It is simple right? Just follow a diet low in sodium, low in fat, low in protein, low in phosphorus and low potassium. This chronic kidney disease (CKD) diet is often prescribed, but may not be often followed because of its difficulty. This article’s goal will be to provide some tips to make eating heart healthy and following a CKD diet easier to do.

One of the most serious health risks facing those with CKD is heart disease, thereforefollowing a heart healthy diet in addition to following a CKD diet is very important. It is always a good idea to start small with a few changes at a time so that you can stick with them. Let us start by defining the big three; Cholesterol, Fat and Sodium. Following a lower fat and cholesterol diet is important for many. On a food label, total fat is the total of all types of fat found in the food. Saturated fat is the type of fat that is most often linked to higher risk for heart disease and is a solid fat.

Sources of saturated fat are meat, poultry, whole milk, cheese, coconut, palm and palm kernel oils and butter. It is recommended that this type of fat be limited to 10 percent or less of daily calories. Current research findings show if too much saturated fat is eaten, it can increase your risk of heart disease and even some types of cancer. Unsaturated fat is liquid at room temperature and can actually lower your risk for heart disease. Good sources of unsaturated fat are canola oil, nut oils and olive oil. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is only found in animal products. Sodium is the salt content of a food item. Most processed foods, especially fast foods, contain large amounts of sodium.

So you say, great I will eat a reduced fat, cholesterol and sodium diet. What does reduced mean? Reduced from what? Just how much of these nutrients can you eat? Here are some general guidelines, but please contact your doctor or dietitian for specific recommendations for your specific situation.

Fat intake should be reduced to or limited to 20-30 percent or less of calorie intake. For example; if you are on an 1800-calorie diet that would be 60 grams total of fat daily with more coming from unsaturated fat (liquid) than saturated fat (solid). It is recommended that cholesterol be limited to less than 300mg daily. Below are the fat and cholesterol contents of common foods to help put 60grams of fat and 300mg of cholesterol into perspective.

Most Americans eat more salt than is needed. In household measures, one level teaspoon provides about 2,300 mg of sodium, which would be a reduced sodium diet for most Americans. The problem is that most Americans are not cooking all of their meals from scratch so to figure the amount of sodium in their diets they need to be informed from food labels. Below is the sodium content of commonly eaten food items in the American diet.

To help with choosing the right types of fats lets go through the basic food groups and compare commonly eaten foods. Dairy foods are often limited in a CKD diet due to their phosphorus content, however those made from skim, low fat, or part-skim milk would be

better choices than those made from whole or 2 percent milk. For example, mozzarella made with part-skim milk would be a better choice than mozzarella made with whole milk and this information is on the food label. Legumes such as kidney and pinto beans are high phosphorus protein choices and not typically recommended for CKD diets. Lean cuts of meat including beef tenderloin, sirloin, lean pork and skinless chicken or turkey are good protein choices for a heart-healthy diet.

Fruits and vegetables are very important staples in any diet, especially CKD diets. Steamed vegetables without the butter and/or sauce or with drizzled olive oil would be great side dishes or even great as a pasta topper. Pastas and rice are good starch choices, it is the sauces that can get you into fat trouble. Top pasta with olive oil and parmesan cheese for an Italian flare dinner, or mix rice with chicken and stir fried green, yellow and red peppers for a Tex-Mex style dinner. Vegetable or broth based soups are preferred over cream based soups in terms of fat, but are difficult to fit into a CKD diet due to sodium content of most prepared soups. If you are willing to make your own reduced

sodium soups choose the vegetable or chicken broth based kinds. Snacks and desserts are also a food group that we enjoy. Baked or reduced fat wheat crackers are great with reduced fat cream cheese mixed with garlic and so is a bowl of homemade popcorn sprinkled with olive oil and parmesan cheese. Fresh fruit can also be a wonderful snack or dessert. Try topping a bowl of strawberries with a tablespoon of low fat cool whip or a teaspoon of brown sugar or cinnamon. Cottage cheese is also available in a low fat, low sodium variety and can be topped with peaches or pineapple for a filling snack or a sweet and healthy dessert.

Just becoming more aware of the type of fats you are choosing and using in your cooking can truly make a difference in your heart health. These diet tips are not necessarily for those with diabetes. Please check with your doctor or dietitian before starting any diet plan.

Jamie is a Registered Dietitian working as a case manager for Renal Care Group MidAmerica. Jamie also has training as an athletic trainer and holds a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology.