For CKD stages 1–5 · Dialysis · Transplant
Know it’s kidney-safe before you take a bite.
Snap a photo, say it out loud, or type it in. KidneyPal scores every meal against daily limits built for your CKD stage — sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and protein, tracked for you.
- kidney patients tracking with KidneyPal
17,000+
kidney patients tracking with KidneyPal
- star rating across the App Store & Google Play
4.5
star rating across the App Store & Google Play
- clinical guidelines behind every nutrient target
NKF KDOQI
clinical guidelines behind every nutrient target
- encrypted, never sold, delete anytime
Private
encrypted, never sold, delete anytime
Why it’s so hard
The renal diet is a moving target.
Here’s what kidney patients tell us every day — maybe it sounds familiar.
One wrong meal can undo a careful week
A single high-potassium dish can be dangerous depending on your labs. The constant anxiety around food is exhausting — and most of it comes from simply not knowing.
The rules change with your stage
What’s fine at Stage 2 can be risky at Stage 4. Dialysis flips the protein rules entirely. Generic diet apps don’t know the difference — they weren’t built for kidneys.
Phosphorus hides where labels don’t look
Phosphate additives are everywhere in processed food but rarely printed on the label. Most tracking apps can’t even estimate them.
The answer
Point your camera. Get your answer.
This is a real scan — grilled chicken with roasted vegetables. Looks healthy, right? For a Stage 3 kidney diet, the sweet potato and broccoli push potassium high. KidneyPal catches it in seconds, then shows you the fix.
A verdict in plain English
“A large share of your daily potassium limit — mainly from the sweet potato and broccoli.” Not just a wall of numbers. Every meal gets a Kidney Score from 0–100, judged against your personal limits.
The four numbers that matter
Sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and protein — estimated per meal, including the phosphate additives that never make it onto labels.
A smarter swap, not a lecture
“Roasted sweet potato → roasted parsnip or leached potato: 50% less potassium.” KidneyPal suggests the fix, you keep the meal you wanted.
Logged with one tap
Tap “Add to Diary” and the whole meal lands in your daily budget. No searching databases, no weighing portions.
The most-used feature
No photo? Just say it.
More meals are logged this way than any other in KidneyPal. “4oz grilled chicken breast, white rice with grilled broccoli” becomes a named, scored, fully-totaled diary entry in seconds.
- Speak it or type it — no database hunting
- Scored against your personal limits
- One tap and it’s in your diary
Personalization
Stage 3a is not Stage 4. Your limits shouldn’t pretend it is.
Tell KidneyPal your stage once and every score, budget, and suggestion is measured against targets built for it. Conditions like high blood pressure tighten your sodium target automatically.
Default daily targets shown, based on NKF KDOQI guidelines. Your care team’s advice always comes first.
- Sodium
- 2,300 mg
- Potassium
- 3,000 mg
- Phosphorus
- 1,000 mg
- Protein
- 0.8 g/kg
- Sodium
- 2,000 mg
- Potassium
- 2,500 mg
- Phosphorus
- 800 mg
- Protein
- 0.6–0.8 g/kg
- Sodium
- 1,500 mg
- Potassium
- 2,000 mg
- Phosphorus
- 700 mg
- Protein
- 0.6 g/kg
- Sodium
- 2,000 mg
- Potassium
- 2,500 mg
- Phosphorus
- 1,000 mg
- Protein
- 1.0–1.2 g/kg
| Your stage | Sodium | Potassium | Phosphorus | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1–2 | 2,300 mg | 3,000 mg | 1,000 mg | 0.8 g/kg |
| Stage 3a · 3bMost common | 2,000 mg | 2,500 mg | 800 mg | 0.6–0.8 g/kg |
| Stage 4–5 | 1,500 mg | 2,000 mg | 700 mg | 0.6 g/kg |
| Dialysis | 2,000 mg | 2,500 mg | 1,000 mg | 1.0–1.2 g/kg |
Day to day
Built around how people actually eat.
Your whole day on one screen
The diary is where KidneyPal members spend most of their time: a running budget for each nutrient, fluids included. You always know how much room is left for dinner — no math, no guessing, no flipping through printouts from the dietitian.
- Sodium, potassium, phosphorus & protein against your daily targets
- Optional extras when your care team tracks them: calories, carbs, fat, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K
- A streak that rewards showing up, not perfection
Walk into your next appointment with answers
Weekly trends show whether sodium is drifting up or potassium is staying in range — the exact patterns your nephrologist asks about. Export a doctor-ready PDF report and hand your care team real data instead of a shrug.
- 7, 30, and 90-day trends for every tracked nutrient
- Weight tracking with Apple Health sync
- A doctor report your dietitian can actually use
Recipes that already did the math
100+ kidney-safe recipes, each scored against your profile before you cook — with a plain-English “why this score” so you learn as you go. Found something on a website or in a family cookbook? Import it and KidneyPal scores that too.
