low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup

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The following article is courtesy of the renal dieticians at St.Paul's Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital.

Copied from the Kidney News, B.C. Branch

Emergency Diet Guide This guide shows you how to limit potassium, fluid, protein and salt until dialysis is available.

Fluids:

Cut back your fluids to one-half your usual amount.
If you usually drink more fluids than you should, you will need to cut back even more.
For example, if you have been instructed to limit your fluids to 4 cups (1000ml) a day, cut back in an emergency to no more than 2 cups (500ml) a day.
Remember that in addition to coffee, tea, water, milk, juice, and pop, ice, Jell-O, popsicles, ice cream, sherbert, soup, alcoholic beverages sauce and syrups are all liquids.
Use chewing gum or sour candies to quench thirst.

Milk and Milk Products:

Take no more than 1/2 cup (125ml) fresh milk or 1/4 cup (60ml) evaporated milk a day. Avoid milk based puddings as they are high in potassium.

Meat and Meat Alternatives:

Eat no more meat than 1/2 of your usual portion of meat or meat alternates. For example, if you usually eat 3 ounces (90 grams) of meat at a meal ( the size of a deck of playing cards) decrease to 1 to 2 ounces (30 to 60 grams) at a meal (no more than than 1/2 the size of a deck of playing cards). A 1/4 cup (60ml) canned meat or fish or 1 tablespoon 15ml) of peanut butter or 1 egg is equal to 1 ounce (30 grams).
Avoid canned beans in molasses, tomatoe sauce or maple syrup, kidney beans, chickpeas or other dries beans, peas or lentils. Thesefoods are high in potassium.

Fruit:

Take no more than 4 servings of fruit a day.
Remember 1 serving is 1/2 cup (125ml) of fruit or juice or 1 small piece of fruit.
Avoid all high potassium fruits such as banana, orange, melon, kiwi fruit and dried fruit.
Canned fruit is a good choice. Be sure to drain it well before eating.

Vegetables:

Take no more than 1 serving a day.
Remember 1 serving is 1/2 cup (125ml).
Avoid all high potassium vegetables such as potato, avocado, squash, spinach, beet greens, sweet potato, yam, tomato,and tomato based sauces.

Starchy Foods:

Take no more than 6 serving of starchy foods a day.
One serving of starchy food is:
- 1 slice bread or 1 bun or baked good. (Don't buy low sodium bread. It has no preservatives to keep it fresh).
- 2 graham wafers or plain cookies or 5 vanilla wafers.
- 1 cup (250ml) dry cereal such as puffed wheat, puffed rice or shredded wheat.
- 1/2 cup (125ml) rice or noodles.
- 6 unsalted soda crackers.

Salt:

Use foods with no salt in them, whenever possible.
Choosing low salt foods will make you less thirsty.
Rinsing canned foods will cut down on salt.

Energy Foods:

Use as much as you like of unsalted butter or margarine, oil, sugar, candies, jam, jelly, or marshmellows to meet your energy needs.
People with diabetes should get the extra energy they need from unsalted fats rather than sugar.
peole with diabetes should have sugar, honey or hard candies such as life savers on hand to treat a low blood reaction.

Medications:

Have at least 2 week's supply of all your medications on hand at all times.

Emergency Diet plan Snow storms, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and other emergencies can occur without warning. You may be without electrical power or water for a period of time. Communication and transportation may be difficult.You may not be able to dialyze for several days.

Preparing ahead by having your emergency diet plan, food, medicine and other supplies on hand can save you life.

You need to eat, but you must choose your foods wisely and limit your fluids. You will need to follow a much stricter diet than you usually eat. A stricter diet can reduce the build up of poisons in your blood.

This diet is not a substitute for dialysis. It will work for a short period of time during an emergency until dialysis is available.

Example of an Emergency Menu

Breakfast

1 cup (250ml) dry cereal such as puffed wheat or shredded wheat.
1/4 cup (60ml) evaporated milk or 1/2 cup (125ml) milk.
1/2 cup (125ml) canned fruit (well drained).

Lunch

2 slices bread or 12 unsalted crackers.
2 tablespoons (30ml) peanut butter.
2 tablespoons (30ml) jelly.
Butter or margarine (preferably unsalted) as desired.
1/2 cup (125ml) canned fruit (well drained).
1/2 cup (125ml) lemonade, cranberry juice or fruit juice.

Dinner

1/2 cup (125ml) or 2 ounces of unsalted canned meat or fish.
12 unsalted soda crackers or 2 slices of bread.
Butter or margarine (preferably unsalted) as desired.
1/2 cup (125ml) canned fruit (well drained).
1/2 cup (125ml) lemonade, cranberry juice or fruit juice.

Snacks

2 graham wafers or 5 vanilla wafers or 1/2 cup (125ml)canned fruit. (Be sure to limit fruit and fruit juices to no more than 4 servings a day).
Hard candy, jelly beans, gum drops or marshmellows. Eat generously (except diabetics)

To prevent food posoning throw out unused portions of evaporated milk, canned meat or canned fish after each meal, especially if the weather is hot.

Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup

8 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups carrots, sliced
2 cups celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
3 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cups noodles, dry
3/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients except noodles into a large pot.
2. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add noodles and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until noodles are cooked.
Yield; 8-10 servings