The following
blog is from my friend and fellow dietitian, Jaime.
"The topic of
potassium has been brought to my attention lately. Did you know that the
Adequate Intake level for potassium is 4700 mg for adults? Have you ever tracked your potassium intake
(probably not)? I hadn't until recently and I only average around 1000 - 2000
mg/d. And many days I average 7 - 9
servings of fruits/veg and I eat beans and nuts daily.
Low potassium is associated with a risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, cancer, digestive disorders, and infertility.
I played around with some high potassium foods (nutritiondata.com is a great website to see the nutrient content of foods) and in order to ingest 4700 mg/d, here's an example of what I'd have to eat in ONE DAY:
1 medium banana
1 WHOLE avocado
1 cup black beans
1 large orange
1 cup shelled pistachios
1 whole mango
3 oz dark chocolate (60-69% cacao) - But 3 oz is A LOT, an entire bar
1 cup chopped kale
1 cup cherry tomatoes
= approximately 4700 mg potassium
More commonly consumed fruits (grapes, apples, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon, only have around 100 mg per serving)
How many of you think you get enough potassium? I encourage you to track your intake to see how you're doing. There are some great apps that will calculate this for you (myfitnesspal or fitday).
PS, this post is not for persons with chronic kidney disease or for anyone who has been told they have had elevated potassium in the past - consult your doctor or dietitian."
Low potassium is associated with a risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, cancer, digestive disorders, and infertility.
I played around with some high potassium foods (nutritiondata.com is a great website to see the nutrient content of foods) and in order to ingest 4700 mg/d, here's an example of what I'd have to eat in ONE DAY:
1 medium banana
1 WHOLE avocado
1 cup black beans
1 large orange
1 cup shelled pistachios
1 whole mango
3 oz dark chocolate (60-69% cacao) - But 3 oz is A LOT, an entire bar
1 cup chopped kale
1 cup cherry tomatoes
= approximately 4700 mg potassium
More commonly consumed fruits (grapes, apples, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon, only have around 100 mg per serving)
How many of you think you get enough potassium? I encourage you to track your intake to see how you're doing. There are some great apps that will calculate this for you (myfitnesspal or fitday).
PS, this post is not for persons with chronic kidney disease or for anyone who has been told they have had elevated potassium in the past - consult your doctor or dietitian."
From Web MD:
|
Food
|
Serving
size
|
Potassium
amount (milligrams)
|
|
Cooked spinach
|
1
cup
|
840
mg
|
|
Sweet potato
|
1
medium
|
695
mg
|
|
Plain nonfat yogurt
|
8
ounces
|
579
mg
|
|
Banana
|
1
cup
|
540
mg
|
|
Cooked broccoli
|
1
cup
|
460
mg
|
|
Cantaloupe
|
1
cup
|
430
mg
|
|
Tomato
|
1
cup
|
430
mg
|
|
Fat-free milk
|
8
ounces
|
380
mg
|
|
Strawberries
|
1
cup
|
255
mg
|
From Drugs.com
·
High potassium foods (more than 200 mg per
serving):
o
One papaya (781).
o
One cup of prune juice (707).
o
One cup of cubed cantaloupe (494) or diced
honeydew melon (461).
o
One small banana (467).
o
One-third cup of raisins (363).
o
One medium mango (323) or kiwi (252).
o
One small orange (237) or one-half cup of orange juice (236).
o
One medium pear (208).
·
Medium potassium foods (100-200 mg per
serving):
o
One medium peach (193).
o
One cup of watermelon (176).
o
One small apple (159) or one-half cup of apple juice (147).
o
One-half cup of peaches canned in juice
(158).
o
One-half cup of canned pineapple (152).
o
One-half cup of fresh, sliced strawberries
(138).
·
Low potassium foods (less than 100 mg per
serving):
o
One-half cup of mandarin oranges (98).
o
Ten small grapes (93).
o
One-half cup of sweetened applesauce (78).
o
One-half cup of fresh blueberries (63).
What kinds of vegetables
contain potassium?
·
High potassium foods (more than 200 mg per
serving):
o
One cup of tomato juice (535) or chopped or sliced
tomato (400).
o
One baked sweet potato, with skin (508).
o
One-half of a medium avocado (450).
o
One-half of a medium potato, with skin
(422).
o
One cup of fresh or cooked asparagus (288).
o
One-half cup of cooked pumpkin (282).
o
One-half cup of cooked mushrooms (277).
o
One-half cup of fresh Brussels sprouts (247).
·
Medium potassium foods (100-200 mg per
serving):
o
One-half cup of fresh green beans (187).
o
One-half cup of fresh carrots (177).
o
One-half cup of cooked zucchini, summer squash (173).
o
One-half cup of fresh cauliflower (151).
o
One-half cup of canned peas (147).
o
One-half cup of fresh broccoli (143).
o
One-half cup of frozen corn (120).
·
Low potassium foods (less than 100 mg per
serving):
o
One-half cup of cucumber slices (88).
o
One cup of iceberg lettuce (87).
o
One-half cup of frozen green beans (85).
What sources of protein
contain potassium?
·
High potassium foods (more than 200 mg per
serving):
o
One-half cup of cooked pinto beans (400),
lentils (365), or dried peas (355).
o
One cup of soy milk (345).
o
Three ounces of baked or broiled salmon
(319).
o
Three ounces of roasted turkey, dark meat
(259).
o
One-fourth cup of sunflower seeds (241).
o
Three ounces of cooked lean beef (224).
o
Two tablespoons of peanut butter (214).
·
Medium potassium foods (100-200 mg per
serving):
o
One ounce of salted peanuts (187).
·
Low potassium foods (less than 100 mg per
serving):
o
One egg (55 mg).
What dairy products contain
potassium?
·
High potassium foods (more than 200 mg per
serving):
o
Six ounces of yogurt (398).
o
One cup of 2 percent white milk (377).
o
One cup of low-fat (2 percent) cottage
cheese (217).
·
Medium potassium foods (100-200 mg per
serving):
o
One-half cup of ricotta cheese (154).
o
One-half cup of vanilla ice cream (131).
·
Low potassium foods (less than 100 mg per
serving):
o
One ounce of American cheese (79) or
cheddar cheese (28).
What other foods contain
potassium?
·
High potassium (more than 200 mg per
serving):
o
One tablespoon of molasses (498).
·
Medium potassium foods (100-200 mg per
serving):
o
A one and one-half ounce chocolate bar (169).
