About this topic
Potassium is a mineral found in many foods. You can find it in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. It is also found in milk, dried beans, and peas. Potassium helps to keep blood pressure normal. It also helps muscles, like the heart, to work the right way. Potassium stops too much calcium from being lost through your urine. ‚
General
You need to know how much potassium is in the food you eat. Read the food labels with care. They will show you how much potassium is in a serving. Reading the labels will help you make healthy food choices. ‚
Be sure to follow your doctors orders about how much potassium you are to eat. ‚
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What will the results be?
Your doctor is ordering a special diet for you. This will help control your health problem. Your potassium levels will be in a normal range. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
You will have to watch how much potassium is in the foods you eat. Your doctor will talk to you about the right amount of potassium for you. ‚
When is this diet used?
This diet is used when your potassium level is low. ‚
What foods are good to eat?
High Potassium Foods ‚
High Potassium Fruits: ‚
- Apricots
- Raw ¢ ˆ ’ 2 medium
- Dry ¢ ˆ ’ 5 halves
- Avocado ¢ ˆ ’ 1/4 whole
- Banana ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 whole
- Cantaloupe ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Dates ¢ ˆ ’ 5 whole
- Dried fruits ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Figs, dried ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Grapefruit juice ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Honeydew ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Kiwi ¢ ˆ ’ 1 medium
- Mango ¢ ˆ ’ 1 medium
- Nectarine ¢ ˆ ’ 1 medium
- Orange ¢ ˆ ’ 1 medium
- Orange juice ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Papaya ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 whole
- Pomegranate ¢ ˆ ’ 1 whole
- Pomegranate juice ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Prunes ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Prune juice ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Raisins ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
High Potassium Vegetables (1 serving is 1/2 cup) ‚
- Acorn squash
- Artichoke
- Bamboo shoots
- Baked beans
- Butternut squash
- Beets, fresh then boiled
- Black beans
- Brussels sprouts
- Chinese cabbage
- Carrots, raw
- Dried beans and peas
- Greens, except kale
- Hubbard squash
- Kohlrabi
- Lentils
- Legumes
- Mushrooms, canned
- Parsnips
- Potatoes, white and sweet
- Pumpkin
- Refried beans
- Rutabagas
- Spinach, cooked
- Tomatoes, tomato products
- Vegetable juices
High Potassium Other Foods: ‚
- Bran/bran products ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Chocolate ¢ ˆ ’ 1.5 to 2 ounces
- Granola ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Milk, all types ¢ ˆ ’ 1 cup
- Molasses ¢ ˆ ’ 1 tablespoon
- Nutritional supplements
- Nuts and seeds ¢ ˆ ’ 1 ounce
- Peanut butter ¢ ˆ ’ 2 tablespoons
- Salt substitutes ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Salt-free broth ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Yogurt ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
Low Potassium Foods (Eating more than one serving of these foods can make it a high-potassium food.) ‚
Low Potassium Fruits: ‚
- Apple ¢ ˆ ’ 1 medium
- Apple juice ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Applesauce ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Apricots, canned in juice ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Blackberries
- Blueberries ¢ ˆ ’ 1 cup
- Cherries ¢ ˆ ’ 10 cherries
- Cranberries ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Fruit cocktail ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Grapes ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Grape juice ¢ ˆ ’ 1 cup
- Grapefruit ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 whole
- Mandarin oranges ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Peaches
- Fresh ¢ ˆ ’ 1 small
- Canned ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup)
- Pears
- Fresh ¢ ˆ ’ 1 small
- Canned ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Pineapple ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Pineapple juice ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Plums ¢ ˆ ’ 1 whole
- Raspberries ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Strawberries
- Tangerine ¢ ˆ ’ 1 whole
- Watermelon ¢ ˆ ’ Limit to 1 cup
Low Potassium Vegetables (1 serving is 1/2 cup) ‚
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Asparagus ¢ ˆ ’ 6 spears
- Beans, wax or green
- Cabbage, green and red
- Carrots, cooked
- Cauliflower
- Celery ¢ ˆ ’ 1 stalk
- Corn
- Fresh ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 ear
- Frozen ¢ ˆ ’ 1/2 cup
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Kale
- Leached potatoes*
- Lettuce
- Mixed vegetables
- Mushrooms, fresh
- Okra
- Onions
- Parsley
- Peas, green
- Peppers
- Radish
- Rhubarb
- Water chestnuts, canned
- Watercress
*Leached potatoes have less potassium. To make them, first peel and slice the potatoes. Then boil them in unsalted water. After cooking, let the potatoes sit in the water for at least 2 hours. Then drain, rinse, and drain the potatoes again. ‚
Low Potassium Other Foods: ‚
- Rice
- Noodles
- Pasta
- Bread and bread products (not whole grains)
- Cake ¢ ˆ ’ angel, yellow
- Coffee ¢ ˆ ’ limit to 8 ounces
- Pies without chocolate or high-potassium foods
- Cookies without nuts or chocolate
- Tea ¢ ˆ ’ limit to 16 ounces
Where can I learn more?
National Kidney Foundation ‚
http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/potassium.cfm ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