What foods should you eat and limit with kidney disease?
The National Kidney Foundation calls a food high in potassium at 200 mg or more per serving, and NIDDK and NKF advise limiting phosphorus additives. Bananas, oranges, potatoes and tomatoes are over that line (a banana 411 mg and a medium potato 952 mg), while a medium apple (195 mg) and a cup of blueberries (129 mg) stay under it.
Kidney diets are set by stage and by your blood tests, so the limits that apply to you may be stricter or looser than the numbers here, and dialysis brings its own targets. Follow the plan from your kidney doctor or renal dietitian, and use this page to read the numbers.
Potassium and phosphorus in a serving
| Food | Serving | Potassium | Phosphorus | 200 mg+ in this serving (NKF high-potassium line) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potato, baked | 1 medium potato (6.1 oz, 173 g) | 952 mg | 123 mg | Yes |
| Spinach, cooked | 1 cup (6.3 oz, 180 g) | 839 mg | 101 mg | Yes |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup (7 oz, 198 g) | 731 mg | 356 mg | Yes |
| Black beans, cooked | 1 cup (6.1 oz, 172 g) | 611 mg | 241 mg | Yes |
| Yogurt, plain low-fat | 1 cup (8.6 oz, 245 g) | 573 mg | 353 mg | Yes |
| Sweet potato, baked | 1 medium (4 oz, 114 g) | 542 mg | 62 mg | Yes |
| Orange juice | 1 cup (8.8 oz, 249 g) | 458 mg | 42 mg | Yes |
| Banana | 1 banana (4.4 oz, 126 g) | 411 mg | 28 mg | Yes |
| Milk, 2% | 1 cup (8.6 oz, 245 g) | 390 mg | 252 mg | Yes |
| Carrots, raw | 1 cup (4.2 oz, 120 g) | 310 mg | 42 mg | Yes |
| Tomato | 1 medium tomato (4.3 oz, 123 g) | 292 mg | 30 mg | Yes |
| Grapes | 1 cup (5.3 oz, 151 g) | 288 mg | 30 mg | Yes |
| Strawberries | 1 cup (5.3 oz, 150 g) | 242 mg | 34 mg | Yes |
| Orange | 1 orange (4.6 oz, 131 g) | 237 mg | 18 mg | Yes |
| Chicken breast, roasted | 3 oz (85 g) | 218 mg | 194 mg | Yes |
| Apple | 1 medium apple (6.4 oz, 182 g) | 195 mg | 20 mg | No |
| Avocado (1/4) | 1/4 avocado (1.2 oz, 34 g) | 172 mg | 18 mg | No |
| Watermelon | 1 cup (5.4 oz, 152 g) | 170 mg | 17 mg | No |
| Cucumber | 1 cup, sliced (4.2 oz, 119 g) | 162 mg | 25 mg | No |
| Cottage cheese | 1/2 cup (3.9 oz, 110 g) | 132 mg | 163 mg | No |
| Blueberries | 1 cup (5.3 oz, 150 g) | 129 mg | 20 mg | No |
| Coffee, brewed | 8 fl oz (237 g) | 116 mg | 7.1 mg | No |
| Black tea, brewed | 8 fl oz (237 g) | 88 mg | 2.4 mg | No |
| Rice milk | 8 fl oz (240 g) | 65 mg | 134 mg | No |
| Egg, hard-boiled | 1 large egg (1.8 oz, 50 g) | 63 mg | 86 mg | No |
| White rice, cooked | 1 cup (5.6 oz, 158 g) | 55 mg | 68 mg | No |
| Rice cakes | 2 cakes (18 g) | 52 mg | 65 mg | No |
USDA FoodData Central, sorted by potassium. Phosphorus from additives in processed foods is not in these numbers and is absorbed more completely, as NKF notes below.
What National Kidney Foundation and NIDDK (NIH) say
What to avoid
- Level E National Kidney Foundation:
Another easy way to lower the amount of extra potassium you get from food is to avoid drinking or using the liquid from canned fruits, canned vegetables, or the juices from cooked meat.
National Kidney Foundation, Potassium and Your CKD Diet, accessed 2026-10-12 - Level E NIDDK (NIH):
Use spices and herbs instead of salt substitutes, which can be high in potassium.
NIDDK, Healthy Eating for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease, accessed 2026-10-12 - Level E National Kidney Foundation:
Phosphorus from food additives is completely absorbed. Avoiding phosphorus additives can lower your intake of phosphorus.
