Shop and Cook on a Budget

People with kidney failure need to maintain restricted diets to feel their best, so cooking flavorful, healthy and affordable meals can be a daily challenge.

To help celebrate National Kidney Month in March, Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr., star of Food Network’s Big Daddy’s House, in partnership with Fresenius Medical Care North America, which has clinics in Austell, Smyrna and , offers recipes for the renal diet.

Approximately one in nine adults, or 20 million Americans have chronic kidney disease with another 20 million at increased risks. There are around 16,000 dialysis patients in Georgia, according to the U.S. Renal Data System, USRDS 2009 Annual Data Report.

People on dialysis have to limit many mainstream foods that most of us consider “healthy” such as broccoli, oranges and tomatoes. People don’t realize that these foods can actually contribute to declining health for dialysis patients. 

“My main goal this year with Fresenius Medical Care is to give dialysis patients some variety and bold flavors in their diet so they can enjoy eating, even with the dietary limits placed on them by kidney failure,” said Chef McCargo in a press release.

5 Tips to Shop and Cook on a Budget

Buy fresh produce in season, when it is least expensive. You can freeze many items for use later in the year. Your local farmer’s market can be a great place to find excellent deals on seasonal fruits and vegetables. The Marietta Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Starting Sunday, April 15, the market will be open Sundays as well.

Buy meats in bulk to save money. Divide meat into portions and freeze it—using freezer paper, vacuum-sealed bags, plastic freezer bags or tinfoil to avoid freezer burn—until you are ready to use it in a recipe.

Consider generic or “store brands,” which are often as good as name brands but priced lower.

Utilize leftover vegetables, rice and pasta in soups, stews, casseroles and stir-fries.

Have a cooking party with friends and make meals to freeze for a week or two. Also, when cooking for yourself, make extra servings and freeze for later use.

Nesbitt Gignilliat, RD, LD, a dietitian at Fresenius Medical Care in Marietta, . She suggested substituting a hard cheese, such as in macaroni and cheese, with a ricotta cheese/parmesan mixture.

For a red sauce, such as a spaghetti sauce, Gignilliat said it is often okay to have some if the amount is limited to about a third of cup. However, there are alternatives. Olive oil infused with garlic or a butter sauce can be a healthy and tasty substitute to tomato sauces. For more tips like these take a look at .

Recipes

Check out these tasty, satisfying and affordable new dialysis-friendly recipes aimed at helping people with chronic kidney disease live a better life on dialysis.

: Apple-Stuffed Cinnamon Bundles

Keep up with all the news you care about by subscribing to our free email newsletter, liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.