Kidney patients are often concerned about phosphorus in their diet as it becomes more difficult to control phosphorus with less kidney function. Meats are a sneaky source of phosphorus, having both natural or organic phosphorus as well as inorganic phosphorus with preservatives. However, there are ways to use meats lower in phosphorus and cook them to further reduce the phosphorus content. In this article, we will review why phosphorus in meats is important, meats low in phosphorus and tools to help with phosphorus in a renal diet.
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Table of Contents
Phosphorus in a Renal Diet
Phosphorus is a common concern for kidney patients. This is because phosphorus becomes more difficult for the kidneys to remove the more kidney function declines.
The renal diet guidelines recommend kidney patients limit phosphorus when blood levels are above normal ranges (1).
Types of Phosphorus
There are two main types of phosphorus kidney patients should be aware of: organic and inorganic phosphorus.
Organic Phosphorus
Organic phosphorus is a type of phosphorus that is naturally present in foods. Foods with organic phosphorus include whole grains, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, and yes – animal meats.
This type of phosphorus is not as much of a concern when it comes from plants. This is because it is not well absorbed in humans (2).
Organic phosphorus from plants is absorbed anywhere from 20% to 50%.
Organic phosphorus from animal-based foods, such as meats, is absorbed by about 40% to 60% (3).
Inorganic Phosphorus
Inorganic phosphorus is a type of phosphorus that is added to food, usually as a preservative. However, this type of phosphorus won’t be found in your food journal.
The key to finding inorganic phosphorus is to look at the ingredients list of a food label. Any ingredient with PHOS will indicate there are inorganic phosphates.
Examples of inorganic phosphorus include phosphoric acid, tricalcium phosphate and disodium phosphate.
This type of phosphorus is highly absorbed and can make a significant difference in blood phosphorus levels over time (4, 5).
Research is looking at ways to reduce phosphorus in meats, but have yet found ingredients that can replace inorganic phosphorus (6, 7).
Low Phosphorus Diet
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for phosphorus in adults is 700 milligrams per day. Most people get well over that amount each day (2, 8).
A low phosphorus diet may be recommended if blood phosphorus levels rise above 4.5 mg/dL.
However, the amount of phosphorus recommended for a low phosphorus diet depends on how much and which types of phosphorus you are eating.
Here’s an Example
Your blood phosphorus level is high and your food journal shows you are consuming 1,200 milligrams of phosphorus.
Your doctor or dietitian may recommend you limit your daily intake to 800 – 900 milligrams of phosphorus.
Additionally, it is very important to review your diet to see which types of phosphorus you are eating.
The type of phosphorus can make a big difference in blood phosphorus levels.
In fact, higher amounts of natural phosphorus from plants does not appear to increase blood phosphorus levels as much as inorganic phosphorus does (9).
Tracking Phosphorus in a Renal Diet
We recommend using a food tracker like Cronometer* to measure how much phosphorus is in your diet. The tracker will only be able to tell you overall phosphorus intake.
If your doctor or dietitian is concerned about your phosphorus levels, you can review your food journal to discuss phosphorus intake goals.
Phosphorus in Meats
In this next section, we will include several tables of phosphorus content of different meat groups.
All tables are in order of lowest to highest phosphorus content of meat to help you find meats low in phosphorus.
These tables reflect the amount of organic phosphorus in meats.
The amount of phosphorus in meats may be different depending on the brand and any inorganic phosphorus additives found.
Table of Phosphorus in Animal Meats
Below is a table of the amount of phosphorus in 100 gram portions of meat. A 100-gram serving is approximately 3.5 ounces.
| Meat | Phosphorus (milligrams) per 100 gram serving |
|---|---|
| Chicken wing | 123 |
| Pork Italian sausage | 145 |
| Ground beef (90% lean) | 148 |
| Ground turkey (93% lean) | 162 |
| Beef short ribs | 167 |
| Ground pork | 173 |
| Chicken thigh (skinless) | 178 |
| Ground chicken | 178 |
| Chicken drumstick (skinless) | 184 |
| Duck (skinless) | 186 |
| Lamb chop | 189 |
| Turkey breast (skinless) | 201 |
| Venison | 201 |
| Pork ribs | 204 |
| Beef Top Loin Steak | 206 |
| Chicken breast (skinless) | 215 |
| Pork tenderloin | 217 |
| Pork chop | 220 |
| Sweetbreads | 331 |
| Beef liver | 387 |
All information was obtained from the USDA Food and Nutrition Database.
