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MyFitnessPal Community

How to take in more Potassium?

Erikaelias85

Good Morning! I'm hoping I can get some advice on how to get more potassium from my diet.

I went to the Vitamin Shoppe yesterday in hopes that I could buy a supplement. They said the most a supplement would have is 99 g, which is equivalent to

% of your daily need.

I have noticed from tracking the food I eat that I am missing about 3000 grams of potassium a day. That is a s hit ton, I am only getting in about 400 of the 3400 I need.

Now here is my problem, everyone keeps telling me to eat banana's but I hate, hate , hate, hate banana's.

I hate how they feel, peel, smell, how they are squishy. And yes, I realize this is strange but I just cannot eat them,

Any advice?

Replies

mjl54

I've been in the same boat. I noticed the sup hardly have any potassium also.

here is a link of foods high in potassium
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php

jwdieter

Potassium is all over the place. It's just not required to be listed in nutritional summaries, so most MFP entries don't include it.

Potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and dairy are great sources of potassium and aren't bananas.

Here's one of many internet lists on potassium: http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/potassium.cfm

Lauren8239

If you drink coffee, there is potassium in that as well.

jorge_007

I've noticed that a lot food listings on here don't include the actual potassium amount, but to answer your question. Beans, green leafy vegetables, baked potatoes with the skin, citrus fruit just to name a few have a lot of potassium.

gatorginger

cantalope is good source

pinkledoodledoo

Yogurt and potatoes immediately come to mind.

jlapey

This might help:

http://potassiumrichfoods.com/potassium-rich-foods-list/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/potassium-foods-banana_n_1898078.html

Aeramis13

Here's another list to find foods higher in potassium: http://www.calories-in-foods.com/foods-high-potassium.php

And as others said, many of the things you eat every day have potassium in them, but as the food industry isn't required to list potassium, many, many, many companies choose to not 'waste' the space on their label. You're eating more potassium than you think!

Fullsterkur_woman

I spent a little time earlier this week looking up the potassium content for the foods I eat regularly that don't list the K content (egg white from carton, Greek yogurt, sweet potato fries, baby spinach in bags, etc.), then logged them in as "quick potassium" to make sure that I was getting enough potassium. Now that I know I do, I am not going to worry about the number that MFP shows.

It'd be nice if they'd list that on the nutrition label, but since it's not required by law, you're not going to find it most places.

cwolfman13

1) you're probably getting more than you think...it's not required on nutritional labels; as most of the MFP database is derived from such labels, it's not going to show up even though it's there.

2) Get your roughage on...lots of green leafy veg, broccoli, tomatoes (and tomato products...sauce, paste, etc), fruits, etc

3) potatoes are an awesome source...they kick a bananas *kitten*...but remember you have to eat the peel to get that benefit

4) beverages like V8 (I prefer low sodium) and coconut water have tons of potassium

5) dairy

Just google high potassium foods for other ideas.

jonnythan

Most foods don't include potassium content on the label since it's not required. You're probably getting a lot more than you think.

That said, there's no reason to go try to supplement potassium. If you think you're potassium deficient see your doc. Standard blood panels done at physicals check your potassium levels. If your blood K+ level isn't low, then you have nothing to worry about.

waltcote

sweet taters!!!!

knittnponder

It's squash season and squash has A LOT of potassium. I love eating half an acorn squash for lunch and it has almost 900 mg in 200 grams of cooked squash.

Coffee also has a good amount, leafy greens and meat are also good sources. I think we eat more potassium than we realize.

MissKitty9

I was wondering about this too-- it's nice to hear that maybe some of the foods I'm logging don't actually have potassium listed, so maybe I'm getting more than I think!

White beans are a good source, I've heard. And pears.

hookilau

yep..me too :sad:

I'm doing keto so lots of the things that have potassium are not on my food list :ohwell:

I made a pico de gallo the other day, I used 3#'s of tomatoes....guess what had the full daily amount of potassium?:blushing:

If you guessed the ENTIRE bowl of pico meant to serve something like 8 people.....then yes, this had the daily recommended amount :sick:

I read that salt substitute is a good source of additional potassium but haven't researched it as yet...

eta: hmm....since I get all of my carbs from green leafies, I'm resting a little easier now

I was hoping not to supplement potassium in any other way than with whole foods, so this is a relief!

