Foods high in potassium offer many health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, lessening the risk of kidney stones, and regulating blood sugar levels. Potassium is a mineral your body needs to help your nerves, muscles, kidneys, and heart function well.
There are many delicious, nutritious foods and beverages with potassium. Bananas, lima beans, beets, Swiss chard, potatoes, and coconut water are just some of the options to add to your diet.
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1. Bananas
Bananas are perhaps best known for providing potassium. One medium banana contains about 451 mg of the mineral. This fruit also provides vitamin C, fiber, and magnesium.
2. Leafy Green Vegetables
Leafy greens are loaded with potassium. One cup of cooked Swiss chard provides 20% of your daily value of potassium (961 mg). Beet greens provide a whopping 1309 milligrams. Spinach is another good source of potassium. Just 1 cup of cooked spinach offers about 830 mg of potassium.
3. Avocados
One-half cup of avocado contains 364 mg of potassium. There are many ways to enjoy avocados. You can eat them over toast, in salads, in a guacamole dip, or even in a smoothie.
4. Potatoes
Potatoes provide a boost of potassium. However, there are many types of potatoes, and the potassium content varies among kinds. For example, one medium sweet potato contains 542 mg of potassium, and one medium baked potato has 929 mg of potassium.
5. Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is sometimes known as a fall food. One cup provides 582 mg of potassium. It also contains vitamins A and C, magnesium, folate, and calcium.
6. Watermelon
Two wedges of watermelon contain about 640 mg of potassium. Another benefit of eating this fruit is its high water content makes you feel full, even though it’s low in calories.
7. Cantaloupe
One cup of this delicious, sweet fruit provides 473 milligrams of potassium, along with other nutrients. Cantaloupe is also hydrating.
8. Beets
This red root vegetable can be found in salads, juices, and soups. A cup of cooked, sliced beets offers about 518 mg of potassium.
9. Pomegranates
Pomegranates are round, red fruits that are low in calories but high in nutrients. A whole pomegranate contains 666 mg of potassium.
10. Guava
This tropical fruit can be eaten alone or made into jams, drinks, or other foods. One cup of guava packs in 688 mg of potassium.
11. Durian
Durian is a large fruit with a spiky outer shell. It’s popular in Southeast Asia and is loaded with potassium. Durian is often used in juices, soups, desserts, and other side dishes. Just 1 cup of durian has 1,059 mg of potassium.
12. Yams
Yams are a starchy, nutritious vegetable. A one-half cup of yams contains 456 mg of potassium. Be sure to cook yams; they can be toxic if consumed raw.
13. Broccoli
This green vegetable provides 468 milligrams of potassium. Its close relative, broccoli rabe (rapini) provides 550 milligrams per serving.
14. Fish
Seafood is a good source of protein and other nutrients. Certain types of seafood also contain a lot of potassium. Fish such as salmon, tuna, halibut, mackerel, and snapper all have over 400 mg of potassium in a 4-ounce filet. Clams are also a great source of potassium, with 534 mg in 3 ounces.
15. Chicken
Chicken is a high-protein, versatile poultry that can be included in many dishes. A 6-ounce grilled chicken breast contains 664 mg of potassium.
16. Beef
A 6-ounce beef top sirloin contains 630 mg of potassium. Beef is also rich in iron and zinc.
17. Beans and Lentils
Beans and lentils provide protein and fiber and potassium. A cup of lima beans provides 955 mg of potassium. A cup of canned kidney beans contains 607 mg of potassium, and one cup of cooked lentils boasts 731 mg of potassium.
18. Dairy
Dairy products are a great source of calcium, and they also contain potassium. Yogurt, milk, and kefir all provide a notable amount of potassium ranging from 300 to 600 mg per serving. It’s worth noting that Greek yogurt contains nearly half as much potassium as regular yogurt.
19. Nuts and Seeds
A serving of nuts like almonds helps boost your potassium intake by 200 milligrams. A serving of cashews provides 160 milligrams. And if you add a tablespoon of flaxseed to your morning oatmeal or yogurt, you’ll boost your intake by 64 mg.
20. Dried apricots
A cup of dried apricots contains 1,510 mg of potassium. You can add dried apricots to trail mixes or granola bars. One benefit of dried foods is they last a long time, and you can easily pack them if you’re on the go.
21. Raisins
Raisins offer another quick and easy way to load up on potassium. A one-half cup contains 600 mg of the mineral. Enjoy raisins as a snack or sprinkle them on salads, cereal, yogurt, or trail mix.
