Potassium? If you say eat a banana, I'll punch you

Ericacea

Since I've started tracking what I eat, I've realized that I probably don't get enough Potassium. I'd like to, as I know it's important for muscle performance. Calorie restriction means I'm eating less, and I don't like a lot of foods with Potassium in them. Eg. I hate bananas bc of a bad experience with Cross Country (not as kinky as it sounds). Should I take a supplement?

BeansMachine

Coconut water? I've heard it has more potassium than bananas. It taste a bit salty though. Also avocados have potassium

BarbWhite09

Eat a banana. *hides*

DL121004

https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR24/nutrlist/sr24w306.pdf

utes09

Potatoes, milk, V8

jkdarby

gatorade

elcieloesazul

Paprika/red chili powder, avocados, pistachios, chocolate, dried apricots, sunflower seeds, beans, fish.

PinkEarthMama

I hate bananas.

Elzecat

coconut water--used it after several long training runs while training for my last half marathon and it worked really well.

Oo_BrookeNicole_oO

How weird is it that as I was reading this I noticed a large picture of a banana above your post captioned "5 foods you must not eat." Anyway, there are plenty of other foods that are high in potassium you could include in your diet. Advocados, fish, nuts, prunes, raisin, orange juice are just a few to name!

gleechick609

POTATOES!!!! TONS of potassium in there! Much more than a banana!

SammyKatt

Since I've started tracking what I eat, I've realized that I probably don't get enough Potassium. I'd like to, as I know it's important for muscle performance. Calorie restriction means I'm eating less, and I don't like a lot of foods with Potassium in them. Eg. I hate bananas bc of a bad experience with Cross Country (not as kinky as it sounds). Should I take a supplement?

1,000 mg

Avocado (1 cup)
Baked potato (8 ounces with skin)
Beet greens (3/4 cup, cooked)
Edamame (1 cup shelled, cooked)
Lima beans (1 cup, cooked)
Papaya (1 large)
Sweet potato (1 cup, cooked)


750 mg

Plantains (1 cup, cooked)
Salmon (6 ounces, raw)
Tomato sauce (1 cup)
Winter squash (1 cup, cooked)



500 mg

Banana (1 large)
Beets (1 cup, cooked)
Cantaloupe (1 cup)
Dried apricots (12 halves)
Dried figs (4)
Orange juice (1 cup)
Yogurt (1 cup plain low-fat)


250 mg

Broccoli (1/2 cup, cooked)
Chicken breast (5 ounces, roasted)
Dates (5 whole)
Kiwifruit (1)
Mango (1)
Milk (1 cup)
Nectarine (1)
Orange (1 medium)
Peanut butter (2 tablespoons)
Peanuts (1 ounce, about 1/4 cup)
Pear (1 large)
Raisins (1/4 cup)
Strawberries (1 cup)
Zucchini (1/2 cup, cooked)

gentlebreeze2

apples, potatoes, milk, yogurt, raisins, oranges

Do not take a potassium suppliment without consulting your doctor. It could have serious reprocussions!

abutterflyemerges

Since I've started tracking what I eat, I've realized that I probably don't get enough Potassium. I'd like to, as I know it's important for muscle performance. Calorie restriction means I'm eating less, and I don't like a lot of foods with Potassium in them. Eg. I hate bananas bc of a bad experience with Cross Country (not as kinky as it sounds). Should I take a supplement?

I hate Banana, but here is what I found out so hope it helps

A banana a day keeps the muscle cramps away. Or so you may think.

Bananas are high in potassium. They contain approximately 460 milligrams of potassium for a medium-sized banana. Potassium aids in nerve and muscle function and balancing electrolytes and pH level. Water and calcium also help in these processes.

Although bananas have gotten the most attention as a good source of potassium, it turns out that so are most fruits and vegetables, as well as many other foods. Here are ten common foods with more potassium than bananas:

1. Potato (1,081 mg)

2. Winter squash (896 mg)

3. Spinach (839 mg)

4. Baked beans (752 mg)

5. Raisins (544 mg)

6. Avocados (540 mg)

7. Yogurt, low-fat (531 mg)

8. Orange juice (496 mg)

9. Cantaloupe (494 mg)

10. Tuna (484 mg)

DrBorkBork

I'm on the coconut water bandwagon. Way better than some smelly old banana!
Just make sure to read the label if you buy from bottles at the store, as some of them contain extra stuff.

