The diet of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) is very important and a proper diet can help to slow down the progression of the disease. The amino acids that make up protein can be divided into two main groups, namely essential amino acids (EAA) and non-essential amino acids (NEAA). Protein is digested and absorbed by the human body, which will produce nitrogenous metabolic wastes, which are the main components of uremic toxins and will have toxic effects on the body when accumulated in the body. Therefore, it is advocated to consume foods rich in EAA, which is well bioavailable and produces less metabolic waste, and NEAA, which is low in bioefficacy and produces more metabolic waste. Divided by the source of protein, animal proteins are high in EAA and plant proteins are high in NEAA. The previous view is that legumes are plant proteins with high NEAA content, so they should be abstained from CRF patients. In recent years, there have been new developments in the research on dietary protein sources. Some scholars have found that diets based on plant protein have a lower effect on increasing glomerular filtration rate (GFR) than animal protein in healthy individuals, suggesting that plant protein has a lower effect on increasing GFR than animal protein. This may be related to the content of glycine, alanine, arginine, and proline within animal protein, as these amino acids have the effect of increasing GFR and glomerular blood flow. And the increase in GFR and glomerular blood flow (this effect is also called hyperfiltration) is an important mechanism that promotes glomerulosclerosis and accelerates renal function damage. This result suggests that although the EAA content of plant protein is lower than that of animal protein, it produces a weaker hyperfiltration effect and thus has a protective effect on renal function. Some foreign scholars have also confirmed this idea through animal tests. Thus, new advances have been made in the understanding of soy protein. Based on these new insights, academics believe that it is not necessary for CRF patients to abstain from soy foods. Soy foods (soy milk, tofu and their products) are high in protein and have a higher EAA content than other plant proteins such as cereals, which helps to correct EAA deficiency and does not increase hyperfiltration when compared to animal proteins. This is not only beneficial to improve the patient’s nutrition, but also to improve the patient’s appetite, and at the same time does not adversely affect the renal function. Therefore, CRF patients do not need to restrict the intake of legumes under the premise of controlling the total protein intake and having sufficient EAA or α-pyruvate. Patients with CRF are prone to edema, hyperkalemia and hyperuricemia due to reduced renal function, so attention should be paid to reducing salt intake and avoiding foods with high potassium and purine content. Foods with high potassium content include rape, spinach, cauliflower, potatoes, peanuts, red dates, mushrooms, kelp, oranges, bananas and pickled products. Foods with high purine content include animal meat, cauliflower, spinach, beer, etc.