TIP #2 – Must-have tools for “Nutrient Restriction” in a Kidney Kitchen

Applying Nutrient Restriction for daily intake of Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Protein & Fat in your food is the cornerstone of a Renal Diet Plan. Renal Dietitians are trained to help kidney patients identify which nutrients to restrict or increase in their daily diets, and by how much, based on our individual kidney health status. This means you will need to adjust your food & condiment portions to remain within your daily nutrient allowance.

However, these lists often mention vague quantities such as “1 Cup” or “2 Teaspoons” or “1/2 Tablespoon”.

So, when it comes to incorporating these revised nutrient allowances in our daily Renal Diet, we often find ourselves in the midst of a very practical problem. Look around your kitchen and you will probably find your kitchen shelves lined with Cups, Spoons & Ladles of various shapes & sizes!

Which one size is the right fit after all?!

Secondly, even if lists from your renal dietitian mention precise quantities such as 150 mL or 100 grams, how do you really “measure” your ingredients?!

With these “implementation” issues in place, before you even know it, your mind tends to give up on your resolve to follow your dietitian’s advice “to the tee”. Overall, it only ends up being a hostile decision for your kidneys.

Wouldn’t it just be easier to have a Separate Set of kitchen equipment just for you so that you don’t remain vague about your nutrient intake while cooking at home?

We recommend you take a look at the equipment listed below to help your cause!

PRO-TIP: You may already have some of these items available in your kitchen especially if you bake, but maintaining a separate set of these solely for your use ensures stricter hygiene standards.”

 

1. Measuring spoon-set

What to consider when buying this item?

  • Utility: The more the number of “measurements” in the spoon-set, the better. A good range would include spoon-sizes of 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) to 1 tablespoon (15 mL).
  • Material: Something that would not “leach-out” over time. Avoid plastic, silicone or Teflon. Prefer Stainless Steel.

Product recommendations:



 

2. Measuring (Graduated) Cups

What to consider when buying this item

  • Accuracy: Go for 1 “graduated”, transparent cup with visible markings. Avoid approximate cup sizes with no indicated measurements.
  • Precision: Precision means how small of a quantity, the cup can measure accurately. Standard measuring cups can precisely measure quantities as low as 1/4 cup (around 60 mL). For quantities, lower than that, use a measuring spoon set
  • Range: The greater, the better. Standard range goes from 1/4 cup to 2 cups.
  • Material: Borosilicate glass or laboratory-grade Pyrex glass are the best options. Avoid plastic or silicone. Stainless steel is a great material, but because it isn’t see-through, it scores less from the Utility point-of-view.
  • Temperature Resistance: Microwave and Freezer-safe materials are the best. However, please still avoid applying sudden temperature variations to improve durability. Eg: Avoid heating a measuring cup over a stove or in the microwave right after taking it out of the refrigerator.
  • Ease of Cleaning: Materials such as Borosilicate glass, Pyrex glassware and Stainless steel are dishwasher-safe and do not leach out with dishwashing liquid detergents either.

Product recommendations below:



 

3. Thick-bottomed stainless-steel pan for Leaching

Restricting Sodium & Potassium intake forms an integral part of a kidney-friendly diet plan. So, in addition to being precise with cooking ingredients, your medical team would also recommend “Leaching” the high Sodium & Potassium vegetables (and sometimes meat) before cooking.

Leaching All Things Kidney

Leaching requires you to use a thick-bottomed pan without a lid. Now, most of you already have these utensils in the kitchen. But just in case you live away from your family and have not had the opportunity to stock up your kitchen inventory with one of these versatile pans, get one now.

We recommend using stainless steel pans for your Kidney-friendly Kitchen. Steel is well-suited for this purpose because steel is both relatively inexpensive & “chemically safe” with boiling water despite prolonged use.

What to consider when buying this item?

  • Material: Always choose a material that is less likely to “leach-out” into the food/water being cooked in it. Stainless Steel and Borosilicate Glass are good choices. Steer clear of pans lined with Teflon, Silicone, Cast iron or Copper for the purpose of leaching food.
  • Durability: Thickness of the base is an important consideration from the Durability point-of-view. A 5 millimetres (or 0.5 centimetres) thick base is a good reference standard.

To make your job easier, we’ve listed below some viable options below:



 

Nutrient Restriction Tip 1 back pointer all things kidney                                        Nutrient Restriction Tip 3 Forward pointer all things kidney

 

Page Divider Kidney friendly kitchen

 

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