My child was diagnosed with a kidney disease. Here’s how I completely changed our family’s diet

Welcome to The Globe’s new series, What’s In My Cart?, where we’re asking Canadians how they stock their kitchens. To share your thoughts, fill out this form or e-mail reporter Daniel Reale-Chin at: realechin@gmail.com

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When Nasrin Safavi’s son, Damon, was diagnosed with high blood pressure and polycystic kidney disease (PKD) at three months old, she and her husband made swift changes to the way they eat.

“We had to learn to give up on the things we can’t control,” says the 43-year-old cardiologist, whose son is now 9.

Damon had a rare form of the disease (autosomal recessive), which made him likely to develop kidney failure within a few years of diagnosis. Diet was one of the ways Safavi felt she could help slow the progression of the genetic disorder.

“People living with kidney disease need to get enough protein in their diets and limit the amount of sodium and phosphates they consume,” says Safavi, who has since eliminated most packaged foods from the family’s diet, and has taught Damon to read labels carefully to limit his intake of salt and phosphorus.

The family opts for home-cooked meals using whole and mostly unpackaged products, so they can control what goes into their food. This extends to vacations, such as a recent trip to Portugal, where the family rented a vacation home with a kitchen and cooked products with local ingredients instead of eating out.

“We used to love trying new restaurants, but you learn to enjoy other things,” she says.

Here is how Safavi shops for groceries.

How I save money on groceries: I buy dry beans and fruits and vegetables in bulk and unpacked. It takes extra time to prepare them, but you save money this way.

How I splurge on groceries: I splurge on high-quality avocado oil for cooking and olive oil for drizzling. Also, on fresh herbs, they bring a great flavour to all of my dishes.

The hardest shopping habit to keep up: Eliminating processed foods has been tough, because fresh, unpackaged ingredients take longer to prepare. If I do end up buying packaged foods, I look for items that are low in sodium and phosphorous. When it comes to snacks, Ritz crackers and Made Good cookies are okay for Damon, in moderation, as they don’t contain as much sodium and phosphorus as other crackers and cookies.

How I’ve changed my eating habits recently: Before I had my son, my husband and I would go to restaurants with friends, or on our own, more than four times a week. We stopped eating out so I can prepare food from scratch and control what goes in, for my son’s condition. I’m learning to cook food from different cultures that we used to enjoy eating at restaurants, so we don’t feel like we’re missing out.

Five items always in my cart:

• Avocado oil – Chosen Foods – $29: Avocado oil is a healthy choice for cooking. It has antioxidants, and is a healthier cooking oil than other seed oils.
• Organic quinoa – Kirkland – $20: Quinoa has a good mix of protein and carbohydrates, so we get both nutrients in one item. We usually eat it on the side of our dishes instead of rice or pasta.
• Dried beans – NuPak – $6.99: I buy dried beans in bulk, and then prepare them. This way, I can control the sodium that goes into them, and it’s a way to save some money. We eat some type of legume three times a week. Recently, I’ve been making an Indian-inspired red lentil stew.
• Frozen blueberries – President’s Choice – $14.99: I buy these in two-kilogram packages. They last a while and taste good in smoothies or as a snack.
• Mini chocolate-chip cookies – Made Good – $22.99: My son enjoys these as a snack. I like that they’re low in sodium compared with other brands, so I feel better about letting him have some sweets.

This interview has been edited and condensed.