Tips For Holiday Parties For People With Kidney Disease

If you have kidney disease, holiday parties and family meals are not always carefree events. While other friends and family celebrate without a second thought towards healthy eating or restraint, you may feel the stress of your dietary restrictions and know that you can’t afford to forget to pay attention to what you eat. 

Here are some tips to help you enjoy your holiday season with confidence, less stress, and more fun.

1. Prepare. Before a party, create a plan of approach. If you have a dietitian, speak to them about the important things for you to watch for during the party. Ask for the menu ahead of time and make a mental note of which foods to avoid altogether, which ones you will need to limit to one or two bites, and which ones you can enjoy without hesitation.
2. Share your feelings with your host. If you are heading to a family member or friend’s house for dinner, let them know that you have dietary restrictions and what they are. This allows the host to include you in their preparation and allows you to share some of the difficulties that come with a restrictive kidney disease diet. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing, then tell the host that you will be bringing a dish because of your dietary restrictions. This ensures that you will have at least one dish to eat. It can also be the best dish at the party. Try a roasted eggplant spread or another low sodium dip served alongside lower potassium vegetables like cucumber, celery, blanched green beans, radishes, and bell peppers. 
3. Fill your snack trays and charcuterie boards with safe foods. Typical party tray favorites (such as processed meats, crackers, nuts and cheese) often have high sodium, potassium and phosphorus making them a triple whammy for people on a restrictive kidney diet. Instead, choose a low sodium, low phosphorus cheese like brie. Pair it with low sodium crackers, low potassium vegetables, and some fresh berries and grapes. Consider some air fried tofu, deviled or hard boiled eggs, or roasted salmon bites to replace the highly processed, high sodium charcuterie meats.  
4. Create a plant based main course. If you have shifted to a plant-based diet to help manage your chronic kidney disease, you probably feel left out when your options are ham, turkey or pot roast at a holiday feast. The good news is that there are lots of plant-based options for people with kidney disease. Try roasted portobello mushrooms with a low sodium seasoning and serve them over mashed cauliflower or mashed potatoes (if you don’t need a lower potassium diet). 
5. Look out for dairy dishes and bring your phosphorus binders. Holiday dishes are often full of high phosphorus milk, cream and cheese. If you see a dish that is high in dairy – like a creamed soup or a macaroni and cheese, have a small portion and take your phosphorus binders with your first bite. 
6. Plan to have one alcoholic drink if you want to. In moderation, alcohol is usually safe for people with kidney disease. But, if you have more than one drink you may go over your fluid restriction. You may also end up digging two fists into the high potassium, high sodium, high phosphorus nut bowl because you’re lost your inhibitions and stopped paying attention to the food you’re eating. By limiting to one drink, slowly consumed, you can enjoy it without compromising your health.