Kidney Friendly Low Sodium Healthy Beans Turkey Chili (2024)

This simple and flavorful Kidney Friendly Low Sodium Healthy Beans Turkey Chili recipe combines lean ground turkey, red kidney beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chili to make the most delicious stew.

This recipe makes for a tasty and easy put-together comfort food. It is great as a main dish but you can also put it on top of a baked potato or serve it as a side to another main dish.

This is a basic recipe for chili that includes lean turkey meat and beans and has a lot of flavor but is not difficult to make. You could use ground beef instead of turkey if you wanted to make a beef chili, or you could omit the meat entirely and increase the amount of beans and vegetables to make it a vegetarian chili.

This recipe is kidney friendly

The most important thing you can do to improve your condition if you have CKD is to manage your protein intake. Your protein needs and stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) will determine how much protein you should eat.

This recipe contains a total of 15 grams of protein per serving, which is really okay for all stages of CKD, including dialysis. Of the 15 grams, 11 grams come from animal sources, which happen to be turkey in this recipe. Having animal sources of protein in small amounts is great for CKD, as it provides great nutrition and at the same time does not make your kidneys work very hard.

About 5 grams of protein in this recipe comes from plant sources, which is mostly beans in this case. Adding protein sources from plants is a great way to help your kidneys heal as plant based protein generates fewer toxic wastes, which means less work for your kidneys.

Watching your phosphorus intake is the second most important thing you can do if you have kidney disease. Usually, phosphorus intake during the early stages of CKD (1 and 2) is not a problem, as your kidneys are still functional and are able to remove excess phosphorus from your body.

However, as CKD progresses to stages 3 and beyond, your kidneys’ capacity to remove phosphorus from your body is reduced. This means that phosphorus can start building up in your blood and can lead to hyperphosphatemia as well as other health complications.

This recipe contains 184 mg of phosphorus per serving. Of this, 101 mg come from turkey, and 84 mg come from the other ingredients in this recipe, which are plant-based.

Keep in mind that about 40–60% of the phosphorus in animal-based foods is absorbed by your body. However, only 10–30% of phosphorus is absorbed from plant-based foods. This is a very good reason to include more plant-based foods in your diet if you have CKD.

About half the phosphorus (101 mg) in this recipe comes from turkey. So, if you are on a phosphorus-restricted diet, you can reduce the amount of turkey in this recipe to make it more suitable for your condition and still have the health benefits of this delicious recipe.

Okay, let’s talk about sodium next. This recipe contains 211 mg of sodium per serving, which is moderately low. This is great if you have hypertension or are on a low-sodium diet. Managing your sodium intake is especially important if you have moderate or advanced stages of CKD, as sodium causes water retention in the body.

The potassium content in this recipe is moderate at 451 mg per serving. You do not need to limit your potassium intake unless you have been asked to do so by your healthcare provider. A higher intake of potassium is a great way to manage your hypertension, which is a leading cause of the development of CKD.

Tomatoes contribute about 25 percent of the potassium in this recipe. If you have hyperkalemia or high blood potassium levels, you can reduce the amount of tomatoes in this recipe to adapt it to your health condition.

This recipe is heart-healthy

A heart-healthy diet is one that does not have high amounts of saturated fat. High intake of saturated fat has been shown to increase blood cholesterol levels, which is a leading cause for development of arterial clots and stroke. This recipe contains moderately low amounts of saturated fat (1.6 grams per serving), which is great for your heart health.

Another thing that goes into making a recipe heart-healthy is its sodium content. This recipe has moderately low sodium, with only 211 mg of sodium per serving. This means that this recipe is great for managing your blood pressure and preventing heart diseases such as stroke or heart attack.

This recipe diabetes friendly

If you are looking for a chili recipe that is good for diabetes, then this recipe is surely a good choice!
This recipe has 15 grams of carbohydrate per serving, which could be considered low. What’s more, of the 15 grams of carbohydrate, 30%, or about 5 grams, are fiber. A good amount of fiber means that the carbohydrates in this recipe will be absorbed slowly into your bloodstream, reducing the chances of a blood sugar spike.

Ingredients that make this recipe great

Turkey: Turkey is a good source of protein because it comes from an animal. It has all nine essential amino acids that your body needs to work well. Turkey is especially high in threonine, an amino acid that boosts immunity and helps build collagen, which is good for your skin.

Kidney beans: Kidney beans provide a bit of a sweet flavor to this recipe. They are a great source of plant-based protein if you are on a renal diet. They also contain complex carbohydrates rich in fiber. Fiber is crucial for colon health and reduces your risk of colon cancer. In fact, 1 cup of raw kidney beans contains 46 grams of fiber.

Apart from being high in fiber, kidney beans are also an excellent source of iron and folic acid. Iron is required by your body for red blood cell production. Folic acid helps with DNA and RNA synthesis, healthy digestion, and the creation of red blood cells.

Vegetables: This chili contains vegetables such as tomatoes and green bell peppers. Tomatoes are among the top five vegetable sources of antioxidants. Carotenoids are a type of antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer.

Green bell peppers are an excellent source of carotenoids and antioxidants, which are essential for proper vision, growth, collagen production, a healthy heart, and blood circulation.

How to make this recipe

Here are the steps that you need to follow to make this recipe –

• Heat a large saucepan pan over medium heat.
• Add oil and saute garlic, onion and bell peppers for about 10 minutes.
• Add turkey and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the turkey is cooked. Remove any excess fat from the saucepan.
• Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring the chili to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low. Keep the chili uncovered and simmer it for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Serve with your favorite dish.

How to store this recipe

This recipe passes my strict “leftovers test” with flying colors, which is one of my favorite things about it. This recipe tastes even better the next day than it did the day that I made it. If you’re looking for a chili recipe that fits the bill for being a delicious leftover, then look no further.

You can keep the leftovers from this recipe in a container with a lid for 3 to 4 days. This recipe can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a container that keeps air out.

FAQs

Is turkey good for a renal diet?

Turkey can be a part of a healthy renal diet. However, since turkey is a source of high protein, the amount you can eat will depend on the stage of your kidney disease.

Generally, a low-protein diet is recommended if you are not on dialysis. Your protein intake will be increased if you are receiving dialysis, though.
It is important that you know your daily protein intake and eat based on your stage of kidney disease. You can learn more about your daily protein intake.

Other kidney friendly recipes

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Kidney friendly low sodium Asian edamame pasta salad
Kidney friendly low sodium taco seasoning
Low protein low sodium spicy potato chickpea stew
Low sodium low potassium asparagus lemon pasta salad