Trying to get potassium levels up on a low carb diet

jtr357
jtr357 Posts: 45 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My potassium levels are always around a thousand under what they should be.Does anyone have any idea how to get them up without loading up on carb rich bananas & other fruit?
I usually have one banana a day or an apple.That's the most fruit I'll eat & maybe a glass of juice(OJ or V8 low sodium).I've been almost nailing my recommended nutritional intake except for the potassium.
Check out my diary.It should be view able to everyone.(Just don't give me crap about my vodka I have once or twice a week. :D )

Thanks for any help.

Replies

  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    Well in just a quick perusal, you're missing potassium(K) entries on several of your items.
    There is K in milk, bacon, and something else I saw just on the first page.
    Meat/fish coconut water..there are many.

    Check here and make your own database entries:

    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

    The non-asterisk items in MFP's database are from there. They will list the K.
  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    Just grab some lite-salt. It has plenty.

    http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/food-salts/3/morton-lite-salt-mixture/
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    Just grab some lite-salt. It has plenty.

    Except it's easier on your stomach to get it from food rather than potassium chloride.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    Try veggies and not fruit to get some potassium rich foods. Spinach and broccoli are great for this. Any other dark leafy green is also good (i.e. kale).
  • jtr357
    jtr357 Posts: 45 Member
    Thank you & thanks to everyone else who commented.This is exactly what I was looking for.
  • Basilin
    Basilin Posts: 360 Member
    Well in just a quick perusal, you're missing potassium(K) entries on several of your items.
    There is K in milk, bacon, and something else I saw just on the first page.
    Meat/fish coconut water..there are many.

    Check here and make your own database entries:

    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

    The non-asterisk items in MFP's database are from there. They will list the K.

    I noticed this for myself today. Milk has a lot of potassium and some of the MFP entries don't include it... be sure check the nutrition facts!
  • Boccellin
    Boccellin Posts: 137 Member
    Mushrooms and Zucchini are my potassium powerhouses. Ever since I started eating more of both, I've never had trouble meeting my potassium goals :)
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    Mushrooms and Zucchini are my potassium powerhouses. Ever since I started eating more of both, I've never had trouble meeting my potassium goals :)
    I always forget to mention mushrooms and squash, although I eat a ton of them.
    Hopefully, our governments will start to list the potassium on labeling soon. It makes a good balance to sodium in our electrolytes and I enjoy a lot of sodium. I check my BP regularly and find that as long as my potassium intake is high enough, sodium doesn't affect my BP.
  • Jetta_C
    Jetta_C Posts: 58
    Probably the easiest way to do that is by using potassium salt. In the grocery store it is called "Lite Salt" but it is really just potassium chloride. I use that instead of regular salt and it helps a lot.

    When I am doing low carb, if I am getting leg cramps, etc I will also supplement with potassium tablets, but that takes effort because we need A LOT of potassium every day so you have to take several pills or the really big pills--
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    I get my daily potassium from :

    Avocado
    Mushrooms
    Broccoli
    Brussel sprouts
  • FitMolly182
    FitMolly182 Posts: 303 Member
    liquid mineral supplement?
  • asciident
    asciident Posts: 166 Member
    Potassium is not required on U.S. food labels, so a GREAT many items in the MFP database and ones you're scanning/adding in don't tell you their K content.

    Has your doctor tested you for K deficiency? If you're not actually low, and eating a varied diet, I wouldn't worry about it much.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    I use the MIO fit stuff in my water, adds flavor and electrolytes at the same time.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    Potassium is not required on U.S. food labels, so a GREAT many items in the MFP database and ones you're scanning/adding in don't tell you their K content.

    Has your doctor tested you for K deficiency? If you're not actually low, and eating a varied diet, I wouldn't worry about it much.

    ^^^^^^THIS
  • ruralnurse58
    ruralnurse58 Posts: 5
    Low sodium V8 juice- a 12 oz can is only 70 cals but has 1180 mg of potassium.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    Potassium is not required on U.S. food labels, so a GREAT many items in the MFP database and ones you're scanning/adding in don't tell you their K content.

    Has your doctor tested you for K deficiency? If you're not actually low, and eating a varied diet, I wouldn't worry about it much.

    ^^^^^^THIS

    This is very true. I watch my electrolytes because I actually don't use much in the way of salts etc. and I find if I don't, I get severe problems with muscle knotting. But if you don't actually have any issues, you're probably already getting enough potassium in your diet and it's just not showing up in you diary because it's not tracked on the labels. I supplement to be on the safe side, but you need to be careful if you go that route because potassium can have deleterious effects on the heart if you take too much at a time.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,630 Member
    Low sodium V8 juice- a 12 oz can is only 70 cals but has 1180 mg of potassium.
    Nice to know. Thanks.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    milk, yogurt and other dairy have potassium, but i rarely see it listed on the packages or on MFP. i eat mashed potatoes and potato chips that don't show potassium numbers on MFP, but potatoes have more potassium than bananas or OJ. fage yogurt (my favorite) doesn't list potassium on their labels, and when i emailed them to ask, their rep had no idea if their yogurt has potassium (it pretty much has to) or if so, how much.
  • pinkpolkadots25
    pinkpolkadots25 Posts: 101 Member
    Avocado. Spinach has a ton - 200g has something like 1300mg. Butternut squash (or any winter squash/sweet potato) if it fits your carbs.
  • LeslieTSUK
    LeslieTSUK Posts: 215 Member
    try this,
    great way of increasing potassium
    http://www.amazon.com/Nu-Salt-3-Ounce-Shaker-Pack-12/dp/B000H1558E
  • BabyJUDYKAY
    BabyJUDYKAY Posts: 38 Member
    Google - Butternut squash vs banana.
  • Jibby1017
    Jibby1017 Posts: 8 Member
    Try "Just Bananas" - they are not fried but freeze dried. A fun and good source. 1oz = 110 calories & 470 mg per svg. Much higher than regular bananas. Almonds & rice bran are really good sources too. Besides lots of veggies, lentils/legumes, & quinoa are also good sources. Excess caffeine, coffee, & salt are enemies of potassium, as is alcohol.
  • jtr357
    jtr357 Posts: 45 Member
    Thanks Jibby.I'll have to to check them out.I also noticed in just three stalks of celery,there's 484mg of potassium.I've been eating it everyday.

    Thanks for all the helpful replies

Categories