HOUSTON, April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dietitians from DaVita, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services, have created and are distributing "Recipes for Healthier Living", a cookbook comprising recipes tailored to promote better health.

The cookbook, which was created in March in support of National Nutrition Month, contains recipes for appetizers, side dishes, breakfast, lunch/dinner entrees and desserts. The recipes conform to not only kidney-friendly diets, but also to dietary restrictions associated with diabetes and heart disease.

"This cookbook is a collaboration of popular recipes from dietitians in the Houston area and is an important way for us to connect with our communities to help encourage healthier food choices," said DaVita Dietitian Donna Roy, R.D., L.D.

The cookbook, which is being distributed in DaVita centers throughout the Houston area as well as to major businesses in the Metroplex, contains the following recipes, plus more:

• Hearty Breakfast Burritos with Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa
• Homemade Pan Sausage
• Meatloaf Meatballs
• Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken
• Tuna and Egg Confetti Salad
• Cauliflower No-Mashed Potatoes
• Cherry Coffee Cake
• Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies
• Grand Champion Apple Pie

Hundreds of kidney-friendly recipes are available at DaVita.com/recipes. 

A kidney-friendly diet is critical for dialysis patients, but beneficial to nearly everyone because one in 10 adults age 20 or older in the United States has chronic kidney disease (CKD). Many others are at risk and don't even know it. Risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and a family history of kidney disease. Additionally, those 55 or older also are at greater risk.

Furthermore, African Americans are nearly four times more likely to face kidney disease than their white counterparts; Hispanic Americans are twice as likely; and Native Americans and people of Asian or Pacific Islander descent also have an elevated risk for CKD.

For more information about kidney disease and to take a 60-second quiz that evaluates your risk for kidney disease, please visit DaVita.com/KidneyAware or call 866-444-4573.

DaVita and DaVita HealthCare Partners are trademarks or registered trademarks of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About DaVita Kidney Care
DaVita Kidney Care is a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500® company that, through its operating divisions, provides a variety of health care services to patient populations throughout the United States and abroad. A leading provider of dialysis services in the United States, DaVita Kidney Care treats patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita Kidney Care strives to improve patients' quality of life by innovating clinical care, and by offering integrated treatment plans, personalized care teams and convenient health-management services. As of Dec. 31, 2013, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,074 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 163,000 patients. The company also operated 73 outpatient dialysis centers located in 10 countries outside the United States. DaVita Kidney Care supports numerous programs dedicated to creating positive, sustainable change in communities around the world. The company's leadership development initiatives and social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu. For more information, please visit DaVita.com.

Media Contact:
Vince Hancock
(303) 876-6618 vince.hancock@davita.com

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SOURCE DaVita