READ FOOD LABELS If you need to limit to find the best choice for your diet USE HEALTHY TIPS to shop, plan, and prepare meals with less protein Serving Size tells you what a single portion is. For soups At home protein Servings Per Container • Use lower-protein foods such as rice and pasta to add For main dishes lists how many portions per bulk to a soup. • Use vegetables and and low protein foods as your container. • Use low-protein milk substitutes when making main dish; use lean meats or other high-value protein % Daily Value is based on cream soups. as your side dish. a 2,000 calorie daily diet. • Try kebabs. Use smaller pieces of meat with more What is protein? This number helps you know For sandwiches vegetables or fruits. Protein is a nutrient that helps build muscle, repair if a food is high or low in • Fill sandwiches with lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, tissue, and fight infection a nutrient, even if you eat cucumber, chopped celery, apple, parsley or water • Prepare dishes with small pieces of meat, such more than 2,000 calories. chestnuts. Use breads that are low in protein. as chicken, mixed in with rice or pasta. Chicken Why limit protein? • Use breads that are low in protein and that are more or shrimp with rice or ground meat with pasta For people with early kidney disease, eating less thickly sliced. Or try more flavorful breads (such as works well. protein may help to: sourdough or rye bread). • For casseroles, use smaller amounts of meat than the recipe calls for, and increase the starch (rice • prevent wastes from building up in the blood Protein is listed per serving. At restaurants or pasta). Use only low-sodium soups in casse- • keeps kidneys working longer role recipes. • Share a main course with a dining companion or How much protein is okay to eat? Ingredients are listed in bring half home. • Allow extra portions or larger servings of bread, Your healthcare professional recommends eating order of weight, with the rolls, pasta and rice to help meet your calorie needs • Substitute a high-protein appetizer as your less than: item of the most weight without increasing your protein intake by much. listed first. main course. For a stronger cheese taste with a smaller amount • Remember, dishes prepared with milk, nuts, or eggs • ___________________________g per day of cheese, buy sharp cheddar, Parmesan or Romano contain additional protein. cheese and sprinkle lightly. This resource was made possible by the generous support of Each 7 grams of protein= 1 oz of meat, poultry or fish. • Vegetarian dishes containing dried beans or lentils • You can buy or make grain products such as bread Flavis, a line of low protein specialty foods made for people with are high in protein. chronic kidney disease, including pastas, breads, and cookies. and pasta that are even lower in protein than regular Learn more at Flavis.com • Choose restaurants best suited to your diet or where versions. These foods allow you to add more calories food is made to order. Explain that you are following a and variety to your diet. special diet which needs to be low in protein and salt. Ask about the menu and how their food is prepared. Many restaurants have websites with menus posted. PARTNERS IN EDUCATION © 2019 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. 11-10-0413_BBJ HIGH-PROTEIN FOODS LOW-PROTEIN FOODS COMMON SERVING SIZES FOOD GROUP SERVING SIZE FOOD GROUP SERVING SIZE Meat, fish, and poultry Fruits Red meats Fruits Meats, fish, poultry 1 oz cooked Fresh 1 small or 1/2 large Dairy Canned or frozen fruit 1/2 cup Milk or milk substitute 4 oz or 1/2 cup Juices 4 oz or 1/2 cup Egg 1 egg or 1/4 cup egg Berries 1/2 cup Poultry (chicken and turkey) substitute Grapes, cherries 12 Cheese 1 oz Dried fruit 1/4 cup Vegetables Grains Fats and oils Cooked pasta, rice 1/3 cup Oils, margarine 1 teaspoon Fish and other seafood Cereal, cooked 1/2 cup Mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Cereal, ready-to-eat 1 cup Salad dressing 2 tablespoons Bread 1 slice Sweets Grains (not whole grains) Hamburger bun 1/2 bun Eggs Cookies 1 cookie Vegetables Ice cream, sorbet, gelatin 1/2 cup Cooked 1/2 cup Cake, 2 x 2 inches 1 piece Raw 1 medium or 1 cup cut up Fruit pie 1/6 of 8-inch pie Juices 4 oz or 1/2 cup Milk and cheese Sugar, jelly, jam 1 tablespoon Cereals Dietitians who specialize in kidney disease can tell you Nuts, seeds, and legumes how many servings from each food group you should Nuts 1/4 cup or 1 oz have at each meal. Depending on your diet prescription and preferences, you may be able to eat more than one. Seeds 2 tablespoons Beans, legumes, nuts Always check with your healthcare professional and Cooked legumes, 1/2 cup and soy beans, peas *You can buy or make grain products such as bread and pasta that are even dietitian before making changes to your eating plan. lower in protein than regular versions. These foods can add more calories Peanut butter 2 tablespoons and variety to your diet..