Kidney patient info

Dear Editor,

Did you know that there are currently 451 people in need of a kidney transplant in Scotland, whose diet will be restricted due to kidney disease?

It is likely that they will be on fluid restrictions of around just 500ml of liquid a day (including that found in foods like sauces and ice cream).

That’s roughly the equivalent of only being able to have a small cup of tea and one can of soft drink for the whole day.

In addition, they are likely to have to limit the potassium and phosphate in their diet which means missing out on enjoying foods like chocolate, bananas and tomatoes.

Sadly, a lot of the advice given to patients focuses on foods to avoid but we want to make the kidney diet about all the things patients can eat and to bring enjoyment back into food, which is why we’ve launched the Kidney Kitchen.

Research shows that only 50 per cent of the general public in Scotland are aware that kidney disease can restrict your diet, and just 45 per cent are aware that having kidney disease can restrict the amount of liquid you can consume every day.

We hope that the Kidney Kitchen will help raise awareness amongst Advertiser readers, and that everyone living with kidney disease in Scotland can enjoy healthy and delicious food with their family and friends.

All of the recipes have been developed with the support of renal dieticians and each comes with facts to help those cooking and/or eating the food on how the recipes fit into their diet.

If you are a kidney patient, or if you know someone who is, make sure you check out the guide at www. kidneykitchen.org Ewen McLean, Kidney Care UK