- Every recipe scored 0–100 for your stage
- Sodium, potassium & phosphorus per serving — adjust servings and the math follows
- Add a serving straight to your diary
Saved favorites
Your go-to meals, saved once and logged with one tap — the third most-used way members log their day.
Barcode & label scanner
Point at any packaged food. KidneyPal reads the label — and flags the phosphate additives the label hides in the ingredient list.
Fluid tracking
Water, coffee, soup — logged against a daily fluid goal that matters on dialysis and late-stage CKD.
AI meal chat
“Could I have this twice a week?” Ask follow-up questions about any meal and get plain-English answers for your stage.
From real reviews
This app is EVERYTHING! I have shown it to my nephrologists and they are showing it to their dietitians. You have taken out the stress of figuring out each meal and helped break down my meals. I am no longer fighting with my children over what I'm allowed and what I'm not allowed 😂
Joyce · App Store review
Real reviews from the App Store & Google Play. Individual experiences — results vary.
“You're helping me save my life!”
“Dialysis and kidney disease is so challenging to manage, but I just got word from my doctors that my labs have improved drastically and I really have to give credit to this app and the swap recommendations it has helped me navigate diet and make better choices for myself.”
“I’m 43 and have stage 4 CKD. This app is really helping me managing my diet. It’s very user friendly. Calculates daily Electrolytes and Phosphate intake. Great recipes. Every food I’ve entered has come back with results, including restaurant and brand name foods.”
“Wanted you to know how much my nephrologist and renal dietitian liked the pdf summary of the nutrients I have consumed since I began Kidney Pal. My nephrologist didn’t seem to be aware of Kidney Pal and said she has other patients who could benefit. Bravo to you!”
“So far, I’m really enjoying this app, it’s been a huge help in managing my potassium, phosphorus, and fluids, which have been out of range for a long time. The swap ideas are fantastic. I’ve learned so much and I’m hopeful they’ll help me build better long-term habits.”
“I was so confused about what to eat, I joined all chats on FB and then I read about this app, it's a life saver. I'm stage 2 eGFR and I dnt want to progress further, this app makes life easier and saves our lives, it's easy to use especially using the camera to distinguish what we're eating is healthy for us.”
“Excellent app, it really helps me with my kidney failure so I can eat optimally. What I like best is that you can simply take photos of your food and all the nutrients are immediately recorded in your food diary. Highly recommended, thank you!”
“This is exactly what I needed to keep my wife healthy. Now we can track and eliminate food items that are not kidney friendly.”
“Excellent orientation. I find the daily overview very helpful. This allows you to adjust the settings for individual meals throughout the day. The scan function works very well for ready-made meals, but manual entry is better for home-cooked meals.”
“Recently diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease and came across this app, I love it, it has helped me make sense of what I'm consuming and what I'm able to consume. Love the layout, functional and very informative, brilliant job”
“The KidneyPal app is incredibly helpful. I have been sharing about this remarkable app with doctors and others who have CKD.”
“Best app I have on phone.”
Getting started
Set up before your coffee cools.
Tell us where you are
Your CKD stage, dialysis type, or transplant status — plus conditions like high blood pressure. It takes about 30 seconds.
Get your daily targets
KidneyPal builds your sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and protein budget from clinical guidelines — no spreadsheet required.
Log meals, stay in range
Photo, voice, text, or barcode. Watch your day fill in, take the smart swaps, and build a streak of kidney-safe eating.
Good questions
Asked & answered.
Anything else? Email support@kidneypal.app — a human reads every message.
Is this medical advice?
No. KidneyPal is an educational tool designed to help you track nutrients and make informed food choices. It is based on NKF KDOQI guidelines but is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your nephrologist or renal dietitian before making dietary changes.
How accurate is the AI?
Our AI uses advanced image recognition and nutritional databases to estimate nutrients. While no AI is 100% accurate, KidneyPal provides reliable estimates for sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and protein. It is especially useful for spotting high-risk foods and hidden phosphate additives that most apps miss entirely.
What CKD stages is this for?
KidneyPal supports all stages of chronic kidney disease: Stages 1 through 5, dialysis (hemodialysis and peritoneal), and post-transplant. Your daily nutrient limits are automatically adjusted based on your specific stage and any co-conditions like diabetes.
Is my data private?
Yes. Your data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and we never sell it. We share it only as described in our Privacy Policy — with the service providers that power the app. You can delete your account and all associated data at any time from the app settings.
Free to try · Cancel anytime
Your next meal can be a confident one.
Scan your next meal and see exactly where it lands — scored for your stage, in seconds.
