Here is a link to the recalled shell egg brands: http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/WhatsNewinFood/ucm223536.htm

Kidney patients are at higher risk for more severe illness if contaminated foods are consumed.  If you have purchased contaminated eggs return them for a refund.

Try a pasteurized egg substitute such as low cholesterol egg product instead of fresh eggs for safety. Since these products are pasteurized they are safe from salmonella contamination.

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If you live in California, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin or Iowa you could be at risk for salmonella from fresh eggs. The brands of concern are being recalled and include Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps. Eggs are packed in varying sizes of cartons (6-egg cartons, dozen egg cartons, 18-egg cartons) with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 225 and plant numbers 1026, 1413 and 1946. Dates and codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton. The plant number begins with the letter P and then the number. The Julian date follows the plant number, for example: P-1946 223.

If you have kidney disease, and especially if you are on dialysis you have a greater risk of getting sick from consumption of contaminated foods. Children and older people are also at higher risk.

You can read more details about this recall at the US Food and Drug Administration website http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm222501.htm

Sometimes I look at the label on a food after eating it and discover the sodium content is much higher than expected. The lesson learned is to read the label before eating or better yet, before buying foods.

But why is it that some foods that are really high in sodium don’t taste salty? For example, many people get a surprising amount of sodium from the bread products. One slice (1 oz) of white bread averages 150 mg sodium. A couple slices of toast at breakfast, a sandwich at lunch and a couple of dinner rolls easily adds up to 900 mg of sodium. A bakery size bagel and submarine sandwich roll provide 1170 mg sodium—before anything is added!

According to a Medscape article titled “Halt the Salt”, Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, MD notes that most of the sodium we consume, up to 75%, comes from processed foods and restaurant foods. From the remaining 11% we get only 6% from salt added at the table and 5% from salt added in cooking.

So why is there so much sodium in processed and restaurant foods? It’s because sodium-containing additives in addition to salt are added to enhance flavor. Additionally sodium is used as a preservative, a thickener, a stabilizer, an ingredient binder and to enhance texture and color. It can enhance sweetness in cookies and cakes and disguise metallic taste in soft drinks.

Salt is an acquired taste so the more salt or sodium you eat the more you will want to make your food taste good. When you reduce your sodium intake for several weeks you will discover some of the foods you usually eat taste too salty. That’s because your taste buds easily adapt to a lower sodium diet.

If you have high blood pressure or chronic kidney disease (CKD) reduce your sodium intake to help protect your kidneys. Your heart and brain will also benefit because reducing sodium lowers risk of stroke and heart attack.

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The US is experiencing rising levels of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Attempts to control these diseases, which are even affecting children and teenagers, are now turning to food legislation and the food industry. Just last week the Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act, also referred to as the Child Nutrition Act, was passed by the US senate as an effort to provide healthier school meals to help control obesity in children. Limits on the types of beverages and vending machine snacks in schools will follow. More attention to fat, sugar and sodium in the food supply could make a difference in the health of many people.

For those with chronic kidney disease this new focus on legislation and the food industry will bring some interesting changes. Already there is a major commitment by the food industry to reduce sodium in processed foods. While the recommended sodium goal is 2300 mg or less per day, the average American intake is over 4000 mg a day with 70 to 80 % from processed and packaged foods and restaurant/fast foods. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has proposed lowering the limit to 1500 mg a day. Most people with CKD are already restricting sodium to 2000 mg or lower.

At my local market I am noticing more reduced and low sodium foods. What exactly do sodium claims on the food label mean?

• Sodium free equals 5 mg sodium or less per serving as defined on the label
• Very low sodium equals 35 mg sodium or less per serving
• Low sodium equals 140 mg sodium or less per serving
• Reduced or less sodium equals at least 25% less sodium per serving as defined on the label than the food to which it is being compared.

You can read labels and select those foods that are lower in sodium, fat and sugar as a way of improving your own diet and health. For people with kidney disease a lower sodium diet will help with managing blood pressure, fluid balance and thirst.

Stay tuned for more updates about how changes in the food industry are impacting people with high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease or those on dialysis.

