By Maria Karalis, RD, LD, CSR

You can have an enjoyable holiday season this year if you make "renal smart" food choices. Many traditional favorites contain too much potassium or phosphorus. This article will show you how to enjoy the holidays without feeling deprived and without overdoing it.

Dialysis patients are faced with many choices over the holiday season. Let the following holiday food list be your guide for making "renal smart" choices. This list can also be used as a grocery list.

HOLIDAY FOOD CHECKLIST

Due to their high potassium, phosphorus or sodium content, limit or balance the following items. Balance its higher potassium content with a lower potassium food choice. For example, have wax beans or zucchini with sweet potatoes.

Other General Holiday Eating Tips

If your doctor has approved alcohol, avoid high potassium cocktails such as bloody marys, screwdrivers and pina coladas.

GROCERY LIST

• Go easy on salty foods. It will help you from getting too thirsty and drinking too much.
• For the main course, choose fresh, unprocessed meats such as turkey, chicken, capon, beef or pork. Avoid ham and self-basting turkey because these are high in sodium.
• Make your own stuffing-see recipe provided on the next page. Commercially prepared stuffing is usually high in sodium.
• Try this low sodium seasoning for your poultry and stuffing: 5 tsp. each marjoram and sage; 3 tsp. thyme and 2 tsp. each celery seed, pepper and onion powder.
• Substitute rice or an extra helping of stuffing for potatoes if you want to decrease the potassium in your meal.
• Remember to count Jell-o® or Jell-o® salads as part of your fluid allowance.
• Use whipped cream instead of ice cream on desserts if you want to decrease fluids.
• Select low potassium desserts such as plain cakes, sherbet, low potassium fruit pies instead of the high potassium desserts such as pecan pie, fruit cake, pumpkin pie and chocolate desserts.
• If you have a large meal, go easy on what you eat the rest of the day.
• Take your phosphate binders with or immediately after eating meals and snacks.

FOOD SAFETY

Follow these important food safety tips:

Thaw meats in the refrigerator or defrost in the microwave oven. Meat should not be defrosted at room temperature (on the kitchen counter).

• Don't stuff turkeys over 15 pounds. Cook the dressing/stuffing separately.
• Roast meats to the correct internal temperature, see below:
  Pork       170ºF
  Poultry      165ºF
  Ground Beef     160ºF
• Always refrigerate leftovers right away. Never leave leftovers to cool at room temperature.
• Remove stuffing before refrigerating leftovers.
• Do not eat unpasteurized, uncooked eggs. For recipes such as eggnog or cream pies that call for uncooked eggs, use pasteurized eggs or buy commercially prepared eggnog that has been pasteurized.
• Thoroughly scrub chopping boards with hot water and soap, immediately after preparing poultry, meat and fish.
• Wash dish rags daily in your dishwasher, or soak in bleach and water.

DIALYZING POTATOES AND OTHER VEGETABLES

Note: Some vegetables are high in potassium. Use the following method to lower the amount of potassium in vegetables such as potatoes.

• Use fresh vegetables.
• Peel and slice vegetables 1/8 inch thick.
• Place them in cold water so they won't darken.
• Rinse in warm water a few seconds.
• Soak for a minimum of two hours in warm water. Use 10 times the amount of water to the amount of vegetables.
• Rinse under warm water again for a few seconds.
• Cook for five minutes. Use five times the amount of water to the amount of vegetables.

These vegetables may be cooked in a variety of ways: french fried, mashed, boiled, home fried with onions, scalloped, etc.

Maria Karalis is a Registered Dietitian and Staff Developer in Staff Development with Fresenius Medical Care. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Renal Nutrition (CSR) and has been working in the renal industry for over 11 years.

General tips in this article created by FMC (formerly Everest Healthcare) Dietitians: Beth McQuiston, MS, RD, LD, Teila Lichtman, RD, CSR, LD, Terrie Rydzon, RD, CSR, LD, Pat Cooper, RD, CSR, LD and Fay Moore, RD, CSR, LD.

The information contained herein is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended and should not be construed as the delivery of medical care. Persons requiring diagnosis or treatment, or those with specific questions, are urged to contact their local healthcare provider for appropriate care.

This article originally appeared in the November 2002 issue of aakpRENALIFE, Vol. 18, No. 3.

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