Are beans showing up on your plate most weeks? Has it bean awhile? If so, it’s time to get reacquainted with this wonderfully nutritious food group. Beans are one of my favorite protein sources for people with CKD. Here are a few reasons why.
1. Beans are packed with fiber
While fiber is important for everyone, it’s especially essential for people with CKD. There are a few reasons for this. For one, people with all stages of CKD are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, just having a diagnosis of CKD puts a person at an elevated risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Scary, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be. This is why following a heart healthy diet is so important. The dietary fiber in beans (as well as other plant foods) helps to lower your cholesterol levels, especially the lousy kind, LDL. It also helps with blood sugar control, blood pressure control, and inflammation. All of these things can add up and REDUCE your risk of heart disease.
The fiber in beans also helps to keep you regular. Regular bowel movements help you get rid of uremic toxins. Uremic what?? Uremic toxins are waste products that build up in the blood when the kidneys are not functioning properly. A reduction in uremic toxins means less work for your kidneys! Yay! Regular bowel movements also help you get rid of extra potassium, which can lower potassium in your blood. Isn’t it interesting how eating a high potassium food could actually help your body lower its potassium level?
2. Beans fill you up
When I tell people to limit flesh protein in their diet (poultry, fish, meat), I frequently hear, ‘But won’t I be hungry?’ While it’s true that protein plays a part in how satisfied we feel after eating, the total calorie and fiber content of the meal is equally, if not more important. One of the things I love about beans is that they contain a decent amount of calories, and yet not too much protein (but just enough).
When it comes to protein and CKD, think about the Goldilocks principle. We need to get your protein intake just right. Not too little, not too much. Beans achieve this remarkably well. A cup of beans has about 15 grams of protein, 225 calories and 10-15 grams of fiber. Compare that to to 4 ounces of chicken which has a whopping 35 grams of protein, 200 calories and 0 grams of fiber.
3. Beans have anti-Inflammatory powers
Beans contain several different health promoting compounds, namely antioxidants and polyphenols. These compounds help to preserve kidney function due to their impact on oxidative stress (an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants) and inflammation.
Beans also help your gut produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs dial down inflammation in the gut. Reduced inflammation in the gut leads to reduced inflammation in the kidneys. Neat, right? These heroes also impact the way our immune system works. An imbalanced immune system is often a driving factor in CKD progression. SCFAs help your immune system take a chill pill. Your kidneys appreciate it!
Myths about Beans
Unfortunately, due to outdated nutrition advice, a couple of myths about beans persist in the renal world. You may even have seen beans on a ‘DO NOT EAT’ list at your doctor’s office. Trust me, your doctor is not trying to confuse you! The truth is, the science of renal nutrition has evolved over the years (as science does) and the recommendations have shifted as a result.
Here are some of the myths that persist:
Avoid beans due to high phosphorus content. While beans do contain phosphorus; the phosphorus isn’t well absorbed during digestion due to a plant compound called phytic acid. So, even though beans have phosphorus, not much is actually usable by the body.
Avoid beans due to potassium content. This one makes me crazy! First of all, most people in the early stages of CKD need to eat MORE potassium, not less. Potassium lowers blood pressure! Your kidneys love lower blood pressure! If your blood potassium is consistently normal, you should be eating lots of high potassium foods, such as beans.
On the other hand, if your potassium is consistently high or borderline high (like 5+), you can still eat beans, but I would be conscious about what you serve them with, and how much you have. I generally do not restrict high potassium plant protein sources in people following a low potassium diet. I do, however, recommend limiting high potassium fruits and veggies. The best way to enjoy beans on a low potassium diet is to avoid eating them with high potassium accompaniments such as crushed tomatoes or spinach. It’s also important to pay attention to your serving size of beans. Eating too big of a serving can mean you take in too much potassium. To be safe, stick to a 2/3 cup serving once a day and opt for mostly canned beans as these tend to contain less potassium.
Recipe Inspiration
I like to find recipes online and modify them to be kidney friendly. My hope is that by seeing how I modify, you can learn to do the same.
Chipotle Chickpea Tacos . This recipe makes 2 servings of 2 tacos each. This recipe works for those following low potassium (even with all my recommended changes and additions).
Important Recipe Changes
- Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Normally I would be ok with using low sodium soy sauce, but this recipe calls for a lot so your best option is to omit the soy sauce and use coconut aminos instead. Coconut aminos provide a similar flavor to soy sauce. You can find at most stores,
or at online retailers like this one. - Use low sodium or no salt canned chickpeas, such as this one.
- Use corn tortillas, or, if you need to limit carbs or meet your greens quota for the day, make lettuce wraps or serve over a bed of greens.
- For toppings, add some fat! Two tablespoons of guacamole would work well. Yes, this is OK even for those following low potassium!
Optional Recipe Changes
- Add some zest by squeezing the juice of one lime over the seasoned chickpeas.
- For an extra nutrition boost, top each taco with some fresh microgreens. Use about 1/2 cup for four tacos. Microgreens are in the produce section at most grocery stores and are PACKED with nutrients.
Ideas for my Non-Cooks
I love these microwavable beans. They are really tasty and can easily be whipped into a meal if you have some leftover rice in the fridge. Just like most convenient options, these are a little higher in sodium. However, as long as you stick to the recommended serving size and don’t add anything too salty to the meal (ahemm..like shredded cheese) you should be able to stay below my sodium limit of 700 milligrams per meal.
Try this canned, split pea soup. If this tastes blah to you (as canned soup often does), feel free to jazz it up by adding some additional spices like ginger, garlic, or a squeeze of lemon juice.
Final Thoughts
If beans are new for you, or if you avoid because they lead to digestive issues, it may be because you lack digestive enzymes. Beans require a lot of digestive enzymes to breakdown and unfortunately digestive enzymes tend to dwindle as we get older. Digestive enzyme supplements can be a great solution! Here is a link to purchase my favorite digestive enzyme supplement.
I hope this inspires you to incorporate some beans into your diet! Please feel free to share how you enjoy them. I would love to hear from you!