Diet
Good nutrition is important at every stage of your transplant journey. Some simple things you can do include:
- Eat a well-balanced diet
- Follow dietary guidelines
- Get enough vitamins and minerals
- Avoid salt
- Limit saturated fats
- Get plenty of fiber
Special considerations: Diabetes
With diabetes, it is very important to balance your anti-diabetic medications (insulin) with the foods that you're eating. Your healthcare team can help you determine which foods you may want to add or avoid in your diet. You may also want to refer to a blood glucose table for guidance.
Eat a well-balanced diet
You’ll want to choose foods that are highly nutritious. Your daily diet should include the following:
- Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, and legumes (dried peas and beans)
- Low-fat or non-fat dairy products (milk, cheese, and yogurt)
- Whole-grain and enriched breads, cereals, and grain products
- Fruits and vegetables
"Team Nutrition," a group within the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), offers the following portion size examples to consider when planning your meals:
Dairy (2-3 servings daily)
- 1 serving of cheese = 1.5 oz, or the size of two 9 Volt batteries
- 1 serving of yogurt = 8 oz, or the size of a baseball
Meat and beans (2-3 servings daily)
- 1 serving of meat = the size of a deck of cards
- 1 serving of beans = 1 cup, or the size of a baseball
Vegetables (3-5 servings daily)
- 1 serving of raw, leafy vegetables = 1 cup, or the size of a baseball
- 1 serving of vegetables = 1/2 cup, or the size of a computer mouse
Fruit (2-4 servings daily)
- 1 serving of whole fruit = 1 piece of fruit the size of a baseball
- 1 serving of sliced/loose fruit = 1/2 cup, or the size of a computer mouse
Grains (6-11 servings daily)
- 1 serving of bread = 1 slice, or the size of a CD jewel case
- 1 serving of cereal = 1 cup, or the size of a baseball
It is important to remember that most packaged foods contain more than one serving. Be sure to read the food labels for included portions and portion sizes.
Here are some foods you may want to stock up on
- Fresh raw vegetables for snacking like carrots, celery, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and salad makings
- Lots of fresh vegetables for cooking like tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, beans, chard, spinach, onions, and garlic
- Low-sugar fruits like strawberries, oranges, melons, and apples
- Canned beans like red kidney beans and black beans
- Frozen vegetables like peas, artichokes, green beans, and broccoli
- Low-fat or non-fat dairy products like milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt
- Unsalted nuts
- Herbs like oregano, parsley, and thyme instead of salt
Follow dietary guidelines
According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published jointly by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA, you should have a mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Complex vs. simple carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates include whole-grain breads and cereals, legumes (beans and lentils), and starchy vegetables such as potatoes. Simple carbohydrates should be avoided. These include candy, sugar, syrups, sodas, and other processed foods.
Proteins
Up to 20% of your calories should come from protein. However, if you are on dialysis, you may need to eat a high-protein diet. If you’re still on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, you may need to limit the amount of protein you eat. Talk to your doctor about your specific protein needs.
Protein is particularly important after transplant surgery, as it helps to heal wounds. And remember, protein doesn’t come only from meats. In fact, leafy green vegetables like spinach have more protein per calorie than meatloaf. Dairy products, lentils, fish, peanut butter, and tofu are also great sources of protein.
Fats
Current guidelines suggest that 20% to 35% of your calories can come from fat—but be sure to consider the types of fat that you eat, and avoid saturated, or "trans," fats (found in baked goods such as doughnuts and pastries, deep-fried foods, imitation cheese, and snack foods like chips and cookies).
Get enough vitamins and minerals
Though you should try to get your vitamins from a balanced diet, you may want to talk to your doctor about adding a multivitamin. To make sure you are not taking anything that could interfere with your medications, tell your doctor exactly which multivitamin you are considering. A multivitamin can help to ensure that you get enough calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and B vitamins like folic acid.
Talk to your dietitian and transplant team about herbal products. Some herbal remedies can cause problems with your transplant medications.
Avoid salt
Sodium—the main component in salt—can cause complications with your blood pressure, so it is best to avoid adding salt to foods or eating foods that are salty—like packaged foods (potato chips, salted nuts, pretzels), canned soups, hot dogs, cured meats (ham and deli meats), and other high-sodium foods and condiments (soy sauce).
To learn more, read Blood Pressure and Your New Organ.
Limit saturated fats
Different types of fats are considered either good or bad because of their effects on your cholesterol levels. You probably know that saturated fats are bad for you, as are partially hydrogenated fats, which result in trans-fatty acid, commonly called “trans fats” (found in baked goods such as doughnuts and pastries, deep-fried foods, imitation cheese, and snack foods like chips and cookies).
You should consider limiting your intake of saturated fat to below 10% of your total calories. The best type of fat—monounsaturated fat—should make up about 20% of your total calories.
| Good Fats | Bad Fats |
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To learn more, read Cholesterol and Your New Organ.
Get plenty of fiber
Some studies have shown that fiber can help to reduce cholesterol. In addition, fiber can help to slow the flow of sugar from your digestive system to your bloodstream—a factor that’s important if you experience hyperglycemia. Good sources of fiber include whole-grain bread, oatmeal, brown rice, barley, raw fruits, and raw vegetables.