Quince is a pear shaped, golden yellow fruit related to the pear and apple fruit family. Unlike it’s cousin fruits, the quince is very tannic and bitter when eaten raw, so most recipes call for cooking the fruit. When sugar is added the cooked quince turns crimson red and develops a flavor described as a combination of rose, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom. Some popular quince recipes include quince baked or poached with sugar, quince added to stewed or slow cooked meat dishes, quince tarts, preserves and a spreadable paste known as membrillo.

In the US, quince is available in the fall. You can find it at farmer’s markets, large supermarkets and specialty and ethnic stores. Turkey is the world’s largest quince producer/exporter.

Nutritionally, a medium quince has around 75 calories and 14 grams of carbohydrate. With only 181 mg potassium, 16 mg phosphorus and 4 mg sodium, quince is a great fruit choice for a kidney diet.

Treat yourself to a new taste experience! Look for the raw fruit to cook or shop for quince paste or jelly.

Here’s an easy recipe for Baked Quince: 

Portions:  8           

Serving size:  1/2 quince

Ingredients

• 4 medium quinces
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups water
• 2-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Peel the fruit, cut in half and remove seeds. Place in a baking dish.
3. Pour sugar over quince halves and dot each piece with butter.
4. Add water and bake for 1 hour.
5. Serve each quince half with a spoonful of whipped topping.

Nutrients

152 calories, 0 protein, 30 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium, 93 mg potassium, 9 mg phosphorus, 9 mg calcium, 0.8 g fiber

Visit DaVita.com to discover more kidney-friendly fruit recipes. Some of  my favorites include:

• Apples Baked in Cider
• Blueberry Peach Crisp
• Creamy Grape Salad
• Peach Cobbler
• Traverse City Cherry Crisp
• Zingy Spiced Pears

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Got milk? Americans are familiar with the milk ad campaign that shows up on television and in magazines. Celebrities sport a milk mustache that  promotes health benefits of drinking milk. For people with kidney disease on dialysis, milk restriction is advised. Milk is high in potassium, phosphorus and calcium-some of the nutrients that become out of balance when the kidneys are no longer working. Milk is often limited by chronic kidney disease patients who are on a lower protein diet. Read more…

Today I received a question about the best cereals for a person in stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) to eat. Instead of sending my answer to only one person I thought I would share it with all of you as well.

Some good hot cereal choices include cream of wheat, Malt-o-Meal, grits, and even oatmeal a few times a week. (Stick with the cook and serve cereals instead of the higher sodium instant ones.) Many diet guides place oatmeal in the limit or avoid list because it does contain more phosphorus than the other hot cereals listed.

For ready-to-eat cereals look on the Nutrition Facts label and select the brands lowest in sodium and phosphorus. Lower sodium choices help with blood pressure control. Many cereals give the % Daily Value for phosphorus rather than milligrams. Try to go with those containing 10% DV or less. In general, cereals with added nuts or whole grain tend to have higher amounts of phosphorus.

Read more…

Can too much of a water soluble vitamin really be bad for your kidneys? I first ran across an article “B Vitamins Harm Kidneys” in the June issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter (http://www.cspinet.org/). According to the article about a Canadian research study, 238 diabetics with early stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) took a high dose folic acid, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 pill or a placebo. After three years the study revealed a greater decrease in kidney function and heart attack or stroke in the participants receiving the B vitamin. Read more…

One of the biggest helpers with learning about and following a kidney diet is a good kidney diet cookbook. Several years ago I posted the National Kidney Foundation kidney cookbook list for you to use as a guide. 

Here’s a link to the latest version: http://www.kidney.org/professionals/CRN/cookbooks.cfm. I also want to tell you about some of the recipe books for dialysis and chronic kidney patients that I have in my collection.

At the top of my list is my own renal cookbook called Read more…

Pineapple is a symbol of friendship and hospitality as well as a sense of welcome, good cheer, warmth and family affection. It’s also a great fruit choice for the kidney diet. The DaVita Dietitian team admires the pineapple so much they chose it for their logo to go with their motto “Improving Nutrition Together”.

Pineapple fits a low potassium diet plan with 125 mg potassium for 1/2 cup frozen or canned (chunks or crushed), 2 rings or 3/4 cup fresh. Read more…