and carrots because of their mild taste. For fruits, the variety is truly endless. Check out our Fruit and Vegetable tool to see what fruits are available, how much fiber they have, and how much potassium they contain.
Lastly, we recommend a sweetener of some sort – just be careful with added sugars. If you’re already using a lot of fruit, your smoothie will have natural sugars. We prefer a no-calorie sweeter like stevia or monkfruit to bring out the sweetness of the fruit without adding any unnecessary sugar. If you need to take your breakfast on the go, we recommend using a large, insulated cup to keep your smoothie nice and cold for as long as you need. If you’re staying home, feel free to drink straight from the blender! These large, reusable metal straws are perfect for drinking smoothies.
Check out our recipe for Low Protein Blueberry Banana Peanut Smoothie to include as your kidney friendly, renal diet breakfast.
2. Yogurt and Fruit
Yogurt contains probiotics which make it a healthy, superfood for kidneys. There have been several studies of probiotics and kidney disease that have found some pretty incredible associations between probiotics and people with CKD such as:
- Decreased odds of proteinuric kidney disease
- Decreased urea levels in CKD patients
- Lower levels of inflammation in patients with CKD
- Improved glucose metabolism in patients with diabetic kidney disease
Just be sure to choose a kidney friendly yogurt for you renal diet breakfast. Many yogurts contain unhealthy additives or too much protein, so choosing the right kind is very important! A single cup of yogurts is probably not enough food for breakfast, so we recommend pairing it with your favorite fruit to ensure you are eating enough fruits and vegetables (PSST! – take our course to learn why eating more fruits and vegetables is especially important for people with CKD). Unsure of which fruit is best? Check out our Fruit and Vegetable Potassium tool to learn how much fiber and potassium are in your favorite fruits.
Check out our kidney friendly Blueberry Banana Yogurt Parfait recipe for a kidney friendly breakfast.
3. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a low potassium, high fiber whole grain that is an excellent breakfast idea for people with kidney disease. There is even research that suggests that consuming oatmeal may have a beneficial impact on albumin and potassium levels in people with Chronic Kidney Disease. You can choose from steel cut oats, rolled oats, or the quick cooking oats. If you’re not much of a cook and prefer to buy your oatmeal pre-flavored, we’ve identified these kidney friendly brands that you can buy to make yourself an ideal breakfast for the renal diet.
Otherwise, check out our recipe for kidney friendly Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal.
4. Cold Cereal
If you have zero time (or zero cooking skills), then cold cereal might just be your best bet. Many cereals contain additives that are bad for people with kidney disease (or may have too much sodium or protein). We’ve done the hard work and picked out the best cereals that you can buy for your kidneys. These cereals will be high in fiber and lower in sugar than most cereals, plus lower in protein. If you don’t like to eat dry cereal, then you’ll also need to consider which type of milk is best for your kidneys. Most milk is too high in protein and many of the alternatives are high in phosphorus additives. We’ve reviewed all of the options and created a list of kidney friendly milk that you can buy to complete your kidney friendly breakfast!
5. Pancakes
But you have to make them at home! Most pancakes contain baking powder to make them fluffy, and unfortunately baking powder is just one big phosphorus additive. It doesn’t seem like much, but the amount of phosphorus that is added is really quite a lot! Additionally, the majority of syrups on the market are also packed full of phosphorus additives. Fortunately, pancakes can still be a part of a renal diet breakfast because we found the only pancake mixes in the country that use a kidney friendly baking powder instead of the phosphorus one (plus, we also found the best syrups and toppings to add that are kidney friendly!).
Check out our renal diet breakfast recipe for kidney friendly pancakes with syrup where we help you balance out the high carbohydrates of the pancakes with some fat to make your meal more satisfying and reduce blood sugar spikes.
6. Hash
If you’ve got a little extra time in your morning and prefer a more savory breakfast, then whipping up a hash for your renal diet breakfast is a great way to get in more veggies. Hash gets its name from the French word “hacher” which means “to chop”, so chop up some of your favorite veggies and some potato (we personally prefer sweet potatoes!) and saute in your favorite oil or fat. Onions, peppers, and mushrooms are also great additions. You can even get creative with what types of vegetables and spices you include.
Also, if you’re having a hard time giving up meat, then check out our Low Protein Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage. We show you how to include some common breakfast meat in your meal to add flavor without adding too much protein.
7. Trail Mix
If you need something grab and go in the morning, then mixing up some trail mix for your kidney friendly breakfast ahead of time is a great idea. An easy trail mix “recipe” is to include a serving of kidney friendly cereal, some low protein nuts, and some dried fruit. The cereal adds high energy carbohydrates and fiber. The nuts are your source of fat, which helps make your meals more satisfying and also help maintain more even blood sugars. The dried fruit contains vitamins and antioxidants. Mix it all together in and store in an airtight container or bag so it is ready to grab and head out the door!
Plus – some tips on what to drink with your kidney friendly breakfast!
Water is obviously an excellent choice, but if you need a bit more zing to your morning, you may prefer to opt for some caffeinated coffee or tea.
Coffee
The biggest thing to keep in mind when drinking coffee is to make sure that what you’re adding to it is kidney friendly. Many creamers and half and half are loaded with phosphorus additive, which you will want to avoid. Check out our list of kidney friendly coffee creamers to make sure you are creating the best renal diet breakfast possible!
Tea
Tea is another popular morning beverage. Brewing your own tea is the best option, If you prefer to buy pre-brewed teas, then you’ll need to watch out for phosphorus additives. We list out exactly which brands to search for (as well as which ones to be careful of) in our Kidney Friendly Tea Food Guide.
