top of page

Potassium: Not just in bananas!

Why Potassium Matters

It's foundational to good health.

  • Potassium is one of four key electrolytes (along with sodium, calcium, and magnesium) that your body needs to have in balance to promote health and prevent chronic diseases.

  • Potassium and sodium help regulate the volume of fluids in the body.

  • Potassium helps maintain healthy blood pressure and supports your nervous system.

If you get enough potassium, a lot of other nutrients will follow.

  • By getting potassium from a variety of food sources, you will probably be getting a lot of the nutrients you need as well: fiber, iron, B vitamins, calcium, etc.


By some counts, 98% of Americans are potassium deficient.


Recommended daily value: 4700 mg

Where to Get It

Try some of the foods below! I recommend trying various combinations of foods to get your potassium from a variety of sources.


Legumes

Lentils 1 cup 731 mg

Kidney beans 1 cup 713 mg

Navy beans 1 cup 708 mg


Fruits

Dried apricots 1 cup 1511 mg

Raisins 1 cup not packed 1086 mg

1 cup packed 1236 mg

Prunes 1 pitted 70 mg

1 cup 1274 mg

Avocado ½ avocado 487 mg

Banana 1 medium 422 mg

Watermelon 1 cup diced 170 mg

Cantaloupe 1 cup cubes 427 mg

Kiwi 1 cup 562 mg


Greens

Swiss chard 1 cup cooked 961 mg

Spinach 1 cup cooked 838 mg

1 cup raw 558 mg

Kale 1 cup cooked 417 mg

Beet greens 1 cup 290 mg

Broccoli 1 cup chopped 288 mg

Arugula 1 cup 74 mg


Other vegetables

Potato 1 medium 610 mg

Sweet potatoes 1 cup cubed 448 mg

Winter squash 1 cup cubed 406 mg

Tomato 1 medium 292 mg


Nuts

Pistachios 1 cup 1260 mg

Almonds 1 cup, whole 1008 mg

Pecans 1 cup 446 mg

Walnuts 1 cup 353 mg


Other

Coconut water 1 cup 600 mg

Salmon 3 ounces 309 mg

Blackstrap Molasses 1 tablespoon 293 mg

Coconut shredded 1 cup 285 mg

Egg 1 hard-boiled 63 mg



The material on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.


Sources

Comments


bottom of page