High-Potassium Foods

Topic Overview

Potassium is a mineral in your cells. It helps your nerves and muscles work as they should. The right balance of potassium also keeps your heart beating at a steady rate.

A potassium level that is too high or too low can be dangerous. If your levels are high or low, you may need to change the way you eat.

Low-potassium foods	Medium-potassium foods	High-potassium foods	Very high-potassium foods
less than 100 mg	101-200 mg	201-300 mg	over 300 mg

You can control the amount of potassium you get in your diet by being aware of which foods are low or high in potassium. When you choose foods from lists like the one below, note the serving size. Otherwise, it can be easy to get too much or too little potassium.

**Content of select high-potassium foods** ^{footnote 1} ^{footnote 2}
Food (no table salt added)	Serving size	Potassium (mg)
Apricots	2 raw or 5 dry	200
Artichoke	1 medium	345
Banana	1	425
Beans (lima, baked navy)	½ cup	280
Beef, ground	3 oz	270
Beets, raw or cooked	½ cup	260
Broccoli	½ cup	230
Brussels sprouts	½ cup	250
Cantaloupe	½ cup	215
Clams, canned	3 oz	535
Dates	5	270
Dried beans and peas	½ cup	300-475
Fish (haddock, perch, salmon)	3 oz	300
French fries	3 oz	470
Lentils	½ cup	365
Milk (fat-free, low-fat, whole, buttermilk)	1 cup	350-380
Nectarine	1 fruit	275
Nuts (almonds, cashew, hazelnuts, peanuts)	1 oz	200
Orange	1 fruit	240
Orange juice	½ cup	235
Parsnip	½ cup	280
Potato, baked	1 potato	925
Potato chips, plain, salted	1 oz	465
Prunes	5	305
Pumpkin, canned	½ cup	250
Raisins, seedless	¼ cup	270
Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin)	1 oz	240
Spinach	½ cup	420
Sweet potato, baked	1 potato	450
Tomatoes, canned	½ cup	200-300
Tomato, fresh	1 fruit	290
Turkey	3 oz	250
Vegetable juice	½ cup	275
Winter squash	½ cup	250
Yogurt, plain	6 oz	260
Zucchini	½ cup	220

Hidden potassium

Some foods and drinks may have hidden potassium. Certain herbal or dietary supplements may also have it. Diet or protein drinks and diet bars often have this mineral. It is also in sports drinks. These are meant to replace potassium you lose during exercise.

Food labels do not have to include the amount of potassium, but some do. Even if potassium is not listed, it may still be in that food.

If you're limiting your potassium, do not use a salt substitute or "lite" salt without talking to your doctor first. These often are very high in potassium.

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Related Information

References

Citations

U.S. Department of Agriculture, et al. (2015). USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, release 28. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/ndl. Accessed October 12, 2015.

American Dietetic Association (2015). Potassium content of foods. Nutrition Care Manual. https://www.nutritioncaremanual.org/client_ed.cfm?ncm_client_ed_id=153&actionxm=ViewAll. Accessed September 10, 2015.

Credits

ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator

Current as ofMarch 29, 2018

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Current as of: March 29, 2018

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine & E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator