Hi everyone,
A close friend of mine has just been diagnosed as having had kidney failure, she loves things like tomato ketchup, baked beans in sauce etc. obviously things will have to change with regard to her diet, but I believe form various literature that you can get these types of food product with reduced salt etc that she could have from specialist suppliers in the UK, my question is can someone recommend a web site that supplies these things (if they are truley avaialable). and recommend which you prefer if you have found one that you really like over another.
Thanks a lot for you help
Simon
Where to get Specialist food from
Moderator: administrator
Hi,
The problem with these foods is not so much the sodium but things like the potassium content. It is important to control sodium intake but equally so you must watch things like phosphate and potassium. I am not aware of a specialist suppliers website. A lot of the diet restrictions will depend on where she is on her "renal journey" as different methods of dialysis have slightly varying restrictions. Keep supporting her, I found out who were my true friends through kidney failure. Take care,
Debbie
The problem with these foods is not so much the sodium but things like the potassium content. It is important to control sodium intake but equally so you must watch things like phosphate and potassium. I am not aware of a specialist suppliers website. A lot of the diet restrictions will depend on where she is on her "renal journey" as different methods of dialysis have slightly varying restrictions. Keep supporting her, I found out who were my true friends through kidney failure. Take care,
Debbie
Hi Simon,
I have spent far too much time looking for the kind of stuff you are after in the UK.
As Debbie mentioned, it all depends on how your friend is affected and whether her blood tests / advice from doctors and dieticians indicate she has to watch things such as sodium and phosphate. If she hasn't seen a renal dietician, I would suggest she asks for a referral as they will be able to advise on what she can and can't eat.
The problem often is with the things you mention tomato ketchup, baked beans, they are all tomato based and tomatoes are high in potassium.
In America, there are many low sodium / no added salt products available, but often they add potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride - not much good for many renal patients (e.g. in Heinz No Added Salt Tomato Ketchup).
A good site to look at is http://www.healthyheartmarket.com/ , which sells a wide variety of low sodium products, but the problems are a) it costs a fortune to ship from the USA to the UK and b) many of the products will not be suitable e.g. No Added Salt Kettle Chips - potatoes are high in potassium, No Added Salt Peanut buttter - peanuts are high in phosphate.
It all depends on how severe your friends kidney failure is. When you say kidney failure do they have to start dialysis or is it not so severe ?
When I was first diagnosed with kidney problems I just had to watch my sodium intake which means most of these products would be suitable. Now on dialysis, I have to watch other things as well.
Please let us know if you have more quesitons or need more information,
Best Wishes,
Hal.
I have spent far too much time looking for the kind of stuff you are after in the UK.
As Debbie mentioned, it all depends on how your friend is affected and whether her blood tests / advice from doctors and dieticians indicate she has to watch things such as sodium and phosphate. If she hasn't seen a renal dietician, I would suggest she asks for a referral as they will be able to advise on what she can and can't eat.
The problem often is with the things you mention tomato ketchup, baked beans, they are all tomato based and tomatoes are high in potassium.
In America, there are many low sodium / no added salt products available, but often they add potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride - not much good for many renal patients (e.g. in Heinz No Added Salt Tomato Ketchup).
A good site to look at is http://www.healthyheartmarket.com/ , which sells a wide variety of low sodium products, but the problems are a) it costs a fortune to ship from the USA to the UK and b) many of the products will not be suitable e.g. No Added Salt Kettle Chips - potatoes are high in potassium, No Added Salt Peanut buttter - peanuts are high in phosphate.
It all depends on how severe your friends kidney failure is. When you say kidney failure do they have to start dialysis or is it not so severe ?
When I was first diagnosed with kidney problems I just had to watch my sodium intake which means most of these products would be suitable. Now on dialysis, I have to watch other things as well.
Please let us know if you have more quesitons or need more information,
Best Wishes,
Hal.
Hi Thanx for the replies,
I know the dietician has visited and explained with numerous brochures and books what my friend can and cant have to eat, I just know there are a number of things she enjoys (she's only a teenager) and these make her diet what it has been, unfortunately like all teenagers she likes a MacDonalds chicken nugget with fries or beans on toast or tomto soup and of course smothers all these in tomato ketchup. With this in mind I thought I would try to find out if versions of these foods are made that she could have even short term while she gets used to a changed diet. Unfortunately her condition is such (complete failure requiring immediate dialysis) that she has to eat foods with low sodium but I don't know about the phoshate, potassium, etc! I will ask when I see her tomorrow. I know she can have potatoes but they must be boiled first, I guess this is to reduce the potassium?
Anyway I will keep looking and reading, thanks again for your replies.
Simon
I know the dietician has visited and explained with numerous brochures and books what my friend can and cant have to eat, I just know there are a number of things she enjoys (she's only a teenager) and these make her diet what it has been, unfortunately like all teenagers she likes a MacDonalds chicken nugget with fries or beans on toast or tomto soup and of course smothers all these in tomato ketchup. With this in mind I thought I would try to find out if versions of these foods are made that she could have even short term while she gets used to a changed diet. Unfortunately her condition is such (complete failure requiring immediate dialysis) that she has to eat foods with low sodium but I don't know about the phoshate, potassium, etc! I will ask when I see her tomorrow. I know she can have potatoes but they must be boiled first, I guess this is to reduce the potassium?
Anyway I will keep looking and reading, thanks again for your replies.
Simon
Hi,
Good luck to your friend (and you helping her). Yes it sounds like she has to watch the potassium with boiling potatoes, so lots of tomatoes are out unfortunately (especially ketchup as it is concentrated, although you can probably get away with a spoonful of it - I know, its not the same!). You can make very good chips by boiling potatoes and then cutting them up and putting them in the oven with some olive oil.
Chicken nuggets occasionally from McDonalds aren't that bad. Yes they arent much good for anyone, but they won't have a potassium problem and they recently did reduce the sodium in them. Problem is the chips
If your friend is going on to peritoneal dialysis she may not have these problems once she gets settled on it and will be able to eat potatoes, ketchup etc normally
Regards,
Hal.
Good luck to your friend (and you helping her). Yes it sounds like she has to watch the potassium with boiling potatoes, so lots of tomatoes are out unfortunately (especially ketchup as it is concentrated, although you can probably get away with a spoonful of it - I know, its not the same!). You can make very good chips by boiling potatoes and then cutting them up and putting them in the oven with some olive oil.
Chicken nuggets occasionally from McDonalds aren't that bad. Yes they arent much good for anyone, but they won't have a potassium problem and they recently did reduce the sodium in them. Problem is the chips
If your friend is going on to peritoneal dialysis she may not have these problems once she gets settled on it and will be able to eat potatoes, ketchup etc normally
Regards,
Hal.