Foods to enjoy
- Lean proteins: chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, tofu
- Whole grains: oats, brown rice, whole wheat bread
- Cooked vegetables (washed thoroughly)
- Low-sugar fruits: apples, berries, pears, peaches
- Low-fat dairy in moderation
Foods to avoid
Always avoid grapefruit
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice interfere with anti-rejection medications. Same goes for pomegranate and Seville oranges.
- Raw or undercooked meat, fish, eggs, or shellfish
- Unpasteurized dairy, juice, or honey
- Soft cheeses: brie, feta, blue cheese
- Raw sprouts (alfalfa, bean, etc.)
- Buffet/deli food sitting at room temperature
- Excess salt — leads to high blood pressure
- Sugary drinks and large amounts of sweets
Hydration
Aim for 8–10 glasses of water a day unless the doctor says otherwise. Good hydration helps the kidney filter properly.
A 20 oz bottle refilled three times (morning / afternoon / evening) gets you to ~60 oz with no math.
Food safety
- Wash hands before preparing or eating food.
- Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
- Cook meat to safe internal temperatures.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 1 hour; reheat to steaming hot.
- Check expiration dates carefully.
7-Day kidney-friendly meal plan
A gentle weekly rhythm built around half-shakes twice a day. Targets ~90g of protein and ~60 oz of water daily, while keeping sodium, phosphorus, and potassium low.
Protein / day
~90g
Water / day
~60 oz
Shakes / day
1 bottle, split in half
Why half shakes, twice a day?
Smaller doses of protein shake are gentler on the gut — less risk of diarrhea, especially while on meds (like mycophenolate / CellCept) that can already cause GI issues. Splitting one bottle across two times of day means gentler digestion, the same total protein, and one bottle stretches a full day.
How to handle a half shake
- Shake the bottle well.
- Pour half into a glass or small shaker (~4 oz for Novasource/Nepro, ~5.5 oz for Premier).
- Cap the bottle and refrigerate immediately.
- Drink the other half later the same day — within 24 hours of opening.
- Shake again before pouring the second half — protein settles.
The shortcut strategy
Sunday prep (~30 min, once a week):
- Bake 5 chicken breasts at 400°F for ~22 min (no-salt seasoning + olive oil). Slice and store.
- Hard-boil 10 eggs (or buy a pre-made pack).
- Weekday meals become microwave + assemble.
✅ Time-savers that follow the rules
- Microwave plain white rice pouches
- Frozen steam-in-bag veggies (green beans, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower)
- Tuna pouches (lower sodium)
- Pre-washed bagged lettuce
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Greek yogurt & cottage cheese single-serving cups
- Shakes: Novasource Renal, Nepro, Premier Protein
❌ Skip these "shortcuts"
- Rotisserie chicken (phosphate-injected, high sodium)
- Deli meats (phosphate additives + sodium)
- Frozen meals / canned soup / broth / bouillon
- Flavored rice pouches
- Bacon, sausage, hot dogs
The 7-day rotation
Monday
Chicken
~90g protein
| Meal | What | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 hard-boiled eggs + 1 slice white toast + ½ cup Greek yogurt with blueberries | 21g |
| Mid-morning | ½ Novasource Renal or Nepro shake | 10g |
| Lunch | Pre-cooked chicken (4 oz) on bagged lettuce + cucumber, olive oil + vinegar, 1 small white roll | 28g |
| Afternoon | Other ½ of the Novasource/Nepro shake | 10g |
| Dinner | Pre-cooked chicken (3 oz) over microwave rice pouch + steam-bag green beans | 21g |
Tuesday
Salmon + Tuna
~92g protein
| Meal | What | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | ½ cup cottage cheese + canned peaches in juice + 1 slice white toast | 15g |
| Mid-morning | ½ Premier Protein shake | 15g |
| Lunch | Tuna pouch on lettuce + a few white crackers + cucumber slices | 25g |
| Afternoon | Other ½ of the Premier Protein shake | 15g |
| Dinner | Frozen plain salmon fillet (microwave) + rice pouch + steam-bag zucchini | 22g |
Wednesday
Eggs + Chicken
~91g protein
| Meal | What | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 scrambled eggs + 1 slice white toast + ½ cup Greek yogurt | 21g |
| Mid-morning | ½ Novasource Renal or Nepro shake | 10g |
| Lunch | Pre-cooked chicken (4 oz) on lettuce, 1 small white roll | 28g |
| Afternoon | Other ½ of the Novasource/Nepro shake | 10g |
| Dinner | Frozen plain cod or tilapia (microwave) + rice pouch + steam-bag carrots | 22g |
