Potassium rich foods

If you are one of the many people searching for information on foods with potassium in them, and the mineral potassium itself, you have certainly landed on the right page. Here you will find a complete guide to this essential mineral, that absolutely anybody can follow.

Not only do we explain what foods are high in potassium so that you know how to keep up your potassium levels, but we also cover the best sources of this mineral, it's nutritional benefits, how much potassium you should be consuming each day through your diet and also the symptoms you can expect to experience if you are suffering from too much potassium, or even too little, in your body.

Our long and thorough potassium rich foods list will not only highlight exact foods, but also how much potassium is in them, making it easy for you to see how you can get the right amount of potassium you need through the foods that you eat. We even show you a simple combination of foods that can cover the amount of potassium your body needs in a day.

Getting enough potassium through your diet is vital to both your short and long term health, so finding out which foods contain potassium is a great idea.

It is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

  1. Know how much potassium you should be consuming each day.
  2. Find out what foods are high in potassium and how much potassium they contain.
  3. Make an effort to include these potassium foods in your diet on a daily basis.

It really is that simple, and this page will shows you all that you need to know!

So what can you expect to find on this page? Just click on the part that interests you to be guided directly to it, or scroll down if you want to see it all.

What is potassium and why do we need it?

First of all we are going to answer a key question in, 'what is potassium?'.

Potassium is a chemical element and one of three primary minerals known as 'essential minerals'. This means that they are critical to your body, which without them will break down. The body needs more of these minerals on a regular basis than it does other minerals, which are referred to as 'trace minerals'. The body will absorb the potassium that you consume and it will then contribute to certain bodily functions taking place.

Food sources of potassium are the best way to get the potassium that you need, although some people will also take potassium supplements as well. Potassium is responsible for some major bodily functions, and these include:

  • Regulates the water and acid balance in cells that form your blood and tissue
  • How your muscles work and recover
  • The regulation of your blood pressure
  • Ensures your kidneys work
  • How your heart works
  • Regulation of your nervous symptoms
  • Regulation of your adrenal functions

These may be things that you take for granted, but without consuming enough potassium, these functions can soon begin to falter, and that is not good news for your overall health.

Not getting enough potassium can lead to a potassium deficiency. This means that your body will not have a sufficient store of the mineral to use, and it will break down and begin to show signs of weakness. A low level of potassium in the blood is known as 'hypokalemia'.

However, too much potassium is also a danger to your health as it can be toxic. The medical condition for excessive amounts of potassium is known as 'hyperkalemia'. The body will warn you that this is the case by displaying certain high potassium symptoms.

Both of these are conditions are talked about in more detail further down the page, after we have covered high potassium foods.

Keeping your potassium levels at a safe height is imperative to both your short and long term health, and this is primarily done by ensuring that there are satisfactory foods rich in potassium in your diet. Nobody but yourself is responsible for your diet, and those who you care for such as your children, so it is up to you to ensure you get the nutrition that you need.

Potassium rich foods list

This really is the focal point of the page, where we are going to show you loads of potassium rich foods. These are undoubtedly the best sources of potassium that you are going to come across.

Eating a combination of these foods is fundamental in making sure that you do not end up experiencing any of the symptoms of low potassium(hypokalemia). Not only do we show you what foods have potassium in, but also how much potassium they contain..

  • Seaweed / Spirulina

    - Definitely not top of everybody's shopping list but seaweed is a very good source of potassium, and is more of a food high in potassium than any of the others that follow on this page. In a 112 g cup of dried seaweed (Spirulina), there are 1,527 milligrams of potassium, and this works out at 44% of the total potassium you should be consuming in a day.

  • Prunes

    - which are pitted dried plums, are a fantastic source of potassium. A simple 174 g cup of prunes can provide you with 1,274 milligrams of potassium, 36% of your RDI (recommended daily intake).

  • Prune juice

    - is also a brilliant source of potassium, an 8.1 fl oz cup of sunsweet prune juice can give you 530 milligrams of potassium, and a 9 oz cup of canned prune juice can provide you with 706.6 mg of potassium, 20% of your RDI.

  • Pumpkin / Squash seeds

    - Dried pumpkin and squash seeds will give you a brilliant dose of potassium. Just one 138 g cup of dried pumpkin/squash seeds will provide you with 1,114 mg of potassium, and this amounts to 32% of your RDI.

  • Condensed milk

    - Obviously milk isn't something for everyone, but if you like condensed milk then you can do your potassium levels a big favor! A 306 g cup of condensed milk has 1,135 mg of potassium inside it, equating to 32% of the total potassium needed in a day.

  • Seedless raisins

    - Raisins are a wonderful source of potassium, and what is great about them is that they are incredibly tasty on their own, or as part of something else. Sprinkle them on cereal, put them in your home made cakes and bread, the opportunities are huge. In a 145 g cup of seedless raisins there is 1,086 mg of potassium, a mega 31% of your RDI.

