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Almond milk ranges from 150 to 250 mg potassium, and rice milk is lowest with a range from 20 to 80 mg. For kidney patients, the best choice is often determined by potassium from blood test results. If levels are high, soy milk is not a good milk substitute.
Are there any alternatives to milk if I have kidney disease? Yes. Soy milk, rice milk and almond milk can be found in most grocery stores, while other milk alternative products have also gained in popularity. However, some of these products do contain significant amounts of potassium and/or phosphorus, so it’s important to check labels.
Milk alternatives can be lower in phosphorus and potassium than cow’s milk unless they have additives. Soy milk is high in protein. Almond milk is a good source of vitamin E and antioxidants. Nut and seed-based milks contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which benefit heart health.
Substituting almond milk for 2% cow’s milk reduces phosphorus by 127 mg and potassium by 163 mg per 1/2 cup. Additionally, milk provides calcium. Some milk alternatives have added calcium and are even higher in calcium than milk. Your doctor or dietitian may ask you to closely watch calcium intake.
Sugar: 5g. This kidney friendly milk is low protein and lower in potassium than some alternatives. It is high in calcium and somewhat high in sodium (be sure to choose some lower sodium foods in your day to balance this out). Compared to other sweetened plant milks, this milk is lower in sugar.
You may choose to focus on low potassium milk or low phosphorus milk, depending on your CKD stage and laboratory results. You can refer to your nephrologist and renal dietitian for renal diet recommendations. There are great milk alternatives to manage your CKD condition.
If you are trying to follow a low-potassium diet, look for potassium that is less than 3 % of the recommended intake or less than 150 mg of potassium per serving. If phosphorous is listed, look for products with less than 5% (63 mg) per serving. As well, choose food items with less than 5% sodium or less than 150 mg of sodium per serving.
If you are watching potassium (as advised by your doctor and renal dietitian) many non-dairy milks offer a lower potassium alternative to dairy milk. I reviewed at least 25 non-dairy milk products in writing this article, and they ranged between 30-200mg of potassium per 1 cup serving – significantly lower than dairy milk.
Milk alternatives can be lower in phosphorus and potassium than cow’s milk unless they have additives. Soy milk is high in protein. Almond milk is a good source of vitamin E and antioxidants. Nut and seed-based milks contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which benefit heart health.
In some cases the label may include phosphorus expressed as a percentage of the Daily Value, which is the percent of a nutrient recommended based on a 2000 calorie healthy diet (5% or less is low and equals 50 mg phosphorus and 20% or more is high and equals 200 mg phosphorus).