Foods Low in Phosphorus for People with Kidney Disease

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Foods Low in Phosphorus for People with Kidney Disease

Phosphorus is an essential mineral that makes up around 1% of a person's body weight, most of which is in bones and teeth.

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) typically have to restrict and monitor their intake of phosphorus. Most refined oils, fruits, vegetables, and refined grains are low in phosphorus. People should avoid eating meat, which typically contain more easily absorbed phosphorus than found in plants. Since meats are restricted in a CKD diet, egg whites can be a good low-phosphorus source of protein. Soymilk may also work.

The National Kidney Foundation cautions people with CKD to avoid preservatives and additives which use phosphorus. Phosphorus is added to a lot of foods, check ingredient labels for anything with the letters PHOS that includes:

  • Dicalcium phosphate
  • Disodium phosphate
  • Monosodium phosphate
  • Phosphoric acid
  • Sodium hexameta-phosphate
  • Trisodium phosphate
  • Sodium tripolyphosphate
  • Tetrasodium pyrophosphate

The list below is a sample of foods low in phosphorus that are also low in other minerals (sodium, potassium, etc...) typically restricted on a CKD diet.

Note: The current daily value (DV) for phosphorus is 1250mg. (1) This is a target meant for healthy people and is the %DV you will see on product labels in the United States. People with kidney disease should eat far less phosphorus. Please use the percent daily value in this article only as a guide to compare foods and not as a target!

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About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that\'s found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It\'s more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Institutes of Health.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.

See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

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Data Sources and References

  1. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
  2. National Kidney Foundation on a Low Phosphorus Diet
  3. Medline Plus on Phosphorus in Diet
  4. Low Phosphorus Foods from Davita.com
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