How can I leach the potassium from vegetables if I have CKD?

To keep your potassium level from getting too high if you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), try leaching your vegetables. The process of leaching will help pull potassium out of some high-potassium vegetables. It is important to remember that leaching will not pull all of the potassium out of the vegetable. You must still limit the amount of leached high-potassium vegetables you eat. Ask your dietitian about the amount of leached vegetables that you can safely have in your diet.

Follow the directions below to leach potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, winter squash, and rutabagas:

• Peel and place the vegetable in cold water so they won’t darken.
• Slice vegetables 1/8 inch thick.
• Rinse in warm water for a few seconds.
• Soak for a minimum of two hours in warm water. Use 10 times the amount of water to the amount of vegetables. If soaking longer, change the water every four hours.
• Rinse under warm water again for a few seconds.
• Cook vegetable with five times the amount of water to the amount of vegetable.