title: Acceptability of selected low-protein products for use in a potential diet therapy for chronic renal failure.
abstract: A very-low-protein, low-phosphorus diet, supplemented with either amino acids or ketoacids, is being studied as a potential therapy for chronic renal failure. Because of the severity of the protein restriction in this dietary approach, maintenance of adequate caloric intake is a concern. Acceptability of 27 low-protein products for potential use as sources of calories in the diet was evaluated. Twenty-three dietitians judged the products on the bases of appearance, taste, texture, and overall acceptability, using a scale of 1 (unacceptable) to 5 (highly acceptable). Sixty-seven percent of the products tested received scores of more than 2.5 in all categories. Products receiving the highest scores were vanilla cream wafers (4.0), low-protein gelatin (3.97), and chocolate chip cookies (3.78). Differences in calories and protein between brands of similar products are minimal; unfortunately, phosphorus and calcium data are lacking for many products. Cost in cents per calorie is 2 to 10 times greater than in conventional foods of the same type. The results show that there are a number of acceptable low-protein products that can be used to help ensure adequate energy intakes without sacrificing protein restriction in this dietary approach for chronic renal failure.
mesh_terms: D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005504:Food Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000178:diet therapy*; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins