Can you eat ice cream with kidney disease? In today’s video Robert answers that question and mentions three ice cream brands that are kidney-friendly and safe to eat with kidney disease. Since ice cream is high in sugar, sodium, protein, and calories people with kidney disease should limit or avoid dairy ice creams. However, with a growing vegan movement in the U.S., there are now more dessert options for people with kidney disease.
Today we’re discussing ice cream and kidney disease and what ice creams you can have with kidney disease. Thanks for tuning in this is Robert Galarowicz, kidney survivor, healthy kidney inc. subscribe if you’re new to our channel where we empower you with information to help your kidney health. If you have kidney disease you’ve probably been told you should avoid ice cream and yes for the most part you really shouldn’t have ice cream in your renal diet if you have poor kidney health.
The reason is ice cream has a lot of sodium a lot of sugar a lot of protein a lot of unhealthy fats and generally a lot of things that aren’t good for kidney health but if you like ice cream, you may want to have some ice cream every once in a while I want to have some ice cream so what ice cream do you have so I’ve got three options here of plant-based ice creams that are okay for people with kidney disease. Now the cool thing about the vegan movement I gotta love the vegan movement going on in the United States right now because it provides so many people with kidneys with more food options than there were before. I remember twice about 20 years ago when I was in the early stages of kidney disease before I had kidney failure.
I was out of the supermarkets looking for ice cream that was acceptable the only one I could find at that point was a rice-based one which I don’t even see anymore but now we got three brands I’m gonna go over there’s more brands out there but these are three that are very commonly found at most supermarkets grocery stores large retailers so number one on the list of kidney-friendly ice creams is Oatley.
Oatley is a plant-based ice cream using oats and the good thing about this is they have a variety of flavors like the other brands but they’re fair fairly low sodium so just gonna go to my nutrition facts so when I looked at the Oatly line I looked at a bunch of them so if you’re going to pick the one you want to really look at that one in particular and avoid any of the ones that are like salted cashew ice cream. Anything like that because it’s going to be way too much sodium but most in the line was pretty good. I looked at the strawberry and a few others so generally they’ve got about 35 milligrams of sodium sometimes and that’s per two-thirds of a cup that’s almost a full cup so that’s really good where ice cream usually the serving a half-cup calories are always low.
If you’re looking in the area for a whole pint anywhere from 250 to 400 calories for a whole pint that’s really good because regular ice cream has really high calories where it’s easy to gain weight easier to throw your blood sugars off as far as Oatley generally the protein was like one to two milligrams per two-thirds of a cup so even for people on a low protein diet can still include a little Oatly just make sure you get that ice cream that has one gram they have one and two but that all depends on how low protein you’re going the one thing they did have a little bit more sugar than 20 grams of sugar that they add in per two-thirds of a cup so if you’re a diabetic you might want to watch out for that and just be mindful of that so that’s Oatly for the most part very kidney-friendly, potassium levels aren’t high and phosphorus levels are almost none.
Since it’s plant-based we don’t absorb that phosphorus very well. The next brand Halo Top dairy-free options, Halo Top is very popular in a lot of supermarkets it’s also good because it’s a lower calorie count plant-based generally means lower calories generally the sugar it’s at less sugar okay that was a good thing I had less sugar than Oatly it was probably around half the sugar so it was more diabetic friendly. Sodium range was a little bit on the higher end compared to Oatley, it was 110 to up to 150 milligrams of sodium per two-thirds of a cup. It was serving the same thing: just be mindful of those options but when you’re at the store. You have only and halo so two good choices.
Now, the last one okay was Cado ice cream like avocado so they have variety and they make them from an avocado puree that’s cado cado ice cream you can look up online now when you hear that you think avocado it’s probably going to be really high in potassium not all the flavors were now the serving size with this was a half cup so it’s smaller than the other two I mentioned but it did have anywhere from 50 to 200 milligrams of potassium per serving so if you’re on a potassium restricted diet you probably want to look to avoid that one unless you really look for that 50 milligram potassium one as far as sugar it was fairly good on sugar fairly low on protein I think that was 13 grams of sugar on my list so that’s pretty good for diabetics and all three of these were low in protein because they’re plant-based they didn’t add extra protein in them and that lower protein just makes it really ideal for any kidney diet out there because you don’t have to worry about the excess stress so you want ice cream right now it’s the summer months maybe you want to get a little bit look for those three brands okay Oatly, Halo Top, and then Cado ice cream avocado ice cream. The first two are in most major real retailers everywhere, the third one a little harder to find but it’s an option for you. Thanks for watching everybody to your best kidney health from one kidney survivor to another, enjoy those friendly kidney ice creams, bye.
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FAQs
1. Can people with kidney disease eat ice cream?
Yes, people with kidney disease can enjoy ice cream occasionally, but they should choose options that are lower in sodium, added sugar, phosphorus, and protein. Portion control is also important, especially for individuals following a renal diet.
2. What is the best ice cream for kidney disease?
The best ice cream for kidney disease is typically a plant-based option that is low in sodium, phosphorus, and protein. Healthy Kidney Inc. recommends carefully comparing nutrition labels and choosing kidney-friendly options that fit your dietary needs.
3. Is dairy-free ice cream better for kidney disease?
Dairy-free ice cream may be a better option for some people with kidney disease because many plant-based varieties contain less phosphorus and protein than traditional dairy ice cream. However, it’s still important to check sodium, potassium, and added sugar levels before choosing a product.
4. Which nutrients should kidney patients check before buying ice cream?
People with kidney disease should review the nutrition label for sodium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, added sugars, and serving size. Choosing products with lower amounts of these nutrients can help support a kidney-friendly diet.
5. Which ice cream brands are considered more kidney-friendly?
Some plant-based ice cream brands offer options that are lower in sodium and protein than traditional dairy ice cream. Healthy Kidney Inc. highlights brands such as Oatly®, Halo Top® Dairy-Free, and Cado® as examples of products that may fit into a kidney-friendly diet when consumed in moderation.
6. Is plant-based ice cream healthier for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD)?
Plant-based ice cream can be a suitable alternative because it often contains less phosphorus and protein than dairy ice cream. However, nutritional values vary by flavor and brand, so reading the nutrition label is essential.
7. Can people with CKD eat ice cream if they have diabetes?
Yes, but they should choose ice cream with lower added sugar and monitor portion sizes. People managing both CKD and diabetes should select products that support both blood sugar control and kidney health.
8. Is avocado-based ice cream safe for kidney disease?
Avocado-based ice cream can be suitable for some individuals, but certain varieties may contain higher potassium levels. People on potassium-restricted diets should always check the nutrition label before consuming it.
9. How often can someone with kidney disease eat ice cream?
Ice cream should generally be enjoyed as an occasional treat rather than a daily food. The ideal frequency depends on your kidney function, lab results, and dietary recommendations from your healthcare provider.
10. How can I choose a kidney-friendly frozen dessert?
Look for frozen desserts that are lower in sodium, phosphorus, protein, and added sugar while offering reasonable serving sizes. Healthy Kidney Inc. also recommends comparing nutrition labels and choosing plant-based options when appropriate to better support kidney health.