  • Pistachio nuts

    - Again nuts might not be for everybody, but they are a food high in potassium, and eating them can do the potassium levels in your body all manor of good. A basic 100 g cup of pistachio nits has 1,025 mg of potassium in them, this is a very impressive 29% of your daily potassium requirement.

  • Baked potato

    - That's right, a jacket spud is more than capable of contributing to the amount of potassium in your body. A baked potato with skin and salt added weighing approximately 6.1 oz has 925.6 milligrams of potassium in it. As far as potassium foods go this is one that is very popular with many people.

  • Avocado

    - The avocado is a fruit that is bursting with nutritional benefits, and one of these is it's healthy volume of potassium. A 201 g avocado can get you 975 mg, which is 28% of your RDI.

  • Bananas

    - The banana is a fruit that is synonymous with the mineral potassium, but how much potassium in a banana? The curvy yellow fruit is a food rich in potassium, and can play an important role in ensuring your diet collects enough of this essential mineral. A 136 g average size banana has 487 mg of potassium in it, 14% of the total potassium needed in a day.

More foods high in potassium

There are plenty more foods with potassium in and below we have listed them for you, the information shows the food, the serving size, the amount of potassium in the serving size and finally the percentage of your recommended daily intake of potassium that this equates to.

  • Boiled beet greens - 100 g has 909 mg / 26%
  • Halibut fillet - 159 g has 916 mg / 26%
  • Pine nuts - 100 g of dried pine nuts, 806 mg / 23%
  • Flaxseed - 100 g of flaxseed has 813 mg / 23%
  • Salted peanuts - 100 g has 726 mg / 21%
  • Baked beans - 253 g cup of baked beans, 749 mg / 21%
  • Sesame seeds - 144g cup of sesame seeds has 674 mg / 19%
  • Hazelnuts - 100 g of raw hazelnuts, 680 mg / 19%
  • Cashew nuts - 100 g of cashew nuts has 660 mg / 19%
  • Yam - 100 g of boiled yam has 670 mg, 19%
  • Pomegranate - A 282 g pomegranate has 666 mg / 19%
  • Amaranth leaves - 100 g of boiled amaranth leaves has 641 mg / 18%
  • Black beans - 172 g serving of boiled black beans has 611 mg / 17%
  • Parsnip - A 160 g boiled parsnip has 587 mg / 17%
  • Haddock - A 150 g haddock fillet, has 598 mg / 17%
  • Lima beans - 100g of lima beans has 570 mg / 16%
  • Swiss chard - 100 g of boiled Swiss chard has 549 mg of potassium / 15%
  • Broccoli - A medium 180 g stalk of boiled broccoli has 527 mg / 15%
  • Granola - 100 g of plain granola cereal has 540 mg / 15%
  • Brazil nuts - 120 g of dried Brazil nuts have 505 mg / 14%
  • Chickpeas - A 164 g cup of cooked chickpeas has 477 mg / 14%
  • Spinach - A 100g serving of boiled spinach 466 mg / 13%
  • Tomato - A large 182 g tomato has 431 mg / 12%
  • Lentils - A 100 g serving of boiled lentils have 369 mg / 11%
  • Papaya - A 152g small papaya has 391 mg / 11%
  • Red pepper - A 164 g raw sweet red pepper has 346 mg / 10%
  • Sweet potato - A 151 g boiled sweet potato with skin has 347 mg / 10%
  • Corn - 146 g ear of corn on the cob has 359 mg / 10%
  • Butternut squash - 100 g of butternut squash has 352 mg, 10%
  • Orange - A 186 g orange 350 mg in / 10%
  • Asparagus - A 180 g serving of boiled asparagus has 310 mg / 9%

The RDI that we have used in the above examples applies to the average adult male. This can vary due to age, gender and due to medical conditions. To see how much potassium you should be consuming each day, please see further down the page.

As you can see there are plenty of foods rich in potassium, and various simple combinations will ensure that you are getting your daily quota of this essential mineral, without taking into consideration the combined amount you will be taking on from the other foods and drinks that you consume through your diet.

Vegetables high in potassium

Here is an alphabetical list of vegetables high in potassium for you. Some of these may already have featured in our foods high in potassium list.

These may not all hold as much as the potassium foods listed above, but they will all give your potassium levels a boost to some degree.

Fruit with potassium in

The list below is of fruit with potassium in.

All of these fruits can make a positive contribution to your potassium levels.

If you would like to find out how many calories are in each of the foods mentioned in the above list, please see the menu on the left hand side of the page.

How much potassium per day is needed?

So now that you know what plenty of food sources of potassium are, it makes sense to find out how much potassium per day you should be consuming. This is a figure that may vary depending on your age, gender and medical disposition. If you find yourself asking 'how much potassium do I need in a day?', you will find that the answer differs depending where it is that you look online.

