What’s for Dinner?

Meal planning with the Kidney Community Kitchen

Unsplash.com/Ello

by June Martin, Registered Dietician

Planning your meals is a fantastic way to save time and money and reduce the number of last-minute trips to the grocery store. It will also help you avoid falling into the trap of buying convenience and fast foods. Using the Kidney Community Kitchen’s meal planning tool can ensure that you are meeting your nutritional needs and give you a great visual overview of your prepared menu(s).

Not sure what numbers you’re aiming for? Ask your dietitian for help. There are a few important things to keep in mind to make meal planning work for you!

1. Take stock! What’s in your pantry, fridge or freezer that’s not going to last? Maybe you have a head of cauliflower that you never got around to using or some eggs that are going to expire. Plan meals early in the week with these ingredients to avoid wasting food. But keep in mind—when in doubt, throw it out!

2. Start with protein. Often planning a meal around your protein is the easiest way to go. If chicken is on sale you might want to plan a couple of meals with it. The Kidney Community Kitchen’s cookbook can be a great resource for recipes using specific ingredients. Talk to your dietitian to find out how much protein you should aim for each day.

3. Cook once, eat twice! If you enjoy leftovers, plan meals that can serve as lunch for the rest of the week or supper for a couple days. If you do not like leftovers, look for recipes that can be easily repurposed. The Persian Chicken on the Kidney Community Kitchen’s website is not only great fresh off the grill, but also delicious thinly sliced in sandwiches the next day.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Daily Meal Plan for 2021-07-14

Breakfast

Milk, fluid, skim (100 ml, [½ cup])

Bagel, cinnamon-raisin, toasted (1 mini bagel [6.4cm or 2½ dia])  Click to add an item

Dinner

Asian Eggplant Dip with Seared Peppercorn Steak Double boiled mashed potatoes  Click to add an item Lunch Baked eggs with Basil Pesto Calories: 308 Cal Protein: 20 g Carbohydrates: 7g Fibre: 1g Total Fat: 22g Sodium: 295 mg Phosphorus: 332 mg Potassium: 409 mg

Cranberry juice, unsweetened (100 ml, [½ cup]) Tomato, red ripe, raw, year round average (100 ml, [½ cup] chopped or sliced)  Click to add an item

Snacks Carrot, baby, raw (85 g [3 oz]) Cheese, brie (100 ml [⅓ cup] melted) Cracker, 7 gram [20 g [½ oz])

 Click to add an item

Nutrient Analysis

Calories Daily Nutrient Analysis

Weekly Nutrient Analysis 1157 kCal 1157 kCal

Protein

66 g Carbohydrates 86 g Fibre 7 g Total Fat 57 g

66 g 86 g 7 g 57 g Sodium 1293 mg 1293 mg Phosphorus 1024 mg 1024 mg Potassium 1823 mg 1823 mg

4. Look at your schedule. Plan easy meals or leftovers for days where you have medical appointments or dialysis.

5. Read the recipes carefully. Is it going to make the right amount for you? Will you have leftovers of a specific ingredient? If you’re buying tortillas for the Tortilla Pizzas with Roasted Red Peppers and Shrimp, then maybe plan for Breakfast Burritos later in the week.

6. Plan for snacks. Consider setting aside an hour on the weekend to do some prep work. Prepare a batch of hard-boiled eggs for high protein snacks or a quick breakfast. These can be used as the basis for egg salad or to top a salad. Make a batch of healthy, kidney-friendly muffins or squares.

7. Be flexible. Sometimes our best intentions get sidetracked, so you may need to mix and match your meals for the week.

8. Make a list! Take time to jot down all the ingredients you don’t have on hand. Pay attention to how much you’ll need for any new recipes. Keep a running list of any pantry staples as your stock gets low. Aim to stick to your list at the grocery store.

9. Try a new recipe each week. It’s easy to get bored with the same things over and over. Meal planning is a great way to stay creative. 10. Schedule your time wisely. Make meal planning part of your routine. Whether it’s Saturday morning over coffee or Tuesday evening on dialysis—find a time that works for you.

How to use the meal planner

1. Create a membership account. While you don’t need an account to use the meal planner, you will not be able to print or save your plans without one. To request an account, visit The Kidney Community Kitchen website at www.kidneycommunitykitchen.ca.

2. Browse the recipes. With an account, you can choose your favourites by clicking on the heart icon. These recipes will be linked to your meal planner account.

3. Sort the recipes. You can display recipes by Diet Type and Meal Type, or simply scroll through the virtual cookbook.

4. Take notes. Review the nutrient analysis and serving size to ensure that they meet your dietary needs.

5. Start planning. Watch the video, How to Use the Kidney Community Kitchen Meal Planner. Find it on the kidneycommunitykitchen website under videos. 

Just the Facts

Eating guidelines for diabetes and chronic kidney disease fact sheet

If you have both diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), it may seem that the diabetes and kidney diets don’t fit well together. However, with careful planning, you can follow your kidney diet and still control your blood sugar.

Controlling your blood sugar is an important first step to slowing down the progression of kidney disease. It will also help prevent or minimize other complications of diabetes such as eye problems or nerve problems and help control your thirst.

Controlling or preventing high blood pressure is another critical part of your care. Avoid salt and high salt foods, and take your blood pressure medication as ordered to keep your blood pressure in check.

Having diabetes and CKD puts you at a higher risk for heart disease. Choose heart-healthy fats, include regular activity and control your weight to lower your risk for heart attack.

Finally, eating a moderate amount of protein is another change you can make to reduce the workload of your kidneys. If you are on dialysis, however, you will need to eat extra protein since dialysis increases protein losses.

Find the full fact sheet on the Kidney Community Kitchen website, or contact our Programs Team.

Keys to success for controlling your blood sugar

1. Eat three meals a day, no more than six hours apart. 2. Try to eat at regular times (even on days when you have dialysis). If you can’t eat a meal, make sure you have a snack that contains carbohydrates in place of your meal. 3. Eat the same amount of carbohydrate-containing foods at each meal. Carbohydrate-containing foods break down to sugar when eaten and include grains or starches, fruits, milk products and some vegetables. 4. Avoid simple sugars and sweets such as sugar, regular pop (soda, soft drinks), fruit juices, sweet desserts, candies, jam and honey. Try using sugar substitutes in your recipes.

The material contained on this fact sheet does not constitute medical advice and is intended for informational purposes only. No one associated with The Kidney Foundation of Canada will answer medical questions via email. Please consult a healthcare professional for specific treatment recommendations. 

RECIPES & INFO TO HELP YOU MANAGE YOUR RENAL DIET

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