potluck ideas: kidney failure edition

July 10, 2019 10:26 AM

I have a friend who is on a very restrictive diet due to kidney failure. We've also been going to a weekly "acquaintances" potluck regularly, where her disease status isn't well known. I'd like to have some recipes for things I can make to bring to these potlucks that are a) fairly easy to put together (even if they require some prep work), and b) aren't clearly a "this is for someone with kidney failure!".

Her list of things she can eat (in moderation) are:

white carbs (rice or pasta, no potatoes)

cauliflower/broccoli/eggplant/some veggies (no kale/spinach/tomatoes)

cream cheese (no other dairy)

very limited amount of summer fruits

egg

rice vinegar

She can't have beans/lentils/nuts or anything that's a "good source of potassium or phosphorus". Highly processed foods are out, too.

For this week I'm doing a simple raw cauliflower/broccoli salad with a homemade mayo dressing, but that's pretty much all I've thought of so far.

(And yes, I'll make sure that everything I make is on the approved list before I make & bring it).

posted by wearyaswater to Food & Drink (13 answers total)

Egg and rice make me think of katsudon - take a look at this and see about substituting something else for the pork cutlet (if meat is off the table) or just skipping that bit entirely.
posted by jquinby at 10:39 AM on July 10, 2019

Best answer: When my kidneys failed I ate a lot of watermelon. I wasn't on a fluid restriction but you may want to check about that. Is she protein-restricted, or just potassium and phosphorous? Sodium restriction?

Pasta salad also works pretty well with your list. Rice casseroles are also good. DaVita has some cookbooks amd recipes online, and the I Hate Dialysis forums are also full of great information (and it's not a negative group of people, despite the name). I can't link directly to it, but there is a sub forum just for diet and nutrition there. Different people have different restrictions in kidney disease based on both the norms of their healthcare team and the specific presentation of their kidney failure, so unfortunately you will have to weed through the recipes to find appropriate stuff.

Thanks for doing this. Public events with food were always really hard, and your friend is lucky to have you.
posted by sockermom at 10:41 AM on July 10, 2019 [10 favorites]

Best answer: You would need some kind of oil too, I think, but when I have leftover rice I love to fry it up with egg and broccoli. I'd normally add soy sauce and hot sauce but it's still good without.
posted by fritley at 10:55 AM on July 10, 2019 [2 favorites]

If your friend is allowed to have a little sugar also, you could try a summer pudding. Bonus, it's crazy easy to make! I think if you find fruits that are sweet enough already you could really reduce the amount of added sugar, too, but I find it needs a little to help the berries set a bit.
posted by DSime at 11:03 AM on July 10, 2019

Best answer: Sushi rolls. Nori wrapped around rice and whatever veggies are ok.
posted by ToddBurson at 11:10 AM on July 10, 2019

I think you could make a nice frittata with eggs, water, some dollops of cream cheese (or blended in with the egg), and whatever veggies she can have.

Here’s a dairy free frittata recipe - you can use the base recipe for number of eggs, amount of water, temperature, etc., but just add cream cheese and sub the right veggies. Frittatas are pretty forgiving.
posted by bananacabana at 12:02 PM on July 10, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Yeah I was going to say frittata, but bulked up deliciously with rice. Basically a rice and broccoli casserole, held together in an egg+cream cheese base -- but only if she's allowed to eat salt, as it would need to be fairly well seasoned to be tasty.

Now if you don't mind heating up the house, cauliflower and broccoli are both excellent long + hot roasted (again, well salted), and if you bring a big bowl of roasted veggies to a party that's otherwise full of junk food, be prepared for it to disappear quickly. People grab it.
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:36 PM on July 10, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Roasted zucchini slices with basil sauteed in olive oil and pepper.
Cucumbers and rice vinegar, with a sprinkle of dill.
Celery sticks and cream cheese. The cream cheese can have minimal but, smoked paprika, microwave (20 seconds) sauteed, garlic and onion rolled in olive oil.
White cake sponge cake OK with cream cheese frosting.
Low salt chicken salad with grapes cut up and cucumber etc. That means less mayo, but not by much, and a little sour cream.
Watermelon triangles they can have a cup and a half.
They can have a half an ear of corn
Green beans
posted by Oyéah at 1:43 PM on July 10, 2019

Best answer: Can the cauliflower be roasted with oil and, preferably, chili powder? other herbs work, too, and I often use Tabasco to make a sort of Buffalo Roasted Cauliflower. Roasted cauliflower is really good.
posted by theora55 at 2:44 PM on July 10, 2019 [3 favorites]

Best answer: If it’s the kind of thing where people are grilling, you could bring cauliflower steaks to go on the grill. (There are a ton of recipes, this is one with fewer ingredients, adapt as necessary.)
posted by Weeping_angel at 3:18 PM on July 10, 2019

Best answer: angel food cake with strawberries

steamed broccoli with rice vinegar served with rice

plain bagels with cream cheese

bagel sandwich: cream cheese + broccoli

broccoli + egg noodles
posted by amtho at 3:22 PM on July 10, 2019

Best answer: I think you could probably do a delicious variation on smitten kitchen's broccoli pasta that substituted cream cheese for the cream, and varied the seasoning in any other necessary ways.
posted by dizziest at 4:11 PM on July 10, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Cucumber cream cheese sandwiches.
posted by ToddBurson at 8:49 PM on July 10, 2019 [2 favorites]