Nutrition Blog
October 01, 2026

Make your favourite meals more kidney-friendly | Kidney Nutrition

Simple Swaps for People Living with PKD

If you have polycystic kidney disease (PKD), you may have heard that you need to “make changes to your diet.” But what does that mean?

One common concern among people living with PKD is that they feel they need to give up their favourite foods. Fortunately, this is not true!

There is no single “PKD diet” that everyone needs to follow. Your nutrition needs can change depending on your kidney function, blood pressure, other health conditions, and whether you have additional complications from PKD.

Instead of focusing on taking foods away, think about how to make the foods you already love work better for your kidney health. This can help encourage sustainable diet changes. This might mean making a few ingredient swaps, changing how a meal is prepared, adding more vegetables or choosing a lower-sodium option. And yes – that can include pizza, chicken wings, tacos, nachos, burgers and fries!

What makes a meal more “kidney-friendly”?

For many people with PKD, one of the most important nutrition goals is reducing sodium. The 2025 KDIGO guideline for PKD recommends keeping sodium below 2,000 mg per day. Higher sodium intake has been associated with higher blood pressure and, in observational research, with faster kidney growth and kidney function decline.

But sodium isn't the only consideration. A kidney-friendly meal can also emphasize:

  • More vegetables and fruits
  • Whole grains
  • Plant-based proteins
  • Moderate portions of animal protein
  • Less processed and cured meat
  • Less saturated fat
  • Less added sugar
  • Fewer highly processed foods
  • Flavour from herbs, spices, garlic, lemon and vinegar instead of salt

Let's make over some favourite meals!

You don't need to completely reinvent your meals with PKD. Start with one or two swaps. Here are some ways to make over family favourites.

Pizza Night

Pizza can be high in sodium because of the crust, cheese, processed meats and sauces.

Instead of:

  • Pepperoni or other processed meats
  • Extra cheese
  • Lots of salty toppings like anchovies or olives

Try:

  • Chicken, grilled vegetables or roasted vegetables
  • Mushrooms, peppers, onions or other vegetables you enjoy
  • A moderate amount of low-sodium cheese
  • Lower-sodium pizza sauce (if you are unsure of the sodium amount, aim for light sauce)

Dietitian tip: Load up on vegetable toppings before loading up on cheese. Adding vegetables can make pizza more filling while giving you more fibre and nutrients. You can also pair pizza with a simple salad or vegetable side rather than making the entire meal pizza.

Chicken Wings

Wings can be a sodium bomb when they're deep-fried and coated in salty sauces.

Instead of:

  • Deep-fried wings
  • Salt-heavy seasonings, like dry rubs
  • Commercial sauces used generously

Try:

  • Oven-baked or air-fried wings
  • Homemade spice blends without added salt
  • Garlic, paprika, pepper, onion powder and herbs
  • Lemon or lime juice
  • A small amount of your favourite sauce

Dietitian tip: The goal isn't necessarily to eliminate sauce – it's to use it strategically. Try dipping rather than coating. This gives you plenty of flavour while using less sauce.

Nachos

Nachos don't have to be off the menu! The trick is to make the toppings work harder.

Try a loaded nacho plate with:

  • Unsalted or lower-sodium tortilla or corn chips
  • Beans instead of ground beef
  • Load up on vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, lettuce and tomatoes
  • Instead of making cheese the main ingredient, think of cheese as one topping among many, and aim for a low-sodium cheese
  • Top off with a low-sodium salsa or guacamole

Dietitian tip: You can also make nachos at home and serve them alongside a large salad or vegetable side.

Subs and Sandwiches

Subs and sandwiches can become very high in sodium when they contain processed meats, sauces and cheese.

Try:

  • Roasted chicken or turkey
  • Egg salad
  • Tuna or salmon salad
  • Mashed chickpeas
  • Grilled vegetables
  • Low-sodium cheese

Sauces or condiments and pickled items can contribute significant amounts of sodium.

Try:

Dietitian tip: Add extra vegetables to your sandwich and on the side instead of adding more meat.

The classic “meat and potatoes” dinner

Many families grew up eating some version of steak with potatoes and vegetables. You don't necessarily need to stop eating this type of meal with PKD. Instead, try changing the proportions.

A traditional plate typically has:

  • Large portion of meat
  • Large portion of potatoes
  • Gravy
  • Small portion of vegetables

Instead, try this kidney-friendly version:

  • A moderate portion (aim for the size of your palm) of protein such as chicken or fish instead of red or processed meats
  • A quarter of your plate with potatoes or another whole-grain starch
  • Half your plate with vegetables
  • A small portion of low-sodium gravy

The “Add Before You Subtract” Approach

One sustainable strategy for changing your diet is to add before you subtract. Instead of immediately asking, “What foods do I need to stop eating?” ask, “What can I add to make this meal more balanced?”

For example:

  • Burger: Add lettuce, tomato and onion. Choose a whole grain bun.
  • Pasta: Add vegetables and use a moderate portion of protein.
  • Mac and Cheese: Add vegetables, reduce the amount of cheese, and choose a low-sodium cheese.
  • Fried chicken: Oven-baked or air-fried instead.
  • Breakfast sandwich: Add lettuce, tomato and peppers to the eggs and avoid processed meats.
  • Shepherd’s Pie: Add vegetables, use less animal protein, and add beans.
  • Chili: Add vegetables, use less animal protein, add more beans or try a plant-based protein substitute like texturized vegetable protein.

 

recipe_-_chili.png

Hearty Plant-Based Chili

Serves 8

This hearty chili uses texturized vegetable protein (TVP), a plant-based meat substitute made of soy flour. TVP is a great crumbly product that looks like ground meat. When preparing this chili, you can substitute vegetables with whatever you have in the fridge, like mushrooms, squash, spinach or even corn. Serve this chili with whole grain bread and a side salad for a complete meal.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup texturized vegetable protein (TVP), dry
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 medium stalks celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium carrots, shredded
  • 1 medium zucchini, shredded
  • 2 medium bell peppers, diced
  • 6 oz no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
  • 6 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth
  • 3 TBSP chili powder
  • 2 TBSP smoked paprika
  • 1 TBSP garlic powder
  • 1 TBSP ground cumin
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
  • 14 oz no-salt-added kidney beans, drained
  • 14 oz no-salt-added black beans, drained

Instructions

  1. Rehydrate TVP by covering it with boiling water and letting it sit, or follow package instructions.
  2. In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil.
  3. Add onion, celery, garlic, and carrot. Cook, stirring often for 5 minutes or until soft.
  4. Add zucchini and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often for 5 minutes or until soft.
  5. Add crushed tomatoes and broth.
  6. Stir in chili powder, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
  7. Add beans and TVP. Add more broth if needed.
  8. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

Per serving: 200 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 563 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrates, 9 g fibre, 12 g protein, 738 mg potassium, 207 mg phosphorus.

Your kidney-friendly meal doesn't have to look like “health food”

One of the biggest misconceptions about kidney nutrition is that every meal needs to look like grilled chicken, steamed vegetables and brown rice. It doesn't. Healthy eating can look like:

  • Pizza night
  • Taco Tuesday
  • Chicken wings
  • A great sandwich

The goal is to find ways to make these meals fit your individual nutrition needs. If you are looking for practical ideas, the Love Your Kidneys I and Love Your Kidneys II cookbooks are a great start for PKD recipes.

About the Author

Emily Campbell, RD, CDE, MScFN, is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with a master’s degree in foods and nutrition. Emily specializes in helping people with kidney disease navigate the often confusing world of nutrition to support better health. Emily can be found at kidneynutrition.ca.

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