Diet is among the most modifiable risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. Studies of beneficial dietary patterns for persons with CKD have largely utilized dietary assessment measures developed in individuals without CKD. In BMC Nephrology, Affret et al. report on their study of the reproducibility of a newly developed short 49-item food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) adapted to patients with CKD. Here, we discuss potential applications of this SFFQ, towards better understanding of which dietary patterns portend the most favorable outcomes in CKD.