Chronic kidney disease affects how your body filters waste, balances fluid and supports healthy blood pressure. Whether you’ve just been diagnosed, are further along in your CKD journey, are receiving dialysis, or are living with a kidney transplant, our Accredited Practising Dietitians provide personalised, evidence-based nutrition support at every stage — working alongside your GP, nephrologist and renal team, never in place of them.
- ✓ Six Melbourne clinics, home visits and telehealth across Australia
- ✓ Team of eight APDs who case-conference on complex renal presentations
- ✓ GP and nephrologist referrals accepted, plus NDIS, DVA, WorkCover and private health
- ✓ Dietitians Australia & Griffith University Quality in Primary Care Award, 2025
What Is Chronic Kidney Disease?
Your kidneys do far more than filter waste. Day to day, they balance fluid levels, help regulate blood pressure, support strong bones, and produce a hormone that signals your body to make red blood cells. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the gradual, usually permanent, loss of this kidney function over time.
As kidney function declines, waste products and excess fluid can build up in the body, which is why CKD is closely linked with other conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Early CKD often has no noticeable symptoms at all, which is part of why nutrition support and regular monitoring matter from the earliest stage.
The Five Stages of CKD
Doctors stage CKD using your eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) — a blood test measure of how well your kidneys are filtering. Staging and diagnosis sit with your GP or nephrologist; our role as your dietitian is to tailor nutrition support to whatever stage you’re at.
| Stage | What it generally means |
|---|---|
| Stage 1–2 | Kidney damage is present, but filtration is still normal or only mildly reduced |
| Stage 3 | Moderate reduction in filtration; this is often when symptoms first appear |
| Stage 4 | Severe reduction in filtration; the kidneys are working significantly harder |
| Stage 5 | Kidney failure, also called end-stage kidney disease; dialysis or a transplant is usually needed |
What Causes Chronic Kidney Disease?
CKD is rarely a standalone condition — it’s usually the result of other health issues gradually damaging the kidneys’ filtering units. Common contributors include:
- Type 1 and type 2 diabetes, where high blood sugar levels can damage the small blood vessels in the kidneys over time
- High blood pressure, which places extra strain on the kidneys’ blood vessels
- Glomerulonephritis, or inflammation of the kidney’s filtering units
- Polycystic kidney disease and other inherited kidney conditions
- Long-term overuse of some medications
- Family history of kidney failure — and in Australia, higher clinical risk among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
How Common Is CKD in Australia?
Kidney disease is far more common than most people realise. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, an estimated 14.2% of Australian adults had biomedical signs of CKD in 2022–24 — yet only around 7.4% of those people knew they had the condition. The number of Australians with moderate to severe loss of kidney function has risen from around 620,900 to over one million.
Because early CKD is often silent, many people are only diagnosed through a routine blood or urine test. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney failure, or are over 60, it’s worth asking your GP about a kidney health check.
See Your GP Promptly If You Notice
- New or worsening swelling in your ankles, feet, or around your eyes
- Foamy or bubbly urine, or a noticeable change in how much you’re passing
- Persistent, unexplained fatigue or itchy skin
- A metallic taste that doesn’t go away
These signs don’t confirm CKD on their own, but they’re worth raising with your GP — diagnosis and staging are done through blood and urine tests, not through diet or symptoms alone.
Nutrition Across the Stages of CKD
There is no single “renal diet” that fits everyone. What matters for your kidneys shifts significantly depending on your stage, and again once dialysis or a transplant is part of the picture. The table below is a general guide — your own targets are worked out individually with your dietitian, based on your blood results and stage.
| Nutrition focus | Earlier CKD (Stages 1–3) | Later CKD (Stages 4–5, pre-dialysis) | On dialysis | After a kidney transplant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | Usually moderated, not eliminated | More closely tailored to help slow progression | Often increased, to help replace losses from dialysis | Usually liberalised, reviewed individually |
| Potassium & phosphate | Monitored, rarely restricted | More closely monitored as function declines | Often more tightly managed | Usually more relaxed, reviewed against blood results |
| Sodium | Reduced to support blood pressure | Reduced to support blood pressure | Reduced, alongside fluid management | Reduced if blood pressure or heart health need it |
| Fluid | Rarely restricted | Only if directed by your renal team | Often guided by urine output and dialysis type | Usually liberalised after surgery |
Living Well on Dialysis
Haemodialysis (in-centre or at home) and peritoneal dialysis each come with different fluid, potassium and protein considerations, and your needs can change again as your treatment settles in. One common surprise: protein needs often increase once dialysis starts, rather than staying restricted as they may have been earlier in your CKD journey — this is because dialysis itself removes some protein from your body.
- ✓ Practical fluid balance guidance between dialysis sessions
- ✓ Food-first strategies for potassium and phosphate, without unnecessary restriction
- ✓ Support that fits around dialysis days, energy levels and appetite changes
We also help with the practical, everyday side of dialysis life — reading food labels for hidden potassium and phosphate additives, planning meals that suit dialysis-day appetite dips, eating out and travel, and bringing family or carers into meal planning so support continues outside your appointments.