22. Prunes
These dried plums are sometimes used to relieve constipation but also provide a good amount of potassium. Half a cup of dried prunes contains 635 mg of potassium.
When shopping for dried fruit, look for those with no sugar added.
23. Coconut Water
One cup of coconut water provides about 600 mg of potassium. This beverage is also a good source of vitamin C, magnesium, and manganese.
24. Juices
Juices are an excellent way to get your daily value of potassium. Juices like orange, tomato, tangerine, carrot, and prune all contain high amounts of this mineral.
How Much Potassium Do I Need?
For most adults and children over age 4, experts recommend a daily value for potassium of 4,700 milligrams (mg). The daily value for children ages 1 to 3 is 3,000 mg.
Your body needs potassium for many of its most basic functions. Your kidneys and heart need potassium to function properly, muscles need potassium to contract, and your nerves need potassium as well. Potassium also helps your body to maintain a proper fluid balance.
Research shows less than 2% of Americans get their daily recommended amount of potassium. You many experience health issues if you get too much or too little potassium.
Low Potassium
Low potassium levels can contribute to high blood pressure, reduce calcium levels in your bones, and increase your risk for kidney stones. Chronic low potassium is called hypokalemia.
Symptoms of hypokalemia include:
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Feeling generally sick
People at risk for hypokalemia include those with any form of inflammatory bowel disease, people who use laxatives or diurectics, and people with pica (an eating disorder). Other conditions that can lead to low potassium include excessive sweating or dialysis.
High Potassium
If you consume too much potassium in typical foods and beverages, it is usually excreted in the urine. But taking a potassium supplement or using salt substitutes can put you at risk for excess potassium. There are some conditions that can lead to hyperkalemia, or excess potassium.
Hyperkalemia can develop in people with type 1 diabetes, congestive heart failure, liver disease, or adrenal insufficiency. Taking certain medications (ACE inhibitors or potassium-sparing diuretics) can also put you at risk.
Too much potassium can dangerous complications, such as abnormal heart rhythms or a heart attack. If you have chronic kidney disease, your kidneys may be unable to remove excess potassium from your body and you should limit your potassium intake.
Talk to your health provider about your diet if you have any chronic medical conditions. You may have to limit the amount of potassium you eat.
Summary
Consuming the right amount of potassium is essential for good health. Foods like fruits, veggies, fish, chicken, beef, beans, milk, yogurt, dried fruits, and juices provide potassium. While many people need to increase their potassium intake, others, like those with kidney disease, should avoid potassium-rich foods.
- Prevention & Treatment
- Diet and Nutrition
- National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Potassium.
- MedlinePlus: Potassium.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Bananas, raw.
- USDA. Chard, swiss, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Food sources of potassium.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Potatoes, baked, flesh and skin, without salt.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, with salt.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Watermelon: raw.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Beets, cooked, boiled, drained.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pomegranates, raw.
- Buenavista DP, Dinopol NMA, Mollee E, McDonald M. From poison to food: On the molecular identity and indigenous peoples’ utilisation of poisonous “Lab-o” (Wild yam, dioscoreaceae) in Bukidnon, Philippines. Yildiz F, ed. Cogent Food & Agriculture. 2021;7(1):1870306. doi:10.1080/23311932.2020.1870306
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Apricots, dried, sulfured, uncooked.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Raisins, seeded.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nuts, coconut water (liquid from coconuts).
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Key nutrients and your family’s health.
- Nutritionfacts.org. 98% of american diets potassium-deficient.
- American Heart Association. Hyperkalemia (high potassium).
National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Potassium.
MedlinePlus: Potassium.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Bananas, raw.
USDA. Chard, swiss, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Food sources of potassium.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Potatoes, baked, flesh and skin, without salt.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, with salt.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Watermelon: raw.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Beets, cooked, boiled, drained.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pomegranates, raw.
Buenavista DP, Dinopol NMA, Mollee E, McDonald M. From poison to food: On the molecular identity and indigenous peoples’ utilisation of poisonous “Lab-o” (Wild yam, dioscoreaceae) in Bukidnon, Philippines. Yildiz F, ed. Cogent Food & Agriculture. 2021;7(1):1870306. doi:10.1080/23311932.2020.1870306
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Apricots, dried, sulfured, uncooked.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Raisins, seeded.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nuts, coconut water (liquid from coconuts).
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Key nutrients and your family’s health.
Nutritionfacts.org. 98% of american diets potassium-deficient.
American Heart Association. Hyperkalemia (high potassium).
By Julie Marks Marks is a Florida-based health writer with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and creative writing.