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Kidney-Friendly Vegetables

This guide pulls together what matters most for a CKD diet around vegetables: 20 foods from the database are listed below with their ratings, plus the ones to treat with caution. Every value is USDA-verified and compared to the same daily limits used across the site.

Lower-risk options (20)

Kidney-friendlyTree fern, cooked, with saltK 5 · P 4 · Na 241 mgKidney-friendlyTree fern, cooked, without saltK 5 · P 4 · Na 5 mgKidney-friendlyButterbur, cannedK 12 · P 4 · Na 4 mgKidney-friendlyWaxgourd, cooked, boiled, drained, without saltK 5 · P 17 · Na 107 mgKidney-friendlyWaxgourd, rawK 6 · P 19 · Na 111 mgKidney-friendlyPickles, cucumber, sour, low sodiumK 23 · P 14 · Na 18 mgKidney-friendlyPickles, cucumber, sweet, low sodiumK 32 · P 12 · Na 18 mgKidney-friendlyJew's ear, rawK 43 · P 14 · Na 9 mgKidney-friendlyBeans, mung, mature seeds, sprouted, canned, drained solidsK 27 · P 32 · Na 42 mgKidney-friendlyPeppers, sweet, red, frozen, chopped, boiled, drained, without saltK 72 · P 13 · Na 4 mgKidney-friendlyPeppers, sweet, red, frozen, chopped, boiled, drained, with saltK 72 · P 13 · Na 240 mgKidney-friendlyPeppers, sweet, green, frozen, chopped, boiled, drained, without saltK 72 · P 13 · Na 4 mgKidney-friendlyPeppers, sweet, green, frozen, chopped, cooked, boiled, drained, with saltK 72 · P 13 · Na 240 mgKidney-friendlyOnions, frozen, whole, cooked, boiled, drained, without saltK 101 · P 2 · Na 8 mgKidney-friendlyOnions, frozen, whole, cooked, boiled, drained, with saltK 101 · P 2 · Na 244 mgKidney-friendlyLeeks, cooked, boiled, drained, without saltK 87 · P 17 · Na 10 mgKidney-friendlyLeeks, cooked, boiled, drained, with saltK 87 · P 17 · Na 246 mgKidney-friendlyBamboo shoots, canned, drained solidsK 80 · P 25 · Na 7 mgKidney-friendlyCabbage, napa, cookedK 87 · P 19 · Na 11 mgKidney-friendlyTurnip greens and turnips, frozen, unpreparedK 82 · P 24 · Na 18 mg

Treat with caution (10)

Higher riskParsley, freeze-driedK 6300 · P 548 · Na 391 mgHigher riskTomatoes, sun-driedK 3427 · P 356 · Na 107 mgHigher riskRadishes, oriental, driedK 3494 · P 204 · Na 278 mgHigher riskPeppers, sweet, red, freeze-driedK 3170 · P 327 · Na 193 mgHigher riskChives, freeze-driedK 2960 · P 518 · Na 70 mgHigher riskSeaweed, Canadian Cultivated EMI-TSUNOMATA, dryK 2944 · P 260 · Na 4331 mgHigher riskCarrot, dehydratedK 2540 · P 346 · Na 275 mgHigher riskLeeks, freeze-driedK 2400 · P 346 · Na 35 mgHigher riskPeppers, ancho, driedK 2411 · P 201 · Na 43 mgHigher riskPeppers, pasilla, driedK 2222 · P 267 · Na 89 mg

Practical tips

Read the daily-limit percentages rather than raw numbers — a food at 18% of the potassium limit is different from one at 8%. Read the daily-limit percentages rather than raw numbers — a food at 18% of the potassium limit is different from one at 8%.

Browse all kidney-friendly foods →

Frequently asked questions

How much potassium can a CKD patient have per day?

For the rating basis used on this site, the daily limit is 2,000 mg of potassium at CKD stage 3-4. Individual targets depend on your labs and should be confirmed with your healthcare team.

What foods should I avoid on a vegetables plan?

The caution list on this page shows the highest-load foods in the database. The top item on the caution list is Soy sauce, reduced sodium, made from hydrolyzed vegetable protein at 3098 mg of potassium per 100 g — 155% of the daily limit. Each food page shows the exact percentage of the daily limit for all three minerals.

Are these recommendations right for everyone on a vegetables plan?

No list can replace individual advice. This page covers 20 lower-risk foods and 10 caution items, rated per 100 g against the 2,000 mg potassium limit — your stage, blood results and medications all matter, so treat this as data, not a prescription.