Low-Phosphate Diets

Too much phosphorus in the body, called hyperphosphatemia, can cause serious health issues. Many adults can handle about 2,000mg of phosphorus daily, but since the kidneys filter phosphorus from the blood, those with kidney damage should lower intake to about half that amount. While doctors often prescribe medications to help reduce phosphorus, a low-phosphate diet may help with some health problems.

Dairy

• Limit or avoid dairy products, as they contain high phosphates. Milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, pre-made puddings and mixes and cottage cheese make poor choices on a low-phosphorus diet. Replace them with rice milk or non-dairy creamer products, cream cheese, sherbet or frozen fruit ice pops and non-dairy whipped cream. Watch for other foods that don't as obviously contain dairy, such as cream soups. You can reduce the phosphorus content of a cream soup tremendously by mixing it with water instead of milk (from 275mg to 90) and cut the amount in pudding by two-thirds by using non-dairy creamer.

Grains and Pasta

• Whole grain products, considered a healthy part of many diets, spell danger for a low-phosphorus program. Whole grain breads, crackers, cereals and pastas as well as quickbreads, such as biscuits, muffins, pancakes and waffles have high phosphate content. Replace them with choices such as white bread, refined rice and pasta, bagels, English muffins and croissants. Avoid bran cereals and breads and oatmeal. While a serving of oatmeal contains 130mg of phosphorus, the same amount of cream of wheat or grits has only 40mg.

Vegetables

• Fresh, canned and frozen vegetables make good choices on a low-phosphorus diet. Eliminate many starchy vegetables such as peas, corn, lima beans, parsnips, pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Also avoid broccoli, spinach, artichokes, asparagus, mushrooms and peapods. Low-phosphate choices include green beans, cabbage, beets, celery, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, peppers, onions, summer squash and tomatoes. Some starchy choices, such as rutabaga and potatoes, are lower in phosphorus. Skip any beans other than green or wax beans, like pintos, kidney, navy and black beans.

Proteins

• Various meats are low in phosphorus including beef, chicken, pork, lamb, turkey and some fish. Steer clear of walleye, pollock, sardines, herrings, roe, oysters, prawns and crab. Organ meats, including heart, kidney, liver and sweetbreads contain high phosphates. Although eggs contain relatively little phosphorus, limit them to one a day and three or four each week. Stay away from processed meats including lunch meats like bologna, sausage and hot dogs.

Sweets and Snacks

• Limit nuts and seeds as they are also high-phosphate choices. This restriction includes sunflower seeds, peanuts and even peanut butter. Hard candies and gumdrops may satisfy your sweet tooth, but cut chocolate from your diet, including fudge and chocolate toppings. A 1-1/2 oz. chocolate bar has 125mg of phosphorus compared to only 3mg in the same weight of jelly beans, for instance. Skip cola drinks as well, replacing them with lemon-lime beverages, ginger ale or root beer.