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Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for many people because it’s a time for family and friends to be together, plus all that great food. If you are following a special diet, like the kidney diet, you may find that holidays centered around eating are stressful. You can refocus by planning some non-food related holiday events. How about some pre or post meal exercise such as walking, basketball, bonce ball, or a Wii activity? You can plan a time for guests to focus on what they are truly thankful for and share with the family. Recalling great family stories is fun and a great way to hand down family history to the younger ones. Think about showing family videos, a photo slideshow or photos albums.

When it comes to destressing over holiday foods, time to stop worrying. The ������ý dietitians have created helpful, kidney-friendly eating guidelines to make your Thanksgiving eating easy.

Good to Eat Guidelines for Thanksgiving

• Homemade soups made with low potassium ingredients and less or no salt
• Roast turkey, chicken, pork, or lean beef seasoned with pepper, thyme, Mrs. Dash herb seasoning blends other herbs
• Homemade gravy made with plain flour (not “self-rising”), less or no salt, and fat skimmed
• Cranberry sauce or juice (limit amount if you have diabetes)
• Stuffing/dressing made with homemade cornbread and/or bread cubes, sage, onion, celery, salt-free broth 
• Rice or mashed potatoes made from potatoes soaked to reduce potassium before cooking
• Loaf bread, yeast rolls, or hot water cornbread made with plain cornmeal
• Green beans, turnip greens (in moderation), corn, carrots, yellow squash, green beans, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, string beans, eggplant, peppers, cabbage, coleslaw, small green salad
• Pie or dessert made with apples or berries; chess pie (limit amount if you have diabetes)
• Whipped topping on dessert
• Sprite®, & 7Up®, or ginger ale (“diet” or "zero" if you have diabetes are avoiding excess calories)
• Wine or liquor in moderation if OK with doctor / medications
• Tea, coffee, lemonade

Best To  Limit for Thanksgiving

(High in Phosphorus, Potassium or Salt / Sodium)

• Canned soups; salty soup
• Baked ham (very high in salt), Country ham (very, very high in salt)
• Canned or powdered gravies; Gravies made with vegetable cooking water (high potassium)
• Stove Top® instant stuffing; Cornbread dressing made from cornmeal mix (high in salt and phosphorus)
• Dressings containing chestnuts, raisins, prunes (high in potassium) or giblets (high in phosphorus) 
• Macaroni and cheese made from mixes or with lots of cheese (if eaten at all, make homemade Macaroni and Cheese)
• Canned biscuits, biscuits and bread made from mixes or self-rising products (high in sodium and phosphorus)
• Tomato (if more than a slice), yams, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, baked or fried potatoes (high potassium–you can reduce by soaking potatoes and squash). Can be enjoyed, just be mindful of portion size (recommend ~1/2 cup)
• Pumpkin pie (high potassium), pecan pie (high potassium, high phosphorus)
• Ice cream that exceeds daily milk allowance (high phosphorus and potassium)
• Coke®, Pepsi®, or other “cola” drinks, Hawaiian Punch® or other bottled or canned drinks with phosphate additives (high phosphorus)
• Beer (high phosphorus) 
• Hot chocolate and milk have phosphorus and potassium. Be mindful of portion size. Try our Fabulous Hot Cocoa

For a complete Thanksgiving menu with kidney-friendly recipes ������ý.com’s feature article "A Feast for Giving Thanks" will provide everything you need to have a stress-free Thanksgiving meal.