If you’re already seeing a renal dietitian through your dialysis unit or hospital renal service, our role is to work alongside that care — supporting you between hospital appointments, closer to home, or via telehealth — never replacing your tertiary renal dietetics team.
Nutrition After a Kidney Transplant
Many people find their diet becomes noticeably more liberal after a successful kidney transplant, with fluid and mineral restrictions often easing. A new kidney brings new considerations, though — anti-rejection (immunosuppressant) medications can increase appetite and the risk of weight gain, food safety becomes more important while your immune system is suppressed, and any pre-existing diabetes, cholesterol or blood pressure still needs ongoing attention.
As with dialysis, our support works alongside your transplant team, helping you navigate day-to-day food choices between clinic reviews rather than replacing your specialist transplant care.
Your nutrition needs can keep shifting in the months and years after transplant, so we build in regular reviews — checking in on weight, blood results and how your medications are affecting your appetite or energy, and adjusting your plan as your transplant team’s advice evolves.
Our Approach to CKD Nutrition Care
We start with a thorough assessment — your medical history, current CKD stage, recent blood results, usual eating pattern and lifestyle. From there, we work with you to agree on practical goals and milestones that fit your life, and review these regularly as your kidney function, treatment or blood results change.
Throughout, we work alongside your GP, nephrologist and renal unit — sharing information with your consent and adjusting our support as your care team’s recommendations evolve. Our nutrition care is designed to support your medical treatment, never to replace tertiary renal dietetics.
Renal Nutrition Support From Our Whole Team
A Team-Wide Renal Focus
Renal nutrition training and experience sit across multiple dietitians at NutriBlooms, not just one practitioner. Complex presentations — such as CKD alongside diabetes, heart disease or malnutrition — benefit from our in-house case-conferencing model, where your dietitian can bring in the Principal Dietitian or a colleague for a same-week second opinion.
Recognised for Quality Care
NutriBlooms received the Dietitians Australia and Griffith University Quality in Primary Care Award in 2025, recognising excellence in patient-centred, evidence-based dietetic care.
Funding, Fees & Referrals
Since 1 July 2025, a single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP) replaced the old GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements. Your GP can now refer with an ordinary referral letter, and you may be eligible for up to 5 subsidised individual allied health visits per calendar year, shared across all your allied health providers. Read more on the Services Australia GPCCMP page.
We accept referrals from both your GP and your nephrologist, as well as self-referrals if you’d prefer to book directly without a referral.
NutriBlooms is not a bulk-billing clinic — Medicare pays a rebate under a valid GPCCMP, and a gap fee applies. We also accept NDIS, DVA, WorkCover and private health extras cover. See our Referrals and Claiming page for full details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can changing my diet reverse chronic kidney disease?
Kidney tissue that has already scarred can’t be regrown, but the right nutrition approach can help slow how quickly kidney function declines, and support your overall health alongside your medical treatment. For many people, kidney function can remain stable for a long time with the right combination of medical care and nutrition support.
Do I need to stop eating protein if I have chronic kidney disease?
Not necessarily, and this depends heavily on your stage. In earlier CKD, protein is usually moderated rather than removed. On dialysis, protein needs often increase, since dialysis itself removes protein from your body. Your dietitian will help you find the right balance for your current stage and blood results.
Will my diet change once I start dialysis?
Yes, often significantly. Fluid, potassium, phosphate and protein needs can all shift once dialysis begins, and haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis have different considerations. We work alongside your renal unit’s own dietitian to support you with practical, everyday food strategies.
What changes after a kidney transplant?
Many people find their diet becomes more relaxed after a successful transplant, with fewer fluid and mineral restrictions. New considerations can include managing weight changes linked to anti-rejection medication, food safety while your immune system is suppressed, and continuing to manage any pre-existing diabetes, cholesterol or blood pressure.
I already see a renal dietitian through my hospital or dialysis unit — can you still help?
Yes. Our role is to work alongside your hospital renal team, not replace it. Many clients use us for additional support between hospital appointments, more convenient locations, telehealth, or broader nutrition goals alongside their kidney care.
Do you accept referrals from my nephrologist, or only my GP?
Both. We accept referrals from GPs and nephrologists, as well as self-referrals without a GP referral if you’d prefer to see us directly.
Is there a gap fee, and what funding options are accepted?
NutriBlooms is not a bulk-billing clinic, so a gap fee applies alongside your Medicare rebate under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan. We also accept NDIS, DVA, WorkCover and private health extras cover — see our Referrals and Claiming page for full details.
I have both diabetes and CKD — can one dietitian help with both?
Yes, and it’s often better managed together. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of CKD, and blood sugar, blood pressure and kidney nutrition all interact closely. Our dietitians regularly support clients managing both conditions at once, alongside your GP and any specialists involved in your care.
Support at Every Stage of Kidney Disease
From early CKD through to dialysis and life after a transplant, our Accredited Practising Dietitians are here to help — across six Melbourne clinics, home visits, and telehealth Australia-wide.