Any food that is liquid or will melt at room temperature counts as fluid. These can be divided into visible fluids (includes anything a person drinks) and hidden fluids (foods that appear as solids, but are liquid at room temperature). For people with kidney disease following a prescribed fluid restriction, all the items below are counted as fluid:
Visible fluid
- All beverages
- Alcoholic drinks
- Coffee, tea
- Juice, juice drinks, lemonade
- Milk, milk substitutes, liquid creamer
- Nutrition drinks
- Soup
- Soft drinks
- Sports drinks
- Water
Hidden fluid
- Gelatin
- Gravy
- Ice chips or cubes
- Ice cream
- Popsicle
- Sherbet
- Sorbet
- Watermelon also contains lots of fluid
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical
advice or treatment. Consult your physician and dietitian regarding your specific diagnosis, treatment, diet and
health questions.
About the author:
Sara Colman, RDN, CDCES
Sara is a renal dietitian with over 30 years experience working with people with diabetes and kidney disease. She is co-author of the popular kidney cookbook "Cooking for David: A Culinary Dialysis Cookbook". Sara is the Manager of Kidney Care Nutrition for DaVita. She analyzes recipes and creates content, resources and tools for the kidney community. In her spare time Sara loves to spend time with her young grandson, including fun times together in her kitchen.