Thursday
Pork
~97g protein
| Meal | What | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 1 hard-boiled egg + ½ cup cottage cheese with peaches + 1 slice toast | 20g |
| Mid-morning | ½ Premier Protein shake | 15g |
| Lunch | Tuna pouch + white crackers + grapes | 25g |
| Afternoon | Other ½ of the Premier Protein shake | 15g |
| Dinner | Pre-cooked pork tenderloin slices (microwave-warmed) + rice pouch + steam-bag green beans | 22g |
Friday
Fish
~91g protein
| Meal | What | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 hard-boiled eggs + white toast + ½ cup Greek yogurt with berries | 21g |
| Mid-morning | ½ Novasource Renal or Nepro shake | 10g |
| Lunch | Pre-cooked chicken (4 oz) on lettuce + bell pepper, olive oil + vinegar | 28g |
| Afternoon | Other ½ of the Novasource/Nepro shake | 10g |
| Dinner | Frozen plain salmon (microwave) + rice pouch + steam-bag cauliflower | 22g |
Saturday
Beef
~96g protein
| Meal | What | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2-egg omelet with bell pepper (microwave in a mug, 90 sec) + white toast | 14g |
| Mid-morning | ½ Premier Protein shake | 15g |
| Lunch | 3 oz lean ground beef (90/10) browned + rice pouch + bell pepper strips | 22g |
| Afternoon | Other ½ of the Premier Protein shake + ½ cup Greek yogurt | 24g |
| Dinner | Pre-cooked chicken (3 oz) over rice + steam-bag green beans | 21g |
Sunday
Easy + Prep Day
~88g protein
| Meal | What | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 hard-boiled eggs + 1 slice white toast | 12g |
| Mid-morning | ½ Novasource Renal or Nepro shake | 10g |
| Lunch | Tuna pouch + white crackers + cucumber + ½ cup Greek yogurt | 34g |
| Afternoon | Other ½ of the Novasource/Nepro shake | 10g |
| Dinner | Pork tenderloin (fresh-cooked today as part of weekly prep) + rice pouch + steam-bag carrots | 22g |
While dinner cooks, batch-bake chicken breasts and hard-boil eggs for the week.
Grocery list (one trip per week)
Proteins
- 5 chicken breasts (or family pack)
- 1 pork tenderloin (unmarinated or lower-sodium)
- 1 lb lean ground beef, 90/10
- 2 frozen plain salmon fillets (no sauce/seasoning)
- 2 frozen plain cod or tilapia fillets
- 18 eggs (or 2 doz)
- 4 tuna pouches, lower-sodium
Shakes (1 bottle/day)
- Novasource Renal or Nepro (~4 bottles)
- Premier Protein (~3 bottles)
- Small screw-cap jar or kid's water bottle for the to-go half
Dairy (small portions)
- Greek yogurt — 5 oz single-serving cups (6)
- Cottage cheese — single-serving cups (3)
- Unsalted butter
Grains
- White bread (1 loaf)
- Small white dinner rolls
- Microwave white rice pouches — plain only (6–7)
- Unsalted or low-sodium white crackers
Fresh produce
- Bagged lettuce (2 bags)
- Cucumber (2)
- Bell pepper (2)
- Apples (4)
- Grapes (1 small bag)
- Blueberries or strawberries (1 small container)
- Lemon (1)
Frozen steam-bags
- Green beans (2 bags)
- Zucchini (1 bag)
- Carrots (1 bag)
- Cauliflower (1 bag)
Pantry
- Olive oil
- Vinegar
- No-salt seasoning (Mrs. Dash original or garlic & herb)
- Canned peaches in juice (not syrup)
- Mustard
Quick reference: is this OK?
✅ YES — keep stocked
Eggs · fresh/frozen plain chicken, turkey, pork, beef, fish · tuna pouches · white bread, rice, pasta · plain rice pouches · green beans, zucchini, cucumber, lettuce, bell pepper, onion, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage · apples, berries, grapes, peaches, pears, pineapple · olive oil, vinegar, no-salt seasoning · the three approved shakes
❌ NO — leave at the store
Deli/cured meats · rotisserie chicken · bacon, sausage, hot dogs · canned soup, broth, bouillon · frozen meals · flavored rice/pasta mixes · cheese-heavy dishes · whole wheat anything · oatmeal · nuts, seeds, peanut butter · beans, lentils · potatoes (any color) · tomato sauce · bananas, oranges, melon · dried fruit · chocolate · dark sodas · grapefruit / grapefruit juice (interacts with meds)
Watch for
Persistent diarrhea
Could be the shake, could be her meds (especially mycophenolate). Call the transplant team — don't tough it out, dehydration is hard on a new kidney.
- No appetite for the shake: try the other brand. Novasource/Nepro come in chocolate, vanilla, and café latte; Premier comes in many flavors.
- Bloating from one specific shake: stop it for 3 days and see if it clears.
- Chaotic day bailout: ½ shake + 2 hard-boiled eggs + apple = ~25g protein in 90 seconds. Twice in a day lands around 75g — fine occasionally.