Here’s another safe, kidney diet staple snack of mine that satisfies sweet tooth cravings while remaining nutritious and packed with antioxidants. This creamy treat is a little concoction I whip up for myself from time to time and it features that ever-permanent hallmark of my pantry, blueberries!
As it turns out, blueberries and kidney disease get along very well, and can be very beneficial to your kidney health.
This snack is essentially just a handful of organic blueberries, which I allow to warm at room temperature for about 30 seconds. Then I add a spoonful or so of low-fat vanilla yogurt. The blueberries give it that fresh, fruit-on-the-bottom taste without all the excess sugars many yogurt manufacturers add to their product.
This is a great snack for two reasons: first, we already know about the AMAZING properties of blueberries and how good they are to eat as frequently as possible as a part of a healthy kidney-friendly diet.
To Start With:
- They are loaded with Vitamin K and Vitamin C to help build up the immune system!
- Manganese and fiber to support bone health, digestion and regulate weight
- Anti-oxidants which help combat free radicals and protect against certain types of cancer.
These nutrients also help boost your body’s own inherent healing potential and are just an all-around wonderful fruit to feed your body, and especially so if you struggle with chronic kidney disease.
The second benefit of this snack is the yogurt, loaded with probiotics to help regulate gut health and improve digestion, this is a MUST for every kidney disease sufferer.
People with CKD Need To Be Mindful Of Dairy, Why?
- Too much phosphorus when combined with calcium, can build up in the blood and cause calcification throughout the body.
- Kidneys have difficulty activating vitamin D, which affects the ability to absorb calcium from food eaten.
- The amount of blood calcium can become decreased as it is not being utilized properly and this can ironically weaken bones.
This is why I do try to limit the serving size and emphasize the blueberries more.
Just a disclaimer though, I’ve tried this with some other berries also, frozen raspberries and strawberries, etc. and unfortunately, the results aren’t nearly as good as when you use blueberries. But next time you’re craving a sweet, creamy snack, ditch the ice cream and give this a try.
If you’re also looking to improve your own gut health and your kidney health , why don’t you give my probiotic Kidney Restore a try? It not only helps improve your gut health, it also helps to take some of the excess stress off your kidneys.
And, if like me, you’re a blueberry junkie, be sure to check out this video I did about another favorite way of mine to consume this phenomenal little fruit.