Renal Diet Calculator

This calculator estimates daily nutrient targets for chronic kidney disease using representative values for each CKD stage drawn from the National Kidney Foundation's KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline for Nutrition in CKD (2020 update), from early-stage CKD through hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. CKD stage is the dominant factor for the electrolyte and fluid limits specifically: sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and fluid limits are looked up purely from the selected stage and do not scale with body weight at all. Protein and calorie targets, by contrast, scale directly with weight and are actually weight-dominated -- across the full input ranges, body weight moves the protein target by far more than switching CKD stage does, since a stage change only adjusts the per-kg multiplier while weight scales the result directly across a much wider range. Protein needs follow a distinctive, clinically real pattern that is NOT simply "less protein is always better": stages 1-2 have no meaningful restriction (0.8-1.0 g/kg), stages 3-5 restrict protein to slow progression (0.6-0.8 g/kg), but dialysis reverses that trend entirely -- both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients need MORE protein than even healthy adults (1.0-1.2 g/kg for both, per the KDOQI 2020 update) because dialysis itself removes protein and amino acids from the blood, and PD's continuous exchange process was historically thought to need an even higher target, but current guidance harmonizes both modalities at the same range.

Similarly, potassium and fluid limits are generally most permissive early, tighten through stages 3-5, and then diverge by dialysis modality: peritoneal dialysis typically allows more fluid and potassium than hemodialysis, because PD removes both more continuously across each day rather than only during intermittent hemodialysis sessions. Calorie needs use a flat 25 kcal/kg (diabetic) or 30 kcal/kg (non-diabetic) estimate, independent of CKD stage -- both values sit within KDOQI's broader 25-35 kcal/kg/day CKD energy range, but the diabetes-based split itself is this calculator's own simplifying heuristic (reflecting common practice toward more conservative calorie targets for glycemic and weight management in diabetic patients) rather than a figure KDOQI specifically assigns by diabetes status; KDOQI instead varies its 25-35 kcal/kg range by age, sex, activity level, body composition, and CKD stage. These are general reference ranges, not an individualized prescription -- actual targets should be set by a renal dietitian based on lab trends, residual kidney function, and dialysis adequacy.