Sunfleursue

Here's a handy list I found

Foods with Potassium // Serving Size // Potassium (mg)
Apricots, dried 10 halves 407
Avocados, raw 1 ounce 180
Bananas, raw 1 cup 594
Beets, cooked 1 cup 519
Brussel sprouts, cooked 1 cup 504
Cantaloupe 1 cup 494
Dates, dry 5 dates 271
Figs, dry 2 figs 271
Kiwi fruit, raw 1 medium 252
Lima beans 1 cup 955
Melons, honeydew 1 cup 461
Milk, fat free or skim 1 cup 407
Nectarines 1 nectarine 288
Orange juice 1 cup 496
Oranges 1 orange 237
Pears (fresh) 1 pear 208
Peanuts dry roasted, unsalted 1 ounce 187
Potatoes, baked, 1 potato 1081
Prune juice 1 cup 707
Prunes, dried 1 cup 828
Raisins 1 cup 1089
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 839
Tomato products, canned sauce 1 cup 909
Winter squash 1 cup 896
Yogurt plain, skim milk 8 ounces 579

OneSchrutebuck

Cantaloupe is high in potassium. So are cucumbers, strawberries, and tomatoes.

gleechick609

Also, I dont know if anyone else has noticed this, but canned soups have a lot of potassium in there as well. A lot of sodium too but a lot of potassium!

cherriewilliams

oranges, baked potato w/ skin, mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, corn, salmon, sunflower seeds, lean beef, peanut butter, eggs, yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, chedder cheese, chocolate, apples, and pears.

I looked it up just a few days ago because I was low on potassium after surgery.

amanakos

I think Kiwis have a decent amount of potassium for their size... and they're delicious, probably one of my favorite fruits :-)

firesoforion

Avocados. Potatoes are pretty good too.

cherriechiu

Fish is pretty high in potassium. 3 ounces of Tilapia has more potassium than bananas and it's only 81 calories.

1 cup of red potatoes has nearly 2x the potassium than bananas and it has only 18 more calories (and would probably make you feel much more full).

taunto

Unless you hate the taste of banana, I take your challenge and say BANANA while motioning you to bring it!

CrystalFlury

Potatoes have loads of potassium

bethvandenberg

sweet potatoes and regular potatoes are both good sources.

LaurasClimb

My Mom has kidney failure and is restricted to a low potassium diet. The foods she is not supposed to eat because of their potassium/phosphate content are very surprising.

A lot of good lists here, I just wanted to add a word about potatoes. They have a good amount of potassium but be sure you are including the skin.

pixiesx3

Thanks for that USDA link. Amazing that bananas don't show up until the very end of page 2!!!

And OJ concentrate... go ahead and eat the entire can. :sick: HAHA Funny Gov't folks. :huh:

AnarchoGen

A serving of V8 has 2,000mg of potassium. your multivitamin should have about 600mg

sweet potatoes
beets and beet greens (the greens have some of the most highest potassium counts!)
spinach
tomatoes
citrus
apples (I like jazz apples)
butternut squash (low calorie, high potassium)
turnip greens
kohlrabi
watermelon radishes
red beans, black beans, great northern beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans... BEANS!!!
carrots
celery
eggs
greek plain yogurt
mushrooms
berries

really do I need to list anymore?

Soapstone

I saute up spinach a LOT and scramble it into eggs (I've learned to love it), and I also make a pasta dish with it, (I sautee it with a dash of white wine and garlic) and add sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, and a dash of asiago.
Romaine seems to have quite a lot. Tonight I had a huge salad, logged three servings of romaine and it reads 630 for that.
Half a cup of black beans is 305.
8 oz of coffee has 116.
Dave's Killer Bread: (great, lots of vitamins and minerals) 120
Jazz apples: 170 (not sure about other apples, I'm pulling the numbers from my diary)
Baby carrots, 6 oz: 540
1 medium Bosc pear: 210
Activia yogurt: 150
I've noticed since I've started logging on MFP that my potassium levels are consistently low. When I looked up the effects of low potassium, it definitely clicked for me that it's been a long term problem for which I never understood the source. I try really hard to keep my levels up-spinach jumpstarts it for me, the romaine, and usually some low sodium V8 (820), along with the foods with a little lower numbers.
Hope that helps!

Edit to add: Raw spinach has 167 mg- I eat that, too, but when I need a potassium boost, I saute it because the potassium level for sauteed spinach is so much higher-802 per cup. I have read beet greens have somewhere in the 1,200 range per cup, but I haven't tried them yet.

twistygirl

I just take a Potassium pill and call it a day.

LesliePierceRN

gatorade

Actually, the potassium in gatorade is negligible.. pedialyte is much better. Or oranges. Or spinach (raw).