DENVER, Jul 28, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), is highlighting kidney-friendly recipes to beat the summer heat blistering much of the country.

DaVita® has worked with expert dieticians throughout the country to create tasty alternatives to such summertime frozen favorites such as ice cream and milkshakes, which are typically off-limits to dialysis patients. Milk-based recipes are particularly high in potassium, which can cause an irregular heartbeat, and high in phosphorous, which can lead to dangerous calcium deposits in the blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and heart. While dialysis cleans these out of the blood, dialysis patients must limit their phosphorous and potassium intake between treatments.

"Our solution is a collection of frozen recipes that call for low-phosphorus ingredients to replace milk," says DaVita dietitian Megan Buckendahl, who is also a former DaVita dialysis patient and kidney transplant recipient. "We've also rounded up some delicious frozen treats for fruit lovers. Kidney patients can still enjoy kidney-friendly versions of all their summer favorites."

Thirteen summer recipes are offered on the DaVita website, including a citrus shake that uses sherbet instead of ice cream; home-style vanilla ice cream based on nondairy creamer instead of milk or cream; and a blended watermelon summer cooler drink with fresh watermelon, lime juice, and ice. All of the highlighted recipes include nutrient information, portion counts for renal and renal diabetic patients, carbohydrate choices, and helpful hints.

These and other recipes can be found on DaVita's website under the "Kidney Friendly Recipes" tab athttp://www.davita.com.

DaVita is a registered trademark of DaVita Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About DaVita

DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, delivering dialysis services and education to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. As of March 31, 2011, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,642 dialysis facilities, serving approximately 128,000 patients. DaVita develops, participates in and donates to numerous programs dedicated to transforming communities and creating positive, sustainable change for children, families and our environment. The company's leadership development initiatives and corporate social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare,Newsweek and WorldBlu, among others. For more information, please visit http://www.davita.com.

SOURCE: DaVita

DaVita
Lauren Moughon, 303-405-2094
Lauren.Moughon@DaVita.com