Oatmeal recipe for the renal diet

Oatmeal is a great renal diet breakfast food for people with Chronic Kidney Disease. Building a healthy bowl of oatmeal is quick, simple, and can fit both a renal and diabetes diet! There are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding oatmeal and kidney disease…

Read on to discover what you need to know about oatmeal and kidney disease! If you prefer video, watch and learn below!

Is oatmeal high in potassium?

Oatmeal alone is not high in potassium. A standard serving usually ranges from ¼ cup to 1/2 cup of dry oats. The potassium in this amount of oats is 70-140 milligrams which is actually considered low in potassium! (1)

Of course, we shouldn’t just eat oatmeal alone. We want to add flavor, fiber, protein, and fruit or veggies to make it negative PRAL!

While these ingredients will all add potassium to the oatmeal, it can still easily remain a low potassium meal if you choose lower potassium ingredients. Or limit the portion of higher potassium ingredients.

In my recipe below, I use ½ of a medium banana. Yes, bananas are high in potassium. But this portion is a controlled amount of potassium. It allows you to enjoy the taste of banana without overdoing the potassium (remember not everyone with CKD should be on a low potassium diet)!

What about the phosphorus in oatmeal?

People with kidney disease are sometimes told to avoid oatmeal because it is high in phosphorus. Oats are a good source of phosphorus.  ¼-1/2 cup of dry oats is 79-158 mg phosphorus (2).

Remember though that only ~50% or less of the phosphorus from whole plant foods is actually absorbed. So you will only absorb ~40-80 mg of the phosphorus in oats! Learn more about phosphorus absorption here.

The phosphorus that you want to avoid in oats is phosphorus additives! Many instant packet oatmeals contain phosphorus additives. Check the label and ingredient list. Look for anything with “PHOS” in the ingredient list and avoid that oatmeal product.

Is oatmeal okay for someone with Diabetes?

Oatmeal is a great kidney protective and diabetes friendly breakfast option! I will come back to my point that I mentioned earlier…you don’t want to eat just oats plain. Oats alone won’t provide enough plant protein, fiber, or healthy fat that helps to prevent blood sugar spikes.

We want to add healthy fats, fiber, and plant protein to the oats and limit/avoid added sugar to lower the carb to fiber ratio. The ideal carb to fiber ratio is 5 grams carb for every 1 gram of fiber (5:1)–or less!

While my oatmeal recipe below is 67 grams of total carbohydrate, it provides 16 grams of fiber. This is more fiber than most Americans consume in a day! The carb to fiber ratio of the recipe is roughly 4:1.

This ratio helps people with Diabetes eat oatmeal and prevent blood sugar spikes! You can always use 1/4 cup dry oats instead of 1/3 cup to lower the total carb content. In addition, you can omit the banana and do other berries (like strawberries) which are lower in sugar and higher in fiber than banana.

So what’s in this renal diet oatmeal?

Just 6 simple, yet customizable ingredients!

Dry oats, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, cinnamon, frozen blueberries, and banana. Oh and water! 🙂

Adjust the recipe to meet your needs

Since everyone with kidney disease has different needs, you may want to make some adjustments to this recipe.

1. More protein: If you are on dialysis or have higher protein needs, you may need to add more protein to this meal. You can add hemp seeds, Greek yogurt, protein powder, soy milk, or nut butter.
2. More calories: Try adding a nut butter, larger portion of flaxseeds, canned coconut milk, coconut shreds, or walnuts/pecans for more calories. You could also increase the portion of oats or fruit to add more calories.
3. Different fruit: Other delicious fruit options for oatmeal may include apples, strawberries, pears, or peaches.
4. Swap veggies for fruit: Savory oatmeal is delicious! You can make this recipe with leafy greens and sauteed onion, garlic and veggies of choice. If you do this, I would leave the cinnamon out and add savory spices like pepper, cumin, paprika, or chili powder instead. 🙂

A healthy renal diet breakfast

Oats are a great source of fiber, lower in potassium and absorbable phosphorus, and a versatile breakfast option for people with Chronic Kidney Disease and Diabetes!

Make sure to avoid instant oatmeal packets with added phosphorus, sugar, or artificial sweeteners.

Choose whole rolled oats, steel cut oats, or quick oats. Use fresh or frozen fruit. And choose portions that fit your individual needs.

If you’re unsure what your individual nutrient needs are, check out my Resource Page for my E-Guides and Renal Dietitian suggestions!

Enjoy! 😊