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Diet plays a significant role in the management of chronic kidney disease to prevent the build-up of toxins that healthy kidneys normally remove and to reduce the workload of the kidneys. Proper food and fluid choices can contribute to delaying the need for dialysis treatment.

Following a diet for chronic kidney disease is very complex and differs from person to person based on stage of kidney disease, blood work results, medications, additional medical conditions and other dietary needs. However, the common elements are restricted sodium, potassium, phosphorous, and high or low protein needs. Grocery shopping, label reading and preparing renal-friendly meals can feel like a fulltime job and it can be difficult to eat out. Transitioning to this diet can be a stressful time and people may miss their favourite foods or feel left out of holiday meal traditions and celebrations.

Free and easy to use, Kidney Community Kitchen aims to make food and cooking as easy and fun as possible for a population that has been told many foods are off-limits.

Some of its features include:

  • Dietitian-approved and kidney-friendly recipes - click the heart icon to create your favorites
  • A Meal Planner, linked to the Canadian Nutrient File, that tracks vital nutrients
  • Submit your recipes to be reviewed by dietitians and added to the virtual cookbook
  • Ask nutritional questions to qualified dietitians
  • Diabetic exchange amounts - good for people monitoring diabetic and renal diets
  • Tips, FAQs, and other nutritional info about kidney diet

More than 60 volunteers contributed hundreds of hours to the project through design consultations, recipe review, recipe testing and user testing.

The Kidney Community Kitchen was made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of James MacOwen Andrews.  Mr. Andrews had a keen interest in diet, nutrition and prevention of kidney disease and renal failure. He spent considerable effort researching and managing his diet as a result of his own kidney problems. Thanks to his personal insight regarding the challenges of living with a kidney diet and his generosity, Kidney Community Kitchen is now available to help reduce the burden for others.