1/15/16 Update – I saw a post on FaceBook that offered a free sample (just pay shipping) from Vida-Fuel.  I would highly recommend you try these snacks! Go to their WebSite to see the offer

Hey everyone!  Sorry for the lack of new material for a while but it’s been a tough year and I just can’t seem to get to my desktop as often.  Sorry for that.  I’ve been working very hard to get this old body in shape, reducing my weight, and earning a few extra bucks with Uber driving.  More about all that later (and I have much to say).  Now it’s about snacking.

If you snack then make it a kidney-friendly snack.  Frankly, I rarely eat any snack foods as they all contain the two dreaded ingredients, Phosphorus and Potassium!  Yuck!  However, here are a couple items that may fill the need and be kidney friendly.

KidneyBuzz.com “How Can CKD & Dialysis Patients Enjoy Late-Night Snacks Without Guilt & Negative Consequences?“

Kidneybuzz has a good article about snacking, especially late-night snacks.  I like most of their ideas.  However, the banana suggestion is one I’m skeptical about.  Yes, there are some few dialysis patients who actually have low potassium and could benefit from the high potassium content in bananas.  But, for most of us, we must avoid high potassium foods but as my dietitian put it, “No Bananas!” and I’ve followed that ever since.  My potassium remains as 5.5 usually and, sometimes it exceeds that.  I carefully avoid both tomatoes and bananas.

The cottage cheese and apple slices with crackers are very good ideas.  Also, the yogurt. These can be purchased in small containers but if you buy them in larger containers, be sure to put what you’re going to eat into a smaller container.  The larger the container, the more you eat and that’s no longer a snack.  It’s a meal!  (As I’m on a weight reduction program, I’m much more sensitive to these things!).

It’s very easy to gain weight in the first few years of dialysis and CKD.  Because you don’t have much energy, you tend to eat and sleep a lot.  It’s not unusual for people with kidney failure to gain 30-40 pounds.  Of course, there will be some who lose and some who remain the same weight.  But, I’ve spoken with many who have gained weight and it should be monitored carefully.  “A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.”  is true.  It is so easy to put on weight and so very difficult to get it off.

Vida-Fuel Snacks

I met the Vida-Fuel founder on an AAKP teleconference call.  I was extremely impressed with her knowledge of the dietary needs of dialysis patients.  She has her finger on the pulse when it comes to our search for things to eat that are low in calories, potassium and phosphorus.  She asked me to taste a sampling of the Vida-Fuel snacks and I gladly obliged but I was also skeptical.  My experience with other products has not been very good.  They often taste bland, too salty, bitter aftertaste from chemicals used to create artificial flavors, etc.  You know.  You’ve probably been there, ate that.  Boy was I surprised… and PLEASED! They have a great texture that’s light and crunchy.  Frankly, I liked every flavor.

They have Spicy BBQ flavored snacks that are just what they say; BBQ with a little kick but not too much to make them undesirable for those with sensitive tastebuds.  At least, that’s my call on them.  You can comment below if your experience is the same or different. Needless to say, these are my favorite.

They have Chocolate Caramel and as they say, it’s a “sweet chocolaty puff”.  It is.  Again, I enjoyed it.  Also, they offer White Drizzle Crisps that are fantastic.  They literally are crisps and have a coating of white chocolate.  I found nothing that didn’t please me.  Finally, they have Kettle Corn Crisps that made me recall the State Fair with the sweet, wonderful smell of kettle Corn in the midway.  The taste was just as described.

For Vida-Fuel, what you see is what you get; lots of healthy ingredients with great taste.  “VidaFuel has controlled the sodium, potassium, and phosphorus levels to ensure safe consumption. Our meals are a good source of high biological value protein as well.”  Treats with low potassium, sodium and phosphorus!  That’s hard to beat.  Your dietitian will be pleased.

And the ingredients are spelled out on their website.  When I first heard about them, I expected bland tasting snacks but these are VERY flavorful and THEN they are healthy.  How they managed to balance taste and healthy, I don’t know but I’m darned glad they did.  As dialysis patients, we need healthy snacks that taste good and these do.

As they write on their website: “VidaFuel has created a proprietary line of snacks and frozen meals that meet the nutritional needs of those with CKD and on dialysis, while tasting delicious.“  And by goodness, they accomplished it.   Thank you, Vida-Fuel!

Now, here’s the difficult part… KEEP them away from non-dialysis people.  They will like them too and you’ll have a hard time keeping them for yourself.  Don’t let them into them.  Tell them they are just for dialysis patients and they are protein and vitamin snacks. Tell them they taste terrible but the dietitian told you to eat them.  HeeHee.  Unfortunately, my boys got into them and Boom! they were gone almost before I could taste them all.  Lesson learned.

(Let me know in the comments below if you purchase them and what you thought about them.)

© DevonTexas 2015