Which Foods Have the Most Potassium?

Which Foods Have the Most Potassium?
(nata_vkusidey/iStock)
10/14/2015
Updated:
10/14/2015

Have a taste for salty dishes? You may want to keep an eye on your level of potassium.

An essential ally to diets high in salt, potassium encourages the kidneys to excrete sodium, keeping blood-pressure in check. Potassium also acts as a buffer to an overly-acidic pH level, which helps prevent bones and muscles from deteriorating.

Experts suggest adults get 4,700 milligrams of dietary potassium per day. What’s the best way to get that? Whole foods are a safer and more natural source than supplements. The list below shows common foods with the highest levels of potassium. When eating fruits and vegetables, opt for raw, roasted, or lightly steamed, as boiling tends to deplete levels of potassium. 

1,000 mg

  • Beans, white (1 cup, canned)
  • Baked potato (8 ounces with skin)
  • Beet greens (3/4 cup, cooked)
  • Edamame (1 cup shelled, cooked)
  • Fish, halibut (1/2 fillet)
  • Lima beans (1 cup, cooked)
Experts suggest adults get 4,700 milligrams of dietary potassium per day. ( (badmanproduction/iStock)
Experts suggest adults get 4,700 milligrams of dietary potassium per day. ( (badmanproduction/iStock)

 

750 mg

  • Papaya (1 large)
  • Plantains (1 cup, cooked)
  • Sweet potato (1 cup, cooked)
  • Tomato sauce (1 cup)

500 mg

  • Avocado (1/2 medium)
  • Banana (1 large)
  • Beets (1 cup, cooked)
  • Cantaloupe (1 cup)
  • Dried apricots (12 halves)
  • Mushrooms (1 cup, cooked)
  • Orange juice (1 cup)
  • Prunes (9 prunes)
  • Salmon (1/2 filet)
  • Winter squash (1 cup, cooked)
  • Yogurt (1 cup plain low-fat)

Whole foods are a safer and more natural source for potassium than supplements. (ehaurylik/iStock)
Whole foods are a safer and more natural source for potassium than supplements. (ehaurylik/iStock)

250 – 350 mg

  • Celery (1 cup, raw)
  • Chicken breast (5 ounces, roasted)
  • Kiwi (1 medium)
  • Mango (1)
  • Milk (1 cup)
  • Nectarine (1)
  • Orange (1 medium)
  • Peanut butter (2 tablespoons)
  • Peanuts (1 ounce, about 1/4 cup)
  • Pear (1 large)
  • Raisins (1/4 cup)
  • Red Bell Peppers (1 cup)
  • Summer squash (1 cup, raw)
  • Strawberries (1 cup)
  • Watermelon (1 wedge)

High-Potassium Recipes:
White Beans with Olive Oil and Rosemary 
Tuscan White Beans in Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Baby Beets with Their Greens

This article was originally published on www.Care2.com. Read the original here.

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