National Kidney Foundation, Phosphorus and Your CKD Diet, accessed 2026-10-12
Amounts and limits
- Level E National Kidney Foundation:
Since leaching does not remove all the potassium, you still must limit the amount of leached high-potassium vegetables you eat.
National Kidney Foundation, Potassium and Your CKD Diet, accessed 2026-10-12 - Level E NIDDK (NIH):
Limit alcohol. Ask your health care professional how much alcohol is safe for you.
NIDDK, Healthy Eating for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease, accessed 2026-10-12
What makes it safe
- Level E National Kidney Foundation:
If you want to include high-potassium vegetables in your diet, leach them first.
National Kidney Foundation, Potassium and Your CKD Diet, accessed 2026-10-12 - Level E NIDDK (NIH):
Drain canned fruits and vegetables and throw out the liquid, which is often high in potassium.
NIDDK, Healthy Eating for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease, accessed 2026-10-12
What to choose
- Level E NIDDK (NIH):
Eat larger portions of fruits and vegetables, which are naturally low in phosphorus, and smaller portions of foods high in phosphorus.
NIDDK, Healthy Eating for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease, accessed 2026-10-12
Good to know
- Level E National Kidney Foundation:
A food that is considered “high-potassium” generally has 200 mg or more potassium per serving.
National Kidney Foundation, Potassium and Your CKD Diet, accessed 2026-10-12 - Level E National Kidney Foundation:
Look for “PHOS” to find phosphorus additives in the food.
National Kidney Foundation, Phosphorus and Your CKD Diet, accessed 2026-10-12 - Level E NIDDK (NIH):
Keep in mind, your body absorbs more phosphorus from animal-based foods, such as meat and poultry, than from plant-based foods, such as beans and seeds.
NIDDK, Healthy Eating for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease, accessed 2026-10-12
Text in quotation marks is word for word from the official source. Level E means the position of an expert body or a drug label. How we grade evidence.
What studies found
Evidence behind the advice
- Level C In chronic kidney disease a low-salt diet went with 28 percent fewer kidney failure events, but showed nothing on deaths or cardiovascular events. Hu et al., BMJ Open, 2022
The other side and the limits
- Level C The standard advice to cut potassium in kidney disease rests on very low-quality evidence: restricting it moved blood potassium by 0.22 millimoles per liter and did not slow the disease. Morris et al., Journal of Renal Nutrition, 2020
- Level E There is no RDA for potassium because the data were insufficient to derive one, and no upper limit because high intakes do not cause hyperkalemia in adults with normal kidney function. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Health Professional Fact Sheet: Potassium
Levels: A is a meta-analysis of trials, B a randomized trial, C an observational study, D lab work or case reports, E an expert position. How we grade evidence.
In practice
Start with the portion, not the food. The National Kidney Foundation line is 200 mg of potassium per serving, so size changes the answer. A quarter of an avocado has about 172 mg, while a whole medium baked potato has about 952 mg.
Two kitchen habits come straight from NKF and NIDDK: drain the liquid from canned fruits and vegetables, and skip salt substitutes, which can be high in potassium. For phosphorus, read the ingredient list and look for words with PHOS, since NKF says phosphorus from additives is completely absorbed.
Not everyone with kidney disease has the same limits. The review in the studies below rated the evidence behind potassium limits as very low quality. That is not a reason to drop a limit your kidney team has set. It is why your blood tests, not a general list, should set your plan. Bring this table to your renal dietitian.
Evidence behind this note
- Level C The standard advice to cut potassium in kidney disease rests on very low-quality evidence: restricting it moved blood potassium by 0.22 millimoles per liter and did not slow the disease. Morris et al., Journal of Renal Nutrition, 2020
Written from the positions and data on this page, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Sources
- National Kidney Foundation, Potassium and Your CKD Diet, https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/potassium-your-ckd-diet (accessed 2026-10-12)
- NIDDK, Healthy Eating for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease, https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/healthy-eating-adults-chronic-kidney-disease (accessed 2026-10-12)
- National Kidney Foundation, Phosphorus and Your CKD Diet, https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/phosphorus-and-your-ckd-diet (accessed 2026-10-12)
- USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021-2023 (survey foods), Foundation Foods, SR Legacy (2018)): nutrient values and household measures (food_portion, release 2026-04-30). fdc.nal.usda.gov
- Evidence cards: each study above links to its source. Card review dates are listed in our methodology.
Agency pages checked 2026-10-12. Bioma Learn provides information, not medical advice.