Disclaimers & Terms of Use

1. Not medical advice

All content on this website and in our videos, recipes, tools, meal plans, cookbooks, emails, and membership content (together, the "Content") is provided for general educational and informational purposes only. The Content is not medical advice, medical nutrition therapy, dietetic advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it is not a substitute for the professional judgment of your physician, nephrologist, registered dietitian, pharmacist, or other qualified health provider. Kidney Meals is not a medical provider, and no doctor–patient or dietitian–client relationship is created by using this site.

Always seek the advice of your care team before making any change to your diet, fluid intake, supplements, or medications, and never disregard or delay professional medical advice because of something you read or watched here. Dietary needs in kidney disease are highly individual and depend on your stage, lab results, medications, dialysis status, allergies, and other conditions.

2. Nutrition information is estimated

Nutrition values shown with recipes (including sodium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, and calories) are good-faith estimates calculated from typical ingredient data. Actual values vary by brand, product, portion, preparation, and substitutions. Nutrition estimates are not laboratory-verified and should not be relied on for medical decisions. Verify labels and portions against the targets your care team has given you.

3. Profile, stage, and condition features

Features that let you select a kidney disease stage or other conditions (such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol) only apply general, educational filters and typical published ranges. They do not evaluate your personal medical situation, are not individualized recommendations, and may be wrong for you. The "typical numbers" offered are starting points from public guidelines, not prescriptions. Your care team's numbers always override anything on this site.

4. Food scanner and product information

The label-checking and barcode tools rely on third-party product databases and the text you enter. Product formulations change, database entries can be incomplete or incorrect, and our automated flags can miss ingredients or flag ones that don't matter for you. Always read the physical label and confirm questions with your care team. Allergy decisions must never rely on this tool.

5. "Verified" means kitchen-tested, not medically approved

"Verified" and similar badges mean a recipe or video was kitchen-tested by Kidney Meals for cooking accuracy. It is not a medical endorsement, and it does not mean a recipe is appropriate for your individual condition.

6. Affiliate links and advertising disclosure

Some links on this site are affiliate links to grocery stores and other retailers. If you click one and make a purchase, Kidney Meals may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support the site. We link to products and stores we consider useful, but we are not responsible for third-party products, prices, availability, or their suitability for your diet. This disclosure is made in accordance with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's guidelines on endorsements.

7. Third-party links and content

Links to third-party websites, videos, and resources (including social media, retailer sites, and other kidney-health organizations) are provided for convenience. We do not control and are not responsible for their content, policies, or accuracy.

8. No warranties

The site and Content are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to accuracy, completeness, reliability, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components.

9. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Kidney Meals and its owners, employees, and contributors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages — including personal injury, health outcomes, or lost profits — arising out of or relating to your use of (or inability to use) the site or Content, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Your sole and exclusive remedy is to stop using the site. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so portions of this section may not apply to you.

10. Assumption of responsibility

By using this site you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own health decisions, that you will consult your care team before acting on any Content, and that you use all recipes, tools, and information at your own risk — including safe food handling, cooking temperatures, and allergen management in your own kitchen.

11. Privacy

Your profile settings (stage, conditions, targets, dislikes) and meal plans are stored only on your own device in your browser's local storage — we do not receive them. If you join the membership waitlist, we collect the email address you submit, used only to contact you about Kidney Meals. We do not sell personal information.

12. Intellectual property

The Kidney Meals name, logo, design, recipes, videos, and original content are the property of Kidney Meals and may not be copied, republished, or sold without written permission, except for personal, non-commercial use (like printing a recipe or grocery list for your kitchen).

13. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Illinois.

14. Changes

We may update these terms and disclaimers at any time by posting a revised version on this page. Continued use of the site after changes means you accept them.

15. Contact

Questions about these terms can be sent through our social channels (YouTube, Instagram) or the membership waitlist form.

If you think you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.