Table of Potassium in Fish and Seafood
Below is a chart showing the potassium content of various fish and shellfish. This chart is also listing foods by lowest to highest phosphorus.
| Fish or Shellfish | Phosphorus (mg) in 100g serving |
|---|---|
| Tilapia | 159 |
| Lobster | 161 |
| Oysters | 162 |
| Tuna (canned, light) | 163 |
| Catfish | 166 |
| Octopus | 186 |
| Shrimp | 191 |
| Sea Bass | 194 |
| Mussels | 197 |
| Clams | 198 |
| Perch | 200 |
| Pike (Walleye) | 210 |
| Eel | 216 |
| Crayfish | 218 |
| Squid | 221 |
| Cod | 224 |
| Swordfish | 225 |
| Trout (Rainbow) | 226 |
| Haddock | 227 |
| Salmon | 230 |
| Halibut | 236 |
| Herring | 236 |
| Mackerel (King) | 248 |
| Ocean Perch | 248 |
| Anchovy (canned) | 252 |
| Flounder | 252 |
| Crab | 278 |
| Tuna (Yellowfin) | 278 |
| Scallops | 334 |
| Carp | 415 |
Information obtained from the USDA Food and Nutrition Database.
Table of Phosphorus in Deli and Processed Meats
Below is a list of different deli and processed meats and their phosphorus content. Note that this does not include phosphate additives, which are commonly found in deli meats.
| Deli & Processed Meat | Phosphorus (mg) in 100g serving |
|---|---|
| Corned Beef | 111 |
| Hot Dog (beef) | 128 |
| Bratwurst | 134 |
| Pastrami (beef) | 150 |
| Bologna (beef) | 154 |
| Pepperoni | 158 |
| Turkey (deli slices) | 162 |
| Kielbasa | 168 |
| Salami | 205 |
| Liverwurst | 230 |
| Roast Beef (deli slices) | 242 |
| Chicken (deli slices) | 257 |
| Ham (deli slices) | 261 |
| Turkey-Ham (deli slices) | 304 |
Information obtained from the USDA Food & Nutrition Database.
| Bacons | Serving Size | Phosphorus (mg) per serving |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey Bacon | 1 slice (16 g) | 36 |
| Canadian Bacon | 2 slices (57 g) | 137 |
| Bacon | 1 slice (26 g) | 26 |
Information obtained from the USDA Food & Nutrition Database.
All kinds of bacon are prone to having inorganic phosphate additives. Therefore, it can be important to read labels to look for bacons with no phosphate additives.
Bacon can also be a high source of sodium and saturated fat. Enjoying in moderation is key.
For example, Whole Foods 365 Reduced Sodium Smokehouse Bacon is an example of a bacon without phosphate additives and a lower sodium option.
Cooking Methods Can Make Meats Low in Phosphorus
Certain cooking methods can help reduce phosphorus content of meat. Therefore, you can make more meat low in phosphorus.
Research has shown that boiling meat in soft water for 10 to 30 minutes can significantly reduce the phosphorus content of the meat. (10).
However, food trackers will not be able to account for the reduction. Therefore, it’s important to make a note in your food tracker if you boil meats to lower phosphorus.
Meats Lowest in Phosphorus (Dietitian Picks)
These are the best meats low in phosphorus from a renal dietitian’s perspective.
- Tilapia
- Ground Turkey
- Hot Dog
- Ground Beef
- Bacon
While these aren’t the lowest by number according to the tables above, they are still on the lower end.
Additionally, boiling meats like hot dogs and fish are more realistic. This further reduces the phosphorus content of those foods.
The ground meat options are lean meats. They can also be mixed with plant proteins such as lentils and beans to further reduce how much is used and still provide a filling meal.
Bacon provides a lot of flavor with just one strip. And one slice of bacon is just 26 milligrams of phosphorus, which is very low when you choose one without phosphate additives.
Summary
Meats are not inherently low in phosphorus, especially for kidney patients that need to follow a low phosphorus diet. Natural phosphorus from meats can be absorbed by about 40-60%. Inorganic phosphorus, otherwise known as phosphate additives, can be completely absorbed and impact blood phosphorus levels.
Managing phosphorus can be a crucial part of a healthy renal diet. Choosing meats that are naturally lower in phosphorus, along with avoiding meats with phosphate additives, can be great ways to prevent high phosphorus levels while still including meat in a renal diet.
Some of the lowest phosphorus meats include bacon, corned beef, hot dogs, chicken wings, and pork sausage. However, these types of meats often come with highly-absorbable phosphate additives. Look for options without phosphorus listed in the ingredients. This can help reduce how much phosphorus is absorbed.
Cooking meats by boiling in soft water for 10 to 30 minutes can significantly reduce the phosphorus amount in meat. This cooking method may be helpful for patients with high phosphorus that still include meats in their diet.
Food journals like Cronometer* can help determine daily phosphorus totals, as well as top sources of phosphorus. Using a diet history can provide your healthcare provider the information needed to give targets on how much phosphorus to include per day.
Jen Hernandez is a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in renal nutrition. She has nearly a decade of experience with kidney disease patients in all stages - from stage 1 through kidney transplant. Jen writes on the blog of Plant-Powered Kidneys to help reach and teach more kidney patients about how they can enjoy more foods in a plant-based diet while protecting kidney health.
