Print 
Portions:
8
Serving
Size:
1 cup
- Diet
Types:
- Dialysis
- Higher Potassium
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti, uncooked
- 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup onion
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 14 ounces spaghetti sauce
Preparation
- Prepare spaghetti according to package directions, but omit the salt.
- In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onion. Drain fat.
- Add brown sugar, Italian seasonings and garlic powder. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Drain pasta and stir into the sauce.
- Toss and serve.
Helpful hints
- Brown sugar takes the harshness out of the tomato sauce. Kent’s children love the sauce prepared this way.
- Check labels on spaghetti sauce and select a brand lower in sodium.
- Spaghetti sauce, like other tomato products, is high in potassium. By limiting the portion to 1/4-cup per serving, this recipe is acceptable for a low-potassium diet.
- Suggested sides include iceberg lettuce with low-sodium Italian dressing, Italian bread toasted with garlic spread and a small glass of lemon-lime soda.
- Refrigerate or freeze leftovers for a quick meal later.
- If you do not like whole wheat spaghetti, white spaghetti may be substituted.
Submitted by: DaVita patient Kent from Idaho.
Nutrients per serving
Calories 317
Protein 23 g
Carbohydrates 36 g
Fat 9 g
Cholesterol 58 mg
Sodium 269 mg
Potassium 538 mg
Phosphorus 256 mg
Calcium 52 mg
Fiber 4.7 g
Added Sugar 11 g
Kidney and kidney diabetic food choices
- 2-1/2 meat
- 1-1/2 starch
- 1 vegetable, high potassium
- 1/2 high-calorie
Carbohydrate choices
2-1/2
Save a Recipe
Sign In
Don't have an account?
Join the myDaVita community for access to free dining out guides, cookbooks and more!
Register For FreeSave a Recipe
Sign In
Don't have an account?
Join the myDaVita community for access to free dining out guides, cookbooks and more!
Register For Free
Comments(17)
JDoug73
Sep. 02, 2021 4:52 PM
My wife made this using 2 oz. of speghetti sauce and a 14.5 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes. She used a tablespoon of brown sugar and about a half pound of 85% lean ground beef. It was very good. We believe this method lowered the potassium content. Do you agree?
Drobertson60
Feb. 21, 2021 1:43 PM
This was awesome. I will definately fix again. I thought the ingredients were perfectly balanced. Thanks Kent.
Taylorqueen
Oct. 08, 2019 1:41 PM
Buy no salt sauce in the can at frys or kroger. Comes in small cans too! Zero sodium. Add a pinch of sugar and its delicious.
12patches
Jul. 20, 2018 10:00 PM
With the spaghetti sauce are you talking about a package spaghetti sauce or the ones in the jar? Dietitian comment: The sauce in a jar. Look for the lowest sodium brand.
Kaysdiet
Dec. 27, 2017 8:33 PM
I need to save my potassium content for my raw veggies, so I'm really, really wanting some kind of sauce, creamy or non, doesn't matter, for my pasta. I tried pureeing red peppers, and it was not succesful, and by the time I add up the potassium in all those red peppers, pureed, it was not insignificant. Sigh..............
Clambert4
Oct. 18, 2017 5:31 PM
Great recipe and thank You! I have been cooking using your recipes for my husband and am so grateful!!! Everything has been delicious. I was confused on the serving size for this- is it 3/4 cup or 1 and 3/4 cup? It's looks like 1 and 3/4 cup to me, but then I don't think there are 8 servings........? Thanks in advance for your help. Dietitian comment: Thanks for sending your inquiry. I have re-measured the cooked yield and adjusted the portion to 1 cup. It makes a little over 9 cups.
Ladybmac
May. 15, 2016 10:25 AM
Would it be better to use ground turkey then ground beef. Or Just look at using a leaner ground beef.
JeanBlacklede
May. 02, 2016 3:40 PM
Trader Joe's has a no-salt-added marinara sauce. It's good. Add a little basil and garlic if you like it spicier. I'm going to make this tonight with a small salad and garlic bread.
husbandnhoney
Nov. 14, 2015 11:27 AM
What parameters are considered lower sodium for these recipes? I made this recipe before and my husband liked it but I used regular spaghetti sauce because I didn't know what is considered low sodium? My husband's diet is also low potassium. Help please. Thank you. Dietitian comment: You will not find low sodium pasta por spaghetti sauce in most stores but if you compare the labels you will notice a big difference in the sodium content between brands and products. We recommend you compare and choose the sauce with lowest sodium content even though it is not labeled as low sodium.
LauraBen
Aug. 23, 2014 5:46 AM
I'd like to know the nutrients per serving the way I make Spaghetti which is similar to, not exactly like this. I use twice the garlic, generous Basil and Oregano in lieu of 'Italian seasoning' plain tomato sauce in lieu of prepared Spaghetti sauce, and either 2 fresh diced tomatoes in summer, or 1 can diced tomatoes in winter. Now that I'm cooking for a kidney patient, I've been afraid to cook with tomatoes at all. Your website is giving me hope, but, can I fix this the way I usually do or does that throw the phosphorus way to high? Dietitian comment: You did not mention how much tomato sauce you use but if you add the fresh tomatoes you can reduce it to 8 ounces to keep potassium in the same range. Your changes do not increase the phosphorus.
Toody42
Aug. 03, 2014 11:01 AM
I've made this several times. I grew up eating Cincinnati chili, which is sweet, so this tasted just fine to me.
amber1234
Feb. 01, 2014 2:36 PM
I just made Ken's Spaghetti for dinner this past weekend. It was so good and tasty. Enjoyed it very much. Next time, I just might add just a smidgen of Basil and see how that will work.
hunnykins
Jul. 18, 2011 4:42 PM
I didn't use any sugar and used just a half pound of 93% lean hamburger with a small jar of sauce. Not as saucy as what I used to do (I'm Italian) but I wanted to cut down on the tomatoes. Tasted just great even without tons of sauce.
undefined
May. 09, 2009 8:56 AM
I never have added sugar to spaghettie sauce. Adding 1/2 to 1 tspp of basil will do the trick as basil is a sweet herb.
Bigtonymel
Jul. 27, 2008 10:42 AM
I make my own "doctored"up Spghetti sauce,Using a bottle or two of of a natitonal brand and adding ground beef,chopped onions,bell peppers,and sliced mushrooms to the sauce.being a diabetic I leave out any kind of sugar,I do add a little more Garlic powder,and Italian seasoning to the sauce.and it still tastes great! I realize the idea behind the addition to the sugar is to bring down the acidity and bitterness,but I like my sauce without the sweetness!
undefined
Jun. 17, 2008 8:46 PM
I AGREE WITH SERENA THE BROWN SUGAR DOES MAKE IT TOO SWEET MAYBE A LITTLE LESS OF THE SUGAR WILL TAKE CARE OF THE SWEETNESS, BUT OTHER THAN THAT I WILL MAKE IT AGAIN.
undefined
May. 24, 2008 4:37 PM
My family liked although they thought that the brown sugar made it to sweet. I may add a little less next time. I will definately make it again.