Author: T.Wright

Nutrition and Dietetic Department
Low potassium and phosphate
meal ideas

This booklet provides ideas for meals, drinks and snacks that you can have when following a low potassium and low
phosphate diet.
Other diets are not considered in this booklet. For example, if you follow a diet for diabetes as well as a low potassium and low phosphate diet then you may need to be cautious with some of these meal suggestions as they may be higher in sugar.
General guidelines
Your recommended milk intake is 300 ml (1/2 a pint) a day
If you are likely to use more than 300 ml of milk a day then to save on your milk allowance mix 30ml of double cream with water to make a milk substitute to use with
cereals or drinks
A small pot of yogurt can be eaten in place of 200 ml (1/3 pint) milk from your milk allowance
Limit hard cheese to no more than 4 × 30 g (4 oz.) portions a week. 30 g (1 oz.) of cheese is the size of a small matchbox.
Maximum 3-4 eggs per week
No more than 3 portions of fruit a day and no more than 3 portions of vegetables or salad a day avoiding those that are very high in potassium
Maximum of 1 cup of coffee a day (except camp coffee which can be drank more freely)
Avoid fruit juice
Avoid soups and casseroles

Breakfast suggestions
Breakfast cereals
Cornflakes
Rice Krispies
Weetabix
Shredded Wheat
Porridge
Cheerio's
Frosties
Oatibix
Oatflakes
Other starchy foods
Toast
Crumpet
Teacake
Scone
Hot cross bun
Pikelet
Croissant (non chocolate)
Muffin
Waffles (non potato)
Have with:
Jam
Marmalade
Honey
Margarine
Butter
Golden syrup
Cooked breakfast (once a week)
Omelette with ham
Maximum 2 eggs (scrambled, poached, boiled) with toast
or
1 sausage
2 rashers of bacon
1/4 tin of baked beans
Fried bread

Small meal suggestions
Sandwiches
Any bread or crackers
Thin sliced ham with a pineapple ring
Hard boiled egg (as part of egg allowance) (no mayonnaise)
Spreadable cheese with cress
Cream cheese
Brie and 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce
Camembert
Corned beef
Sliced beef with mustard or horseradish sauce
Tuna (no mayonnaise) with cucumber
Salmon (no mayonnaise)
Sliced pork with apple sauce
Sliced turkey with cranberry sauce
Margarine
Butter
Grilled chicken with olive oil dressing

Small hot meals
2 Crumpets with butter or margarine
Spaghetti hoops (1/2 tin) on toast
Scrambled, poached or boiled egg on toast
Omelette with 1/4 onion, chicken or ham, chives or thyme
Salad
Only choose a maximum of 3-4 of these items as a meal and remember to include as part of your vegetable allowance.
1 plum sized tomato
Cucumber
Lettuce (any)
Carrot
Olives
Cress
Watercress
Beetroot (less than 50g)
1 stick of celery (if you choose not to have the tomato)
1 heaped tablespoon of chickpeas
1 tablespoon of coleslaw
1 green pepper (if you choose not to have the tomato or celery)
Have your salad items with:
Boiled potatoes with mint or parsley
Pasta
Rice
Couscous
Quinoa
French stick
Rustic rolls

Main meal suggestions
Meat and fish can be roasted, fried, boiled, poached or microwaved. Smoked food (e.g. smoked salmon) has a higher salt content. 100g or 4oz is a portion (this is roughly the size of the palm of your hand)
Chicken Turkey
Ham Pork
Beef Lamb
Cod Haddock
Sea Bream Sea Bass
Trout
Tuna
Make into:
Stir fry
Pie
Lasagne
Bolognaise
Shepherds Pie

Vegetables
All vegetables should be boiled and not steamed or microwaved. Once boiled they can then be stir fried or roasted if desired.
The maximum number of servings you should eat per day is 3.
One serving = 80 g (1 heaped serving spoon)
Starchy carbohydrates
Boiled potatoes
Parboiled, then roasted potatoes
Parboiled then chipped fried/oven baked chips
Mashed potatoes with chives or spring onion
Rice
Couscous
Pasta
Spaghetti
Avoid ‘instant’ mash and frozen potato products.
Sauces
Use drained, tinned tomatoes in curries or bolognaise.
If using a cooking sauce made with tomatoes or cheese only use half the jar and add extra water.

Desserts
Apple crumble
Cherry pie
Jam tart
Drained tinned fruit
Strawberry mousse
Jelly
Sponge cake
Iced bun
Plum crumble
1 scoop of ice cream
Meringue
Marshmallow
Yoghurt
Snack suggestions
Iced bun
Teacake with butter or margarine
Scone with jam
Plain biscuits such as rich tea, nice, ginger biscuits, plain hobnob (the more you have the higher the phosphate content)
Shortbread
Wotsits
Doritos
Quavers
6 macadamia nuts
3 chestnuts
Crumpet/pikelet
Boiled sweets

Drinks
Cup of tea
Flavoured water
Sparkling water
Lemonade
Tango
7Up
Herbal tea
Fruit squash (not fruit juice)
Brandy
Whisky
Fruit
The maximum number of servings you should eat per day is 3.
One serving = 80 g or about a handful
Examples include:
One serving spoon of tinned fruit (juice/syrup drained)
One small apple or small pear
One Clementine, plum or peach
One slice of pineapple
Handful of cherries, strawberries or grapes
Starfruit can cause dangerous side effects in people with kidney problems therefore it is recommended
that you avoid this

Phosphate binders
If you have been prescribed a phosphate binder by your doctor then it is important that you take it at meal times. Speak to your Dietitian to find out if it should be taken before, during or at the end of your meal. The timing of the phosphate binder is
important as it affects how well it works.
Salt
Please remember that it is important to try and eat less salt in
addition to the potassium and phosphate dietary restrictions.
Always avoid Lo-Salt as this contains potassium.
Fluid
Some people also need to follow a fluid restriction which means you may need to limit how much you drink. If you have any questions on this then speak to your nurse or Dietitian.

Notes
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Contact information
Name:
If you have any queries or problems, please phone: / Tel: Ext:

Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Gayton Road
King’s Lynn
PE30 4ET
Tel: 01553 613507
February 2018

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