Options When Eating Out
If you’re on a kidney-friendly diet, you might think you can’t eat at a restaurant. Not true! Eating out can be a good break from cooking and give you a chance to spend some relaxing time with your friends and family. Today, because many people are more aware of what they eat, restaurant servers know much more about what’s in each item on the menu. All you have to do is ask.
Your doctor prescribed your diet to meet your nutritional needs and everyone’s needs are different. If you have questions about what you should eat before you go out, talk to your dietitian. She or he will help you make good choices that work for you.
Restaurant foods are higher in sodium (salt) than food you make at home. You can minimize your sodium by asking for sauces and dressings on the side so you eat less of them. You can also ask for your food to be prepared without salt, if possible. It’s a good idea to minimize your sodium for the rest of the day and expect that you will be thirstier than usual.
Also, many of your menu choices will have high amounts of phosphorus. Don’t let eating out be an excuse to forget to take your phosphate binders! Make sure you bring them with you and take them with your meal.
Whether you’re on home hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis or in-center dialysis, here are some menu choices that may work for you:
Breakfast
Try to choose:
- Eggs cooked to order
- Omelettes with lower-potassium vegetables (onions, parsley, zucchini, kale, green pepper, and cauliflower, for example)
- Toast, bagels, croissants, English muffins margarine, jelly, or honey
- Lower potassium fruit or juice (apple, pineapple, and grape are some good options)
- Pancake, waffle, French toast with margarine and syrup (as appropriate)
Try not to eat:
- Cured or salted meats or fish, ham, sausage, bacon, lox, Canadian bacon
- Omelets with cheese and/or meats
- Fast-food breakfast sandwiches
- Hash browned potatoes
- Cheese
- Gravy
- High-potassium fruits and juices (banana, cantaloupe, kiwi, mango, oranges, orange juice, prunes, and prune juice, for example)
- Bran cereals, whole grain cereals, and muffins.
Lunch & Dinner
Try to choose:
- Salads/ Salad bar items (limit portion size to usual quantities and be aware of those foods that are fluids)
- Lettuce, carrots, radishes, cauliflower, green peppers, celery, onions, cucumbers, green peas, beets, alfalfa sprouts, Chinese noodles, grated cheese (in moderation), coleslaw, macaroni salad, gelatin salads, cottage cheese, canned peaches or pears, canned fruit cocktail, fresh grapes, fresh or canned pineapple, small fresh peach.
- Side dishes
- Green beans, corn, cabbage, green peas, eggplant, carrots, cauliflower, squash
- Plain rice, pastas, noodles
- Sandwiches with meat
- Omelets with vegetables
- Broiled or grilled steaks
- Burgers
- Pork chops and roast
- Chicken, fish or seafood (seasoned with fresh lemon)
Limit or Avoid:
- Salads/ Salad bar items
- Raw spinach, olives, seeds or nuts, pickles, bacon bits, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese, broccoli, kidney beans, chickpeas, croutons, potato salad, three bean salad, olive salads, relishes, soups, dried fruit, fresh fruit salad, kiwi, oranges, melon, bananas
- Side dishes
- Spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes, winter squash, sauerkraut, baked beans, vegetables in sauces
- Casseroles and mixed dishes
- Biscuits, Corn Bread
- Cheese
- Gravies
- Sauces
- Cured or salted meats
- Breaded or battered foods
- Omelettes with cheese and/or meats
