Kidney transplant
Why is it necessary for me to adjust my eating habits following a kidney transplant?
Many of the food restrictions you had while on dialysis are no longer necessary after a kidney donation.
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For a variety of reasons, including the ability to consume most of your favorite foods again, some people gain weight after a transplant. Maintaining a healthy weight is critical for the long-term health of your transplanted kidney.​
What should I eat after a kidney transplant to stay healthy?
Your transplant center's care staff can suggest a kidney-friendly diet and fluid regimen for you.
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Generally speaking, you should:
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Choose non-processed foods to avoid added sodium and sugar
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Drink at least 64 ounces of water every day
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Follow safe food habits to avoid foodborne illnesses
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The most important thing you can do to maintain your new kidney healthy is to take your immunosuppressive medications on a daily basis, as advised by your doctor. Immunosuppressive medications suppress your immune system so that your body does not reject your kidney transplant. Food poisoning and other foodborne infections are more likely to occur if your immune system is compromised. To avoid being ill, it is critical to follow safe dietary practices.
Food safety post-transplant
Tips for practicing food safety:
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Before touching any food item, and after handling meat, poultry, or fish, wash your hands for 20 seconds.
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To verify that your foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature, use a food thermometer:
- Whole cuts of meat: 145°F
- Fish: 145°F
- Pork: 145°F
- Ground meat: 160°F
- Eggs: 160°F
- Poultry: 165° F
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While washing your fruits and veggies under running water, rub the skins of all of them firmly.
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Unpasteurized foods and beverages should not be consumed (this is especially important when purchasing dairy, juice, or ciders)
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Use cutting boards that can be put in the dishwasher or that can be soaked and cleaned in hot, soapy water (no wood cutting boards)
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Prepare each type of food on a separate cutting board:
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Raw meats, poultry, or fish
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Cooked meats, poultry, or fish
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Fruits and vegetables
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Sodium(salt)
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The amount of sodium—one of two electrolytes found in salt—in foods can be found on the nutrition label. Many people experience high blood pressure or fluid retention after a kidney transplant, which occurs when the body retains too much fluid. Because some of the medications you take after a transplant might elevate your salt levels and induce fluid buildup, it's important to keep your sodium intake to a minimum.
The amount of salt present naturally in foods is sufficient to maintain a healthy level in your body, but sodium is often added to many processed foods, restaurant dishes, and even home-cooked meals. This can result in you ingesting too much salt and accumulating too much sodium in your body.
The amount of salt you should consume is determined by your kidney disease stage and function. In general, a healthy amount of salt per day is 2,300 mg or less. This is approximately 1 teaspoon of salt every day.
Sodium is typically added to these meals and drinks (unless they are labeled as low-salt or low-sodium):
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Soda and sports drinks
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Ice Cream
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Frozen dinners and snacks
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Fast food and food from restaurants
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Packaged snacks (chips, pretzels, nuts, etc.)
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Bakery items (bread, bagels, pies, cakes, etc.)
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Condiments (ketchup, salad dressings, hot sauce, soy sauce, etc.)
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Canned and jarred foods (tomatoes, beans, corn, pickles, etc.)
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Seasonings and spices with salt (garlic salt, celery salt, seasoned salt, taco seasoning, seafood seasoning, etc.)
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Tips to avoid added sodium
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Avoid salt replacements labeled "NuSalt" or "No-Salt" since they contain potassium and may cause your potassium levels to rise dangerously high.
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Choose canned and jarred products with the phrase "no salt added" on the label.
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Choose snacks that don't include any salt (unsalted or no-salt pretzels, etc.) To control the quantity of salt in your food, prepare and cook your meals from scratch using one of our kidney-friendly recipes.
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Instead of salt, use fresh or dried herbs and spices to enhance the flavor of your dishes.
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Instead of sports drinks or soda, drink water.
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If you're eating out, request that your dish be cooked without any salt.
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Anything that changes to liquid at normal temperature is referred to as a fluid. After a kidney transplant, you should drink roughly 64 ounces of liquids each day. Your requirements may differ. Inquire with your transplant clinic about how much fluid you should drink on a daily basis.
Fluid
Sugar
Excess sugar consumption can result in unwanted weight gain and diabetes, which is the leading cause of kidney disease. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that can be found in a variety of meals, including fruits, starchy vegetables, and dairy.
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Sugar is a substance made from sugar cane or sugar beets that has been refined or processed. Refined or processed sugar is used to sweeten processed foods and beverages. If you have diabetes, your blood sugar levels may rise as a result of the rapid digestion of refined and processed sugar. Blood sugar levels that are too high can aggravate renal disease.
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Fruit, which contains natural sugar, is a healthy alternative to sweets such as cookies, cakes, and candies. Fruit contains natural sugars to sweeten it as well as fiber to keep you full.
Avoid or limit foods with these ingredients
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Agave
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Barley malt
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Beet sugar
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Brown rice syrup
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Cane juice
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Cane sugar
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Honey
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Caramel
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Coconut sugar
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Corn syrup
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Fructose syrup
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Glucose syrup
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Maltodextrin
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Pure maple syrup
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Raw sugar
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Rice sugar
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High fructose corn syrup