Happy Holidays Brunch for the Kidney Diet

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or just enjoy all the festivities this time of year, this kidney-friendly brunch menu and tasty recipes will make this holiday season more delightful.

Many times people on a dialysis diet either feel they must deprive themselves of yummy holiday foods in order to keep their lab results in line, or decide to forget about their kidney diet altogether this time of year. The good news is you can still enjoy delicious foods in moderation. DaVita dietitians put together some holiday favorites for people on a dialysis diet as well as people who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are not on dialysis. (Naturally, portion control is advised, as well as discussing your holiday menu with your doctor or dietitian.)

Because you may want to host a holiday brunch for family and friends who are not on a kidney diet, these recipes are low in sodium, phosphorus and potassium, but high on flavor. No one will ever know the foods you’re serving are renal-friendly unless you tell them. If you’re invited out for the holidays and need to bring a dish, you’ll be able to share a tasty treat with fellow party-goers and know it follows your dialysis diet. By limiting portions of higher protein foods, these recipes are also appropriate for those with CKD who are not on dialysis.

We invite you to try the scrumptious recipes on our brunch menu. We’ve made it easy for you with a comprehensive grocery list and easy-to-follow recipes. Happy holidays.

Suggested breads and spreads for your brunch include:

  • French Bread Baguette or English Muffin Halves- Calories: 80, Protein: 2 g, Carbohydrate: 15 g, Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 130 mg, Potassium: 35 mg, Phosphorus: 35 mg, Calcium: 30 mg, Fiber: .6g. Renal and Renal Diabetic Food Choices: 1 starch.
  • Assorted Jams & Fruit Spreads (single serving)- Calories: 50, Protein: 0 g, Carbohydrate: 10 g, Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 5 mg, Potassium: 15 mg, Phosphorus: 2 mg, Calcium: 0 mg, Fiber: 0 g. Renal  and Renal Diabetic Food Choices: 1/2 high calorie.

Please consider the following suggestions when planning your holiday brunch:

  • Menu items are provided as possible choices; it is not intended to consume all food items listed.
  • Portions should be limited to individual meal plans, diet goals and stage of kidney disease.
  • Always rely on your health care team to recommend individualized instruction for your diet.

Grocery list

Baking Goods

  • 1 container breadcrumbs, plain
  • canola oil
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • granulated sugar
  • brown sugar
  • 3 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 1 pound cake flour
  • 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup walnuts
  • pancake syrup
  • rum

Beverages

  • 1 bottle champagne
  • 12-ounce can 7 UP®
  • coffee
  • 8 ounces cranberry juice

Bread, Cereal, Crackers, Pasta

  • 10-inch angel food cake
  • 1 pound loaf cinnamon raisin bread
  • 1 package bite-sized oyster crackers
  • 1 box low sodium crackers
  • 1 package matzo farfel
  • 1 small package unsalted pretzel twists
  • 4 ounces dry rotini pasta
  • Kellogg’s® Crispex® cereal
  • Ralston Purina® Rice Chex® cereal

Dairy and Nondairy

  • two 8-ounce packages cream cheese
  • unsalted butter
  • 2 dozen eggs
  • 1 quart low cholesterol egg product
  • 1 stick margarine, regular & unsalted
  • 1-1/2 quarts liquid nondairy creamer
  • 1 small carton Hazelnut cinnamon nondairy creamer
  • two 16-ounce containers Cool Whip® dessert topping
  • 1 small container sour cream

Fruit

  • 5 large apples
  • 1 bag raw cranberries
  • 1 lemon
  • 1-1/2 cups pineapple chunks
  • 1-1/2 cups crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
  • 5 fresh strawberries

Meat

  • 2 pounds beef or pork tenderloin

Seasonings

  • Catalina or Russian salad dressing
  • dried dill weed
  • dry mustard
  • Gulden’s® spicy brown mustard
  • garlic
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • prepared horseradish
  • salt
  • vinegar
  • Worcestershire sauce

Spices

  • cayenne pepper
  • chili powder
  • cinnamon sticks
  • ground cinnamon
  • ground cumin
  • coarse black pepper
  • nutmeg
  • paprika
  • pumpkin pie spice
  • rum extract
  • vanilla extract

Vegetables

  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 pound frozen French style green beans
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 2 onions
  • fresh parsley