Stage 4 CKD • Keep it simple, keep your kidneys happy
🎯 THE 4 THINGS TO WATCH: Less SALT | Less POTASSIUM | Less PHOSPHORUS | Smaller PROTEIN portions
👍 EAT THESE — They're Kind to Kidneys
Cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, onions
Green beans, cucumber, lettuce, celery
Apples, blueberries, strawberries, grapes
Cranberries, pineapple, pears
White rice, white pasta, white bread
Olive oil, rapeseed oil
Chicken breast, turkey (small portions)
White fish — cod, haddock, sea bass
Egg whites
Garlic, herbs, lemon, pepper for flavour
🛑 AVOID THESE — Hard on Kidneys
Bananas, oranges, tomatoes, avocados
Potatoes (unless double-boiled — see below)
Spinach, beetroot, dried fruit
Processed meats — bacon, ham, sausages
Crisps, salted nuts, pickles
Ready meals and takeaways (salt bombs)
Dark fizzy drinks — Coke, Pepsi (phosphorus!)
Chocolate, Nutella, cocoa
Bran, muesli, brown bread, brown rice
Salt substitutes (LoSalt, So-Low) — they're full of potassium!
⚠️ BE CAREFUL WITH — Small Amounts Only
Red meat — once a week max, deck-of-cards size
Cheese — a thin slice, not a slab
Milk — swap to rice or almond milk where possible
Eggs — 1 whole egg is fine, use whites for more
Beans & lentils — tiny portions only
Nuts and seeds — a small handful only
Yoghurt — stick to a small pot, not a bowl
🔄 EASY SWAPS
Salt → herbs, garlic, lemon, pepper
Bananas → apples or blueberries
Potatoes → cauliflower mash
Cow's milk → unsweetened rice milk
Brown bread → white bread
Coke / Pepsi → water, lemon water, ginger ale
Cheddar → cream cheese (less phosphorus)
Bran flakes → cornflakes or Rice Krispies
🥤 DRINKS
Water is best — sip through the day
Herbal tea (peppermint, chamomile)
Regular tea — 1-2 cups OK (with rice milk)
Limit coffee to 1 cup a day
NO orange juice, tomato juice, or coconut water
NO dark fizzy drinks (Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper)
Ask your doctor how much fluid per day
👩🍳 COOKING TIPS
Cook from scratch — ready meals are salt traps
NEVER add salt when cooking or at the table
Double-boil potatoes: peel, chop small, boil 10 mins, drain, boil again in fresh water — removes potassium
Drain and rinse tinned veg to remove salt
Check labels — look for LOW sodium
Roast veg with olive oil, garlic & herbs = delicious
Grill or bake meat — don't fry
📏 PORTION SIZES — Use Your Hand!
🫲
MEAT / FISH Palm of your hand (deck of cards)
👊
RICE / PASTA Your fist (not a mountain!)
👍
CHEESE Size of your thumb (a thin slice)
🤲
VEG Two handfuls (fill the plate!)
🩸 DIABETES REMINDER
You're watching sugar AND kidneys — so white bread and rice are kidney-friendly but don't go mad with portions. Stick to small servings. No sugary drinks. Check blood sugar regularly.
