When diagnosed with kidney disease, you may feel overwhelmed with all the foods you have been told you can no longer eat. It can be hard finding meals and recipes that taste good and still support your kidney health! As a kidney dietitian, one of the recipes I get asked about the most is dairy free mashed potatoes. Yes, you can still eat potatoes when you have kidney disease. Today, I’m sharing my favorite dairy free mashed potato recipe for you to try!

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The reason you may hear potatoes are “bad” for those with kidney disease is because they are high in potassium. However, it is important to note that just because you’ve been diagnosed with kidney disease does not mean that you have to be on a potassium restriction. If you do, in fact, have to be on a potassium restricted diet, then there are ways to reduce your potassium and still enjoy mashed potatoes. Two ways to do this is by double boiling them to remove potassium from the potatoes and to choose a dairy free milk to reduce potassium in the recipe.

How to double boil mashed potatoes

The double boil method is a great technique for removing some of the potassium in your potatoes! The double boil method can remove up to 50-75% of the potassium from your potatoes. You’ll first want to rinse, peel and dice the potatoes. Then, you will boil the potatoes for 5-10 minutes. Once that’s done, you will rinse the potatoes again, add new water to the pot and boil again for another 5-10 minutes.

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes: I prefer to use Yukon Gold potatoes

1/2-1 cup unsweetened cashew milk: I love Elmhurst cashew milk or Silk cashew milk

I chose unsweetened cashew milk because it is lower in potassium than regular dairy milk. For example, one cup of Silk unsweetened cashew milk has 0 mg of potassium & 1 cup of Elmhurst cashew milk has 150 mg of potassium whereas 2% milk has around 400 mg of potassium.

3 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped chives

Directions:

Step 1: Prepare Potatoes

Rinse, peel, dice potatoes in quarters or smaller

Step 2: First Boil

Boil the potatoes for 5-10 minutes in a large stockpot

Step 3: Double Boil

Rinse the potatoes again, add new water to the stockpot, and boil again in new water for another 5-10 minutes.

Step 4: Add Flavor

Drain water and place potatoes in a large bowl. Add cashew milk, oil, and black pepper.

Step 5: Mash Potatoes

Mash the potatoes with the other ingredients with a hand mixer or potato masher. Stir until well combined.

Step 6: Top the Potatoes

Top with parsley and chives.

How to store the dairy free mashed potatoes

You may store the potatoes in the refrigerator by placing them in a large bowl and covering with plastic wrap or an air-tight lid. They will hold for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, poke holes in the plastic wrap or loosen the lid from the bowl and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. You could also reheat on the stovetop by placing potatoes and a little water or cashew milk in a pot. Cook on medium high heat until cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Dairy Free Mashed potatoes in a bowl on a table

Kellsey Reed