High Potassium Foods To Add To Your Everyday Diet

Potassium is an essential nutrient for every part of your body. It keeps our cells hydrated, supports healthy blood pressure, and strengthens our muscles, heart, and kidneys. Technically, potassium is an electrolyte because it carries an electrical charge that activates nerve cells. Read this article to discover high potassium foods to add to your diet.

 

Recommended Amounts

This may surprise you, but U.S. Dietary Reference Intakes state that there is not enough evidence to establish a recommended dietary allowance for potassium, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. (Nutrition science is a very young field!) But – the National Academy of Medicine has established an Adequate Intake (AI) for potassium. 

 

  • For women over 19 years of age, the AI is 2,600 mg
  • For men over 19 years of age, the AI is 3,400 mg

 

Luckily, this essential nutrient is available in all kinds of foods that are easy to incorporate into your everyday diet. Here are some of our favorite high potassium foods. 

 

Foods Rich in Potassium

Potatoes

A baked potato with the skin on contains more than 900 milligrams of potassium, and a sweet potato more than 500 milligrams, as long as you leave the nutrient-rich skin on! 

 

Legumes

Beans are a great source of potassium, from white beans to adzuki beans to pinto beans, navy beans, lima beans, and soybeans. And don’t forget lentils, which are also good sources of potassium.

 

Seafood

Get your fishing pole! Any three-ounce serving of salmon, mackerel, halibut, tuna, or snapper contains over 400 milligrams of potassium.

 

Leafy greens

Bring out your kale! Leafy greens like spinach, kale, swiss chard, and collard greens contain about 400 milligrams of potassium in just one half-cup. 

 

Dairy products

Did you know just one cup of low-fat or skim milk contains about 350 to 380 milligrams of potassium? Yogurt, too, is an excellent way to get in your daily AI. 

 

Tomatoes

Pick your potassi-poison when it comes to tomatoes! Chopped, juiced, pureed, or turned into a paste; this sneaky fruit can add a shot of potassium to almost any dish. 

 

Bananas

You can’t go wrong with a classic. Just one medium banana alone contains about 422 milligrams of potassium. And their cousin, the plantain, is also rich in potassium. 

 

Fresh or dried fruits

Whatever your favorite fruit, you can’t go wrong when adding a little potassium to a meal. A cantaloupe with your breakfast cereal or a mandarin orange for dessert is a delicious way to insert more potassium into your diet. Other delicious fruits to try? Dates, nectarines, oranges, peaches, apricots, prunes, and raisins. Both fresh and dried versions will work. 

 

Avocados

Avocados now have a permanent place in the American diet, and good thing, too. They are a great source of potassium. Put them on toast, tacos, salads, or sandwiches. 

 

Winter squash such as acorn or butternut

As fall progresses, winter squashes are making their way into all kinds of foods, from soup to salads to squash fries! (A delicious alternative to potato fries.) Winter squashes are so versatile – they make a great side dish or a main course, and you can cook them in an infinite variety of ways. So celebrate fall at the same time you celebrate raising your potassium intake. 

 

Cashews and almonds

Protein-dense, delicious, and snackable, almonds and cashews can also provide a little boost of potassium in your everyday diet. As a snack, baked into granola or in a salad, these delicious nuts will make you feel full and happy, mainly because you’ve got a good potassium intake! 

 

Looking for a healthcare provider in San Diego who can answer your questions about getting more potassium in your diet? Scripps Affiliated Medical Groups has the resources available to find the care you need. You can also get more tips and tricks to stay active and healthy on our Healthy Lifestyles page.

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