Our bodies contain approximately 140 grams of potassium, so it is important that we eat plenty of foods high in potassium so as to keep this level up.

  • Children 3-8 - 3,000 - 3,500 mg of potassium per day
  • Children 9-14 - 3,500 - 4,000 mg of potassium each day
  • Adults - 3,500 - 5,000 mg of potassium each day

Because there are so many foods that contain potassium, it is rather difficult not to get a sufficient amount of this mineral each day, hence why potassium deficiency is rare.

It is important to remember that foods with potassium in also contain various other important vitamins and minerals, so by eating them you are not only boosting your potassium levels, but also plenty of other nutritional balances inside your body as well.

How to get enough potassium through your diet each day

Here we are simply going to show you a couple of simple high potassium food combinations, so that you can see just how easy it is to get enough of this mineral.

To get 3,500 mg of potassium all you need to eat is:

  • One medium sized banana weighing 136 g - 487 mg
  • A 6.1 oz baked potato with the skin - 925 mg
  • 100 g of pistachio nuts - 1,025 mg
  • A 253 g serving of baked beans - 749 mg
  • An 8.1 oz of prune juice - 530 mg

This basic combination of foods provides you with 3,724 mg of potassium, without even taking into consideration the potassium in everything else you eat in a day, which can easily add up to hundreds, or even thousands of milligrams when combined.

What are the best sources of potassium?

The best sources of potassium are without a doubt the food sources that this page has covered. You can take potassium supplements in order to keep your levels up, but they are not going to provide you with the other nutritional benefits that potassium rich foods do.

What are the benefits of potassium?

Potassium deficiency symptoms

The primary benefits of potassium can't really be noticed unless you were to become deficient in the mineral, as your body would then begin to break down, it's not just a case of wondering, 'what is potassium good for?'. So the angle you have to look at this from is what the potassium that you consume is actually doing for you right now as you read this page, and what would happen if you were to neglect to include enough of this mineral in your diet.

Without enough of this essential mineral you would become deficient, and when this happens you will begin to experience low potassium symptoms, which include:

  • Increase of blood pressure
  • Hypertension
  • Weakness of the muscles
  • Muscular cramps
  • Constipation
  • Fatigue
  • Cardiovascular irregularities
  • Problems with the heart, such as an irregular heartbeat, or even heart failure
  • Confusion and memory loss

As we have already mentioned at the top of the page, a deficiency of potassium is known as 'hypokalemia'.

None of these sound particularly appealing do they? This is why making sure you make a real effort to eat high potassium foods is so very important.

If you think that you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important that you speak to your doctor or a medical professional who can have you take a potassium test.

The primary reason for developing potassium deficiency symptoms is through not getting enough potassium through your diet.

So no enough potassium is not a good sign for your health, but is too much potassium bad for you? We will answer that question in the following section.

Is too much potassium bad for you?

Hyperkalemia - High potassium symptoms

Excessive levels of potassium in the body is a medical condition known as 'hyperkalemia', and this can occur when your kidneys fail to remove unwanted levels of potassium from the body. Ordinarily your body would use the potassium that it needs from the foods and drinks that you consume, and the rest will be ejected. If it can't eject it then it can build up and become dangerous. This is something that happens more with older people.

If you experience any of the following high potassium symptoms then you should cut down on your foods high in potassium and also contact your doctor:

  • nausea
  • weakness
  • numbness or tingling
  • slow pulse
  • irregular heartbeat
  • heart failure

High potassium symptoms can be very serious, as the 'heart failure' symptom implies, so if you feel this may be a problem for you it really is critical that you seek medical advice and have your potassium levels checked.

Just to make you aware, it is highly unlikely that you are going to develop hyperkalemia through eating too many bananas, or another potassium rich food, but it is possible if you really do eat an excessive amount with foods that have high amounts of potassium in.

More information

We really hope that our page on high potassium foods has been helpful to you, and that you have been able to learn how to get enough of this essential mineral into your diet through our comprehensive potassium rich foods list. Eating these foods will not only help to keep your potassium levels up, but also the levels of plenty of other vitamins and minerals too. Just knowing what good sources of potassium are is the problem solved, as long as you can commit to including them in your diet regularly.

You can find out similar information on all of the other vitamins and minerals that are fundamental to your health in our vitamins and minerals menu.

Please take a moment to like and recommend our page using the social features at the top of the page, and be sure to bookmark us so that we are only a click away the next time you want to remind yourself what foods contain potassium.

Via the menu on the left hand side of the page, you can maneuver to a huge amount of information on calories in foods and beverages that you consume everyday, as well as information on the nutrients that they contain.

There is so much more to our website than information on foods rich in potassium, so make the most of what we have on offer today.


Disclaimer: The text on calories in foods.com is for your information only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

©2009 - 2014 calories-in-foods.com | Privacy Policy |