Low-Protein Diets

low-protein-diet A low-protein diet is any diet in which the protein intake is reduced. Anyone diagnosed with kidney or liver disease may be prescribed a low-protein diet. In any case, a diet which is especially low in protein should only be undertaken under medical direction.

Why is a low protein diet necessary?

Protein is needed, but can cause problems for diseased organs

Protein is necessary for a healthy body. When protein is metabolized by the liver and digested, urea is produced as a waste product. If the liver is diseased, then food metabolism is compromised. If the kidneys, which are responsible for excretion of urea, are not functioning properly (renal failure), or if high levels of protein are continually present in the diet, urea builds up in the bloodstream causing loss of appetite and fatigue. A low-protein diet will reduce the workload on these organs.

It is usually the case that serious liver and kidney disease are accompanied by the need to limit salt or sodium intake due to high blood pressure or fluid retention. Table salt (the primary source of sodium in the diet) should therefore be limited, along with other foods with a high sodium content, as an additional feature of the low-protein diet.

Too much protein can worsen your health

It is generally accepted that a healthy person needs 40-60 grams of protein each day to remain in good health. However, it has been reported that the amount of protein typically consumed by people in affluent societies (American diet typically comprises 12-15% protein) may overtax the kidneys – to the extent that up to 30% of kidney function may be lost by the time someone is in their eighties. High-protein diets for weight loss often recommend 30% or more protein in the daily diet, and in prolonged use can cause serious metabolic changes leading to bone loss and kidney stones!

Reduced protein intake can improve your health

Low protein diets (4-8% protein) are used routinely to treat patients with liver disease, kidney (renal) failure, and disorders involving the urea cycle, the metabolism, and amino acids.

How is a low-protein diet achieved?

Reduce amount of protein

Some of each type of protein should still be consumed each day from the two main sources:

Animal products (fish, poultry, eggs, meat, dairy products) – considered high quality or complete protein.
Vegetable products (breads, cereals, rice, pasta, dried beans) – considered low quality or incomplete protein.

To reduce the amount of protein consumed, protein foods in recipes can be ’stretched’ (to consume less) or reduced as against more of the low- or non-protein foods (less in proportion), making a smaller amount seem just as satisfying.

Sandwiches	Use thinly sliced meats. Fill with salad items like lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, chopped celery, apple, parsley or water chestnuts.
Soups	Use lower protein foods (milk substitutes for cream soups, or rice or pasta) to make soups as filling but with less protein.
Main Dishes	Make the main dish of vegetables and grains, and treat meat as the side dish to your meal. Use small pieces of meat and more vegetables in kebabs. Make fried rice with vegetables and use less meat or shrimp. For salads use crisp, fresh vegetables and only a few small strips of meat and egg. For casseroles, reduce the amount of meat and increase the starch, pasta or rice. In recipes using soup, use a low sodium mix. Use low-protein pastas and breads in the diet. For cheeses, use smaller amounts of stronger-tasting cheeses (sharp cheddar, parmesan or romano) for plenty of flavor.

Boost calories to compensate

Decreasing protein in the diet may also mean a reduction in calories. To compensate so as to maintain a healthy weight, increase calories by substituting or adding certain ingredients with minimal protein content, such as:

Increase heart-healthy fats like polyunsaturated vegetable oils (corn, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, soybean or sunflower oils), olive oil, mayonnaise-type salad dressings.
Use candy and sweeteners (hard candy, gum drops, jelly beans, marshmallows, honey, jam and jelly – even sugar (diabetics need medical advice).
Use canned fruits in heavy syrup.

Sample low protein menu

Breakfast	Cheerios cereal or equivalent ¾ cup non-dairy creamer ½ cup ½ medium banana orange juice ½ cup
Snack	1 cherry fruit roll up
Lunch	2 slices white bread turkey breast 1 oz/28 g lettuce tomato ½ cup green beans ½ cup mayonnaise 3 tsp 1 medium apple fruit punch 4 fl oz/118 ml
Snack	1 popsicle
Dinner	lean hamburger 2 oz/56 g white rice ½ cup broccoli ¼ cup cauliflower ¼ cup tossed salad with 2 Tbsp ranch dressing pineapple ½ cup
Snack	gum drops 1 oz/28 g

Sample low protein menu contains

Protein: 39 gm
Calories: 1476
Fat: 48 gm
Carbohydrates: 237 gm
Sodium: 1270 mg
Potassium: 2282 mg

Look for low protein meal ideas here.

