Navratri fasting food can protect your kidneys and bladder, or quietly strain them. Here is one common vrat food for each day, matched to the colour of the day, and how to eat it the kidney-friendly way.
Written & reviewed by Dr. Anand UttureMCh (Urology) · Updated 12 Oct 2026 · 8 min readA typical Navratri fast swaps everyday meals for sabudana, potatoes, kuttu and sendha namak, often fried, while long nights of garba add sweating. Too little fluid and too much salt are the two biggest triggers for kidney stones and urine infections.
The good news: many traditional vrat foods are excellent for your kidneys when you choose and cook them well.
The most kidney-friendly Navratri fasting foods are water, nimbu pani, chaas and curd, watery fruits like watermelon, and vegetables like lauki and cucumber. Eat sabudana, potatoes and kuttu roasted or boiled instead of fried, use less sendha namak (it is still salt), and keep nuts to a small handful. People with diabetes, kidney disease or past stones should plan their fast with their doctor.
Tap a day to read about its food. Today's colour is highlighted.
Yes, it can help. Lemons, sweet lime (mosambi) and oranges contain citrate, a natural substance that stops calcium from clumping into stones. Low citrate in the urine is a common reason people form stones.
No. This is one of the most common myths. Calcium from food actually lowers the risk of the most common kind of stone (calcium oxalate), because it binds oxalate in the gut so less of it reaches the kidneys.
Watery fruits are ideal. Watermelon is over 90% water, and fruits like pomegranate, papaya, apple and pear add fluid, fibre and natural sugar for energy without salt.
For most healthy adults, about 8–10 glasses (2–2.5 litres) of fluid a day, and more on garba nights when you sweat. If you have had a kidney stone, aim for enough to pass about 2.5 litres of urine a day. Sip regularly instead of drinking a lot at once.
Not sure if you're drinking enough? Tap the shade closest to your urine:
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People with heart failure or advanced kidney disease may need to limit fluids. Follow your doctor's advice.
Sabudana and potatoes give quick energy, which is why they are fasting staples. The problem is how they are usually cooked: deep-fried vadas, chips and salty khichdi add a lot of salt and oil.
Lauki (bottle gourd), cucumber, pumpkin and arbi are light, watery and usually allowed in a fast. They add fluid and fibre with very little salt.
Not for your kidneys. Sendha namak (rock salt) is almost entirely sodium chloride, just like table salt. Extra sodium makes the kidneys pass more calcium into the urine, which raises the risk of stones, and it also raises blood pressure.
Kuttu (buckwheat), rajgira (amaranth) and singhara (water chestnut) flours are nutritious and rich in fibre. But every Navratri there are reports of people falling ill after eating stale or adulterated kuttu flour.
Yes, in the right amounts. Coconut water is a refreshing fluid, roasted makhana is a light snack, and nuts add protein and healthy fats.
of fluid a day for most healthy adults, more on garba nights.
Sendha namak has about as much sodium as regular table salt.
Calcium from curd and milk helps lower the risk of common kidney stones.
Consultant urologist and andrologist in Mumbai, and Head of Urology at S.L. Raheja Hospital. He treats kidney stones, prostate conditions, urinary infections and men's health problems.
Being unable to pass urine at all is an emergency. Go to the nearest hospital.
Usually yes, if you keep drinking enough fluid and limit salt. Fasts that restrict water, along with salty fried snacks, raise the risk of a stone forming or moving. If you have had stones before, plan your fast with your doctor.
No. Sendha namak (rock salt) contains about the same amount of sodium as table salt. Eating a lot of either can raise blood pressure and the risk of kidney stones.
Yes. Calcium from food, such as curd, milk and paneer, helps lower the risk of calcium oxalate stones. Avoid cutting out dairy unless your doctor tells you to.
Plain water is best, followed by nimbu pani and lightly salted chaas. Coconut water is fine for most people, but those with kidney disease should check with their doctor because of its potassium.
Many can, but only with a plan made with their doctor. Sabudana, potatoes and fruit raise blood sugar, and fasting can cause low or high sugar and dehydration. Medicines may need adjusting.
See a urologist if you notice blood in the urine, burning or frequent urination that doesn't settle, pain in the side or back, or if you have had kidney stones before and want advice on prevention.
Wishing you and your family a healthy and joyful festival. If you have urinary symptoms or have had kidney stones before, discuss them with a urologist. Dr. Anand Utture consults in Mahim, Bandra and Khar.
Prepared with AI assistance and medically reviewed by Dr. Anand Utture, MCh (Urology). MMC Reg. No. 66401.
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor for your condition. Sources: NIDDK: Diet for kidney stones, National Kidney Foundation: Kidney stones, NHS: Preventing kidney stones.
