Low-Protein Diet – Recipes, Principles, Meal Plan
A low-protein diet is a specific eating method recommended especially for people struggling with kidney and liver diseases. It is a high-carbohydrate eating model that includes a significant reduction in protein intake. What are the rules of a low-protein diet? What to eat on a protein-free diet? What does a low-protein diet meal plan look like?
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Low-protein diet - what is it? Who should follow a low-protein diet?
A low-protein diet, or more precisely an easily digestible low-protein diet, is a way of eating used to reduce the level of toxic by-products of protein catabolism, such as urea and ammonia. It is an eating model applied to protect diseased organs - the liver and kidneys - most often used in kidney failure, as well as in people suffering from phenylketonuria or disorders of amino acid or protein metabolism.
A low-protein diet is not suitable for everyone, and a meal plan that limits protein intake should be individually tailored to the consumer. Therefore, before starting a protein-free diet, it is worth consulting a doctor or dietitian.
Rules of a low-protein diet
The aim of a low-protein diet is to maintain good nutritional status by providing the body with the right amount of energy and nutrients while limiting protein intake.
A low-protein diet should be easily digestible, which can maximize the availability of nutrients. At the same time, the reduction of protein in the meal plan should be as small as possible and last as short as possible. Therefore, the amount of protein in a low-protein diet should be adjusted to the consumer, taking into account previous test results and the efficiency of the diseased organs.
Protein in a low-protein diet
The amount of protein in the meal plan should not have a negative impact on the kidneys or liver, and at the same time should not cause a negative nitrogen balance, which could lead to body wasting. For this reason, it is usually recommended to provide 0.6-0.7 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day with a low-protein diet, which usually gives about 40-50 g of protein daily.
In the case of advanced kidney or liver failure, it may be advisable to further limit protein intake – in such cases, it is recommended that protein intake with the daily diet should not exceed 0.6 g per kilogram of body weight per day.
Importantly, because plant protein is low in essential amino acids, proteins in a low-protein diet should come in 75% from animal products, which have high biological value.
Since protein tolerance may change during the course of the disease, it is worth performing regular tests and adjusting protein intake to the body’s capabilities.
Fats and carbohydrates in a low-protein diet
In kidney diseases, fat intake does not require restrictions, but it is worth including mainly plant and fish oils in the diet.
In liver diseases, the proper amount of fat should be discussed with a doctor, as in some cases – such as liver failure – reducing fat intake in a low-protein diet may be a good solution.
A low-protein diet is a high-carbohydrate eating model, in which more than 60% of energy comes from carbohydrates. The main sources of carbohydrates in a low-protein diet are cereal products as well as vegetables and fruits.
Fluids and minerals in a low-protein diet
During a low-protein diet, it is advisable to control fluid and electrolyte intake – fluid consumption is usually limited because decreased urine output can cause electrolyte retention in the body. For this reason, it is often recommended to limit salting meals and eating products with added salt.
Moreover, it may sometimes be reasonable to reduce potassium intake. Since balancing a low-protein diet properly can be difficult, it is usually recommended to use dietary supplements containing calcium, iron, or water-soluble vitamins when limiting protein intake.
Low-protein diet - what to eat? Allowed low-protein products
Products allowed in limited amounts:
- low-protein and low-sodium wheat bread
- meat, e.g., veal, chicken, turkey
- pasta made from low-protein flour
- fish, e.g., cod, trout, hake
- potatoes
- milk and dairy products such as cottage cheese, homogenized cheese, kefir, or yogurt
- additions such as jam and honey
- eggs
- milk-based desserts and jellies
- vegetables, including carrot, pumpkin, asparagus, parsley root, spinach, and cauliflower
- plant oils, e.g., sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, or olive oil
- fruits such as apples, apricots, kiwi, or plums
- herbs and spices such as tarragon, basil, thyme, cinnamon, parsley, marjoram, caraway, or mint
- milk puddings
- groats and rice
In a low-protein diet, it is recommended to use cooking methods such as boiling, stewing, or baking without added fat. Meals should be prepared without salt, and fat is best added to the plate, to ready meals.
For people who need to limit potassium intake, a good solution may be to leach potassium from vegetables by soaking and draining the water during cooking.
Protein-free diet - what products to exclude from the meal plan?
When reducing protein intake in the daily menu, the following products should be excluded from the diet:
- regular salted bread
- cold cuts, canned meats, aged cheeses, processed cheeses, yellow cheeses, blue cheeses, or feta
- smoked fish and pickled herring
- fruits such as pears, cherries, watermelon, as well as unripe and dried fruits, and pickled fruits
- fatty creams, desserts with chocolate, nuts, or cakes
- spices such as pepper, vinegar, mustard, allspice, or bay leaf
- fried potatoes
- pickled and canned vegetables, stewed vegetables with roux, and vegetables such as onion, cucumber, garlic, turnip, and kohlrabi
- fatty fish, e.g., salmon, eel, catfish
- fatty meats such as pork, lamb, duck, or goose
In a low-protein diet, frying and baking with added fat should be avoided.
Low-protein diet - meal plan
A “low-protein diet - weekly meal plan” is quite a challenge. To meet the recommendations regarding protein restriction in the daily menu, it is advised to use low-protein grain products – flours, pasta.
A protein-free diet should be tailored individually to the consumer’s needs. What could a sample meal plan on a low-protein diet look like?
Breakfast - rice with apples and tea with lemon
Ingredients: half a bag of white rice, one large apple, a tea bag of black tea, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 250 ml water.
Preparation: Cook the rice until soft, according to package instructions. Wash, peel, and grate the apple on a fine grater. Mix the fruit with the cooked rice. Boil the water, pour it over the tea, remove the tea bag, add lemon juice, and stir.
Second breakfast - bread roll with tomato
Ingredients: one low-protein bread roll, one tomato, 1 teaspoon butter.
Preparation: Cut the bread roll in half and spread with butter. Scald the tomato, peel off the skin, cut into slices, and place them on the bread roll.
Lunch - millet “risotto” with vegetables and chicken
Ingredients: half a bag of millet groats, one large chicken breast, one carrot, one parsley root, two tomatoes, one beet, 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil, favorite allowed spices, one glass of water.
Preparation: Cook the millet according to package instructions. Wash, dry, and dice the chicken breast, then cook it. Wash and peel the carrot, parsley root, and beet, cut them into small pieces, and cook. When the vegetables soften, add peeled and chopped tomatoes and mix everything. Combine the cooked millet with the cooked meat and vegetables. Drizzle with oil, season with spices, and mix well. Drink a glass of water with the meal.
Afternoon snack - raspberry jelly with pieces of raspberries
Ingredients: 200 g raspberries, 50 ml water, 1 teaspoon gelatin, 1 teaspoon erythritol.
Preparation: Wash the raspberries. Put ¾ of the raspberries into a pot, add water and erythritol. Bring to a boil, then add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the remaining raspberries. Let cool, then place in the fridge until set.
Dinner - potato dumplings with tomato sauce, mint tea
Ingredients: two potatoes, 1 tablespoon low-protein flour, two tomatoes, 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil, favorite allowed spices, a mint tea bag, 250 ml water.
Preparation: Peel, cut, and cook the potatoes. Mash the cooked potatoes, add the flour, and form walnut-sized balls. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the dumplings into the boiling water. Cook for 3–4 minutes after they rise to the surface. Remove the dumplings and prepare the tomato sauce – wash and scald the tomatoes, peel, and mash them with a fork. Transfer to a pot and heat over low heat. Add the spices and stir. Add the rapeseed oil, stir, and remove from heat. Pour the prepared sauce over the potato dumplings.
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