PLADO for Conservative Management of CKD

Low protein plant-dominant diet (PLADO) of 0.6-0.8 g/kg/day of proteins with at least 50% plant-based sources, sodium of \<4 g/day and \<3 g/day in case of edema or hypertension, fibers of 25-30 g/day, and calories of 30-35 Kcal/kg/day provided in the form of individualized meal plans administered by a licensed/registered dietitian. The nutrition education intervention will be provided via a primary face-to-face education/counseling session of 45-60 minutes, followed by a monthly face-to-face follow-up session of 30-45 minutes for 6 months, and a face-to-face follow-up session of 30-45 minutes after 3 months. At each visit, participants will be screened according to the Transtheoretical behavior change model (TTM) using a TTM-based algorithm to determine their stage/readiness to adhere to PLADO and will receive stage-based education and counseling accordingly. Stage-based education will be divided into 1) Pre-contemplation and contemplation; 2) Preparation; and 3) Action and Maintenance

Current standard-of-care diet composed of dietary protein, fluid, sodium potassium, and phosphorus restrictions provided via monthly face-to-face sessions of 30-45 minutes over a period of 6 months, and a follow-up session after 3 months provided by the same licensed/registered dietitian. Patients will be recruited to the control arm in the same period to avoid seasonal differences.