Food choices are a significant part of maintaining good overall and kidney health. While there is plenty of information online, much of it is conflicting and so it can be a challenge to navigate all the messages that relate to nutrition and health to finally land on a diet that is flavourful, enjoyable, and nutritious.

Meatless Mondays encourage culinary exploration and creativity. From hearty lentil stews to colorful vegetable stir-fries, there is an abundance of delicious and nutritious options to explore. Added bonus? Meatless Mondays aren’t only beneficial for us, they are also helpful for the environment.

Meatless Mondays not only help our kidney health and encourage us to explore new recipes, but they can also keep those grocery bills down.

Choosing vegetarian proteins found in beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds can help improve kidney-related health outcomes by:

Reducing the amount of protein lost in urine (proteinuria), thereby slowing progression of kidney disease

Maintaining a healthy weight and thereby improving blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol

Increasing fibre intake in the diet and preventing constipation for improved elimination of waste from the body

Reducing the acid load on your kidneys

Whether we study blood pressure, heart health, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, we see time and time again that those who include plant-based eating in their diet tend to have better health outcomes compared to individuals whose diets are higher in meat-based proteins. As with everything else, variety is the spice of life, and including a combination of foods in your diet is the best way to achieve improved wellbeing, health, and energy.