Erikaelias85

Thank you!

Erikaelias85

Oooo! I love coconut water, thanks!

Mane1972

This is good to know, I was worrying I wasn't getting nearly enough potassium, as well.

needamulligan

As many have said the counters here are misleading. Don"t rely on the database here to keep track of potassium! Most foods in the database don't include the potassium content. In fact, I don't think most food labels list it.

pinkstp

Bananas, citrus fruits, cantaloupe, tomatoes, watercress, green leafy veg, sunflower seeds, avocados, lentils, potatoes and whole grains

I hear ya on the bananas thing, I love them but I have such a hard time eating/peeling them. I don't like the chalkiness.

susannamarie

A lot of the food you are eating has unlisted potassium. For example, today the chicken strips have some potassium. Yesterday, your lunch and dinner are listed as 0 potassium, but they actually have a fair amount. In order to get your potassium tracking right, you need to use entries with the potassium listed, which are hard to find for some foods.

That being said, some of the easiest ways to increase it are beet greens, low-sodium vegetable juice, and potatoes if you can afford the calories.

amychantel

I had surgery recently and as part of the pre-op blood work, it was determined that my potassium levels were low. Apparently, this can be dangerous when having surgery, so I was prescribed a potassium supplement (prescription). However, I was also told that too much potassium can be toxic, which might be the reason that you can't get a really high dosage OTC.

DMJS

I have the same problem. I am a pharmacy tech and I know that 1000mg of potassium suppliment is prescription strength BUT, DON"T do more than that.
To get potassium out of your diet us Paprika. Put it on everything it taste good and is very healthy for you. I use in in all my tomato based meals, vegetables, and Chicken. Pretty much anything.

jonnythan

I had surgery recently and as part of the pre-op blood work, it was determined that my potassium levels were low. Apparently, this can be dangerous when having surgery, so I was prescribed a potassium supplement (prescription). However, I was also told that too much potassium can be toxic, which might be the reason that you can't get a really high dosage OTC.

Indeed. The drug used in lethal injections is potassium chloride - the exact same thing that sodium-free salts (like No Salt) are made of. In large doses potassium interferes with nerve conduction and kills by stopping the heart from beating.

bcattoes

My biggest source of potassium is cooked tomato products. I drink V8 a lot, and use tomatoes or tomato sauce in cooking a lot too.

Jerseygrrl

I need extra potassium because I am on blood pressure medication. The best sources I've found are sweet potatoes, orange juice and raspberries. I know, I know - you shouldn't drink your calories. If one more nutrition "expert" tells me that, I'm going to punch her or him. I drink Trop 50 Calcium and vitamin D. 50 calories for an 8 ounce glass and 450 mg of potassium.

Nearly all fruits and most vegetables are good sources, so you don't have to eat sweet potatoes and raspberries every day.

For lunch, I make a salad with romaine lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and it gives me 986 mg of potassium.

FFfitgirl

Coffee!!

ballerina_tea

Tomato soup has a lot per cup, and you can slurp it down pretty quick. I had a potassium deficiency once that wouldn't quit. Finally I figured out I wasn't getting enough magnesium so I couldn't hold onto it (and magnesium is tough to measure with a simple blood test.) Once I took magnesium, everything resolved itself pretty quick. So I think potassium is pretty easy to get in your diet, you just have to mind your other electrolytes.

Erikaelias85

:noway: Good thing they don't make high dosage vitamins then

I had surgery recently and as part of the pre-op blood work, it was determined that my potassium levels were low. Apparently, this can be dangerous when having surgery, so I was prescribed a potassium supplement (prescription). However, I was also told that too much potassium can be toxic, which might be the reason that you can't get a really high dosage OTC.

Indeed. The drug used in lethal injections is potassium chloride - the exact same thing that sodium-free salts (like No Salt) are made of. In large doses potassium interferes with nerve conduction and kills by stopping the heart from beating.

TigerBite

Coconut Water, Cantaloupe, Papaya, Avocados ...