65 Comments

February 6th, 2010DAVID DREYER

i am sorry my e-mail may have been sent to you incomplete,so i will start over
i went for a complete exam and my doctor noticed my creatinine level was high 1.4-1.7 iam very upset and wonder if i am in kidney failure soon. he seems to be keeping from giving direct
answers .maybe he wants to run other tests.i want to avoid dialysis, and want to change my diet to lower protein.will that help me, and could you send me a sample of a menu for different days of the week.your sample i saw on the website shows breakfat,lunch,dinner for only 1 day
maybe you have some alternate choices.
i like meat once in a while but eat mostly fish and chicken .which of the 3 has the least protein.i am really sorry asking all these questions,but my wife has terminal cancer and i am her caregiver. HOW CAN I TAKE CARE OF HER IF I HAVE KIDNEY FAILURE! PLEASE HELP ME

REGARDS,
MR. DAVID DREYER
February 5th, 2010Jenn

My body doesn’t break protein down but my favorite foods are meats (and PB&J or PB&Bananas) I need suggestions for a low protein diet since my Dr wont send me to a nutritionist and it probably wont help anyways since I’ll be dropped from my insurance two months after i give birth.
February 1st, 2010jo

I would like a renal low prorein diet for 7days asI have been told bythe consultant
January 31st, 2010gemma

3 years ago i had 1 kidny removed. it had a large non cancerous tumor growing in it. my other kidney is not doing that good. i have been told told eat a low protien diet. i have lots of fruits and vegetables growing on my farm. how much fruits and vegetables can i safely eat. my sugar level is slightly high. thank you
January 21st, 2010ted

@Dev- The turkey and the lean meat wouldn’t be all protein. Some of the grams would be from the water content and the fat content among other things. 39grams would just be the total protein grams. Use a metric converter to figure out the grams if you don’t have a metric scale. http://www.worldwidemetric.com/metcal.htm
January 21st, 2010DEV DAVIS

MY 13YR OLD DAUGHTER HAS KIDNEY DAMAGE. THANKS FOR THE SAMPLE MEAL. IM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU MEASURE THE GRAMS. IF YOUR TURKEY HAS 28G AND THE LEAN MEAT HAS 56G, HOW DOES THE DAY END UP 39G? WOULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN AND EMAIL OTHER IDEAS TO ME?
January 20th, 2010david altier

my dr. wants me to eat the least protein I can. I also have to eat the least potassium also . What can i eat.??? Almost every thing has potas. in it. Is there a book that can help me. thank you
January 13th, 2010David Prince

my doctor told me that my creatinine level is 1.7 . He put me on a low protein diet. Is there a book available to list protein levels in all foods and receipes such as listed here , one for each day ? My age is 66 as of this month.
January 6th, 2010Ed Lara

Ok, so you showed a low protein sample for eating one day.
Can you personally send me how it would look for the other 6 days! My doctor told me to eat low protein foods because of kidney failure. I am 60 years old. Can you help me with this request?
Thanks
Ed Lara
December 30th, 2009BrandiCotton

My dad was just diagnosed with cirrosis of the liver. Being a non-drinker, we are worried about his diet. What can we do to help him?
November 10th, 2009nisar

my uricacid level is6 what indian low protein diet and cholestrol diet should i follow pls recomendthe diet should be based on indian food
November 1st, 2009Ahamed hussain

my doctor told me that my creatinine level is 1.4
is that ok or risky for my future my age is 26 now
October 5th, 2009Shailendra Singh Rawat

My wife aged 21 Yrs is diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure + High BP + Pulmonary TB. Can you suggest a diet that can help patients with above three diseases ? Thanks a lot for such useful information.
August 29th, 2009Joan Staaleson

My doctor rcommended a low protein diet due to kidney problems. Looking at the above I already eat a low protein diet. Any suggestions where to look for more help would be appreciated. I already cannot eat spicy, tomatoes, chocolate, caffein and must limit fat content. What can I eat?
August 22nd, 2009John Schallhorn

I have been diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis with my ck check at 12,500. Dr. wants me to eat no meat or anything with potassium. Any suggestions?