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Eating on Hemodialysis
Hemodialysis cleans the blood a few times a week, so between sessions fluid and minerals build up. Eating well on hemodialysis means enough protein for the protein lost in treatment, and a closer eye on fluid, potassium, phosphorus and sodium.
Why dialysis changes the rules
Hemodialysis filters your blood for a few hours, usually three times a week. Between sessions, the potassium, phosphorus, fluid and waste that healthy kidneys would remove steadily keep accumulating. Your diet bridges the gap between treatments — and because dialysis itself removes protein building blocks, you need more protein than you did before dialysis, not less.
Your dialysis team weighs you at every session. The weight gained between sessions is mostly fluid, and keeping that gain modest makes treatment gentler on your heart and blood pressure.
What changes, and why
Protein up: most people on hemodialysis are advised to eat a protein food at every meal — eggs, fish, chicken, meat or other proteins — to replace what treatment removes and protect muscle. Your dietitian sets your personal target.
Fluid watched: your team will give you a daily fluid allowance based on how much urine you still make. Everything liquid at room temperature counts, including soups, ice and jelly.
Potassium and phosphorus in check: both rise between sessions. Choose lower-potassium foods more often, watch portions of higher ones, and remember that phosphorus hides in additives in processed food — scan ingredient lists for words containing 'PHOS'. If you are prescribed phosphate binders, they only work when taken as directed with food — ask your team, never adjust them yourself.
Sodium down: less sodium means less thirst, which makes the fluid allowance far easier to keep. Most sodium comes from processed and restaurant food, not the salt shaker.
A sample day
Breakfast: Eggs with toast and a small portion of berries or pineapple, plus your measured cup of tea or coffee.
Lunch: Chicken or tuna (drained, low-salt) sandwich with lettuce and cucumber; a small apple.
Snack: Unsalted crackers or rice cakes; a few grapes.
Dinner: Grilled salmon or beef with rice, green beans and cauliflower, flavoured with herbs and lemon.
Drinks: Sips spread across the day within your allowance; ice chips or a frozen grape can stretch a small amount of fluid further.
A sample only — quantities and choices are set by your own targets, blood results and appetite. Ask your renal dietitian to adapt it.
Related conditions
Related procedures & tests
Related symptoms
Watch: related videos
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need more protein now than before dialysis?
Each hemodialysis session removes amino acids, the building blocks of protein, along with the waste. Eating a protein food at each meal replaces those losses and helps prevent the muscle wasting that makes people on dialysis weak and prone to infection. Your dietitian will tell you how much is right for your size and blood results.
How can I feel less thirsty on a fluid allowance?
Cutting sodium is the single biggest help, because salt drives thirst. Small sips spread through the day, ice chips, sugar-free sweets or gum, and keeping your mouth moist all help. If you have diabetes, keeping blood sugar steady also reduces thirst. Tell your team if thirst or between-session weight gains are a struggle — allowances can sometimes be adjusted.
These pages are general education about eating with kidney disease, dialysis or a kidney transplant. They are not medical advice and do not replace your own care plan. Kidney diets are individual: what is right for you depends on your stage, your blood tests, your medicines and your other conditions. Always talk to your care team or renal dietitian before changing what you eat, and never stop or change a medicine because of something you read here.