Diet and Nutrition After a Nephrectomy

After a nephrectomy, you may be curious about how to eat well to keep your remaining kidney(s) healthy.

Good nutrition can make a huge difference in how you feel. What you eat can help you:

Feel stronger and have more energy
Help your body grow healthy tissue to repair itself after surgery or other injuries
Lower your chance of infection

It can be hard to change what you eat. Keep reading to find helpful tips and resources for how to eat to keep your kidney(s) healthy.

On this page:

How to eat well for your kidney health

Talk to your care team or dietitian about a healthy eating plan

Find online resources

Be proactive!

Doctors and dietitians agree that improving nutrition early and often is the best way to stay healthy – as opposed to after health problems happens. Take steps now to make your healthy eating plan!

How to eat well for your kidney health

Make a kidney-friendly eating plan

A kidney-friendly eating plan (called a “renal diet”) helps your kidney(s) if they can’t remove waste products as well as they should, which may happen after a nephrectomy.

Not everyone needs to follow this special diet, so ask your care team if you should follow this type of plan.

Here are some ways to help your kidney(s):
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Kidneys filter salt from our blood. If you’ve had a nephrectomy, your remaining kidney(s) have to work harder to remove extra salt.

Limit adding salt to food and eating food from restaurants, which often serve food high in salt. Eat fresh foods, as frozen or canned foods tend to have more salt.

When you eat protein, your body makes waste. Your kidney(s) have to work to remove this waste, and eating more protein makes your kidneys work harder. Talk to your care team about how much protein you should be eating.

Potassium is a mineral that helps your nerves and muscles work the right way. If you’ve had a nephrectomy, your potassium levels may be too high or too low. This can cause muscle cramps, muscle weakness, and problems with the way your heart beats.

If you’ve had a nephrectomy, the amount of phosphorus in your blood may go up. Too much phosphorus can weaken your bones and cause joint pain.

Animal foods high in phosphorus are more concerning than plant foods high in phosphorus. Talk to your care team about what foods you should limit. Foods high in phosphorus include:

Organ meats
Oysters, fish roe, sardines
Cheese and milk
Whole-grain bread
Bran cereals and oatmeal
Nuts and sunflower seeds
Dark-colored sodas

It is important to stay hydrated, but drinking too much water or other drinks can put a strain on your kidney(s). If you’ve had a nephrectomy, your body may not get rid of extra fluid as well as it should.

Extra fluid in your body can cause high blood pressure, swelling, and heart failure. Each person needs a different amount of fluid – talk to your care team about what is right for you.

Overall, caffeine is safe for people with kidney disease if you take in small amounts. A few things to consider about caffeine:

1 cup of coffee is considered low in potassium, but 3-4 cups and adding creamers or milk can make it high in potassium.
Caffeine can raise your blood pressure for a short time.
Any drink with caffeine, such as coffee, is fluid so should be counted n your daily fluid intake.

Talk with your care team about a safe amount of caffeine for you.

Nutrition facts labels

The “Nutrition Facts” label can help you learn what is in a food or drink so you can make healthy choices. Here are some items to pay attention to on these labels:
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The nutrients listed on the label are the amount in 1 serving. There can be more than 1 serving in a container, so if you eat more than 1 serving, you will be eating more of the nutrients than are listed.

The total number of calories, or energy, we get from 1 serving of the food. 2,000 calories a day is a general guide, but you may need a different amount depending on your health and your body.

Fats that can raise your cholesterol. Try to get less than 13g (grams) per day.

A waxy, fat-like substance that can build up in your blood vessels. Try to get less than 200mg (milligrams) per day.

Sodium is a mineral that can raise your blood pressure. Try to get less than 1,500mg (milligrams) per day.

Nutrients that can help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure and help you stay at a healthy weight.

An essential nutrient that helps our bodies repair and make new cells and build muscle. Talk to your care team about the right amount for you.

A mineral that helps your nerves and muscles work the right way. People who have had a nephrectomy need to know the right amount of potassium for their body.

Consider a “Whole food plant-based diet” (WFPBD)

This is a way of eating that focuses on whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (such as beans, peas, or lentils), nuts, and seeds.

Variety is the spice of life – eat a variety to get all the nutrients you need!

This diet limits highly processed foods that have added fats, sugars, salts, artificial colors or flavors, or preservatives, such as:

Sodas, sugary coffee drinks, energy drinks, and other sweetened drinks
Processed meats preserved with nitrates
Sweetened breakfast cereals
Packaged snacks, such as chips, cookies, and candies
Powdered and packaged instant soup or ramen

Extra tips for healthy eating:

Add herbs and spices to your foods for an extra dose of phytochemicals
Add fatty fish (like salmon), walnuts, and flaxseeds for omega 3 fats, which our bodies need

Why eat plant-based foods?

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These are compounds in plant foods that can have a real impact on our health. Experts believe that phytochemicals can:

Lower our chance of chronic disease
Help lower the chance of cancer by preventing DNA damage
Improve our blood vessel and heart health
Keep our immune system strong to fight infection
Improve our brain health and sleep

We can often find phytochemicals by their color, flavor, or smell. Examples include:

Beta-carotene in bright orange and dark green colors of carrots and leafy vegetables
Isothiocyanates in the bitter taste of arugula
Organosulfur compounds in the strong smell of garlic

Experts believe that fiber can help prevent cancer in these ways:

Improve our gut, or stomach, and immune system health
Help regulate blood sugar and metabolic health, or how we break down foods
Help manage chronic diseases
Promote regular bowel movements

Examples of high-fiber foods:

Ground flax seeds
Raspberries
Beans and lentils

The DASH diet

This is an example of a plant-based diet. It is a set of foods to eat each day to lower high blood pressure.

Examples of healthy plant-based meals

Example breakfast:

1 cup oatmeal with: 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds and ½ cup berries

Example lunch:

2 cups stir fry veggies, 3 oz sauteed tempeh, and ½ cup forbidden rice

Example dinner: 3 oz. salmon, ½ cup farro, and roasted brussels
sprouts

Talk to your care team or dietitian about a healthy eating plan

Talk with your care team about if you need changes to what you eat.

A dietitian familiar with kidney-friendly eating can create a specific plan with you. They will consider things like:

Your kidney cancer treatment
If you have high blood pressure
How your kidney(s) are working

Then, they will suggest an eating plan to improve your body in the way you need it, such as:

To improve your heart health or kidney function
To improve your metabolic health, or how your body breaks down food

Remember that not everyone needs to follow a special “renal diet.”

Ask your care team what foods are best for you.

Find online resources

Online resources to help you eat well

Try Ina® to help you eat healthy

Ina® is a personalized, evidence-based nutrition assistant available through text. Ina can answer your questions about nutrition or symptoms and give you personalized nutrition tips.

Talk with your care team before making any big changes to your diet. Also let them know if you have any changes in your eating habits, such as loss of appetite.

Start Using Ina® Today

Watch presentations from experts to learn more:

Nutrition for Kidney Cancer
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Kidney Cancer Unfiltered: Diet & Nutrition:
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