Potassium!!!

Hi guys, I googled potassium sources and stole this chart from the USDA site. It has some interesting choices Good luck!


Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005

APPENDIX B. FOOD SOURCES OF SELECTED NUTRIENTS
Appendix B-1. Food Sources of Potassium
Food Sources of Potassium ranked by milligrams of potassium per standard amount, also showing calories in the standard amount. (The AI for adults is 4,700 mg/day potassium.)

Food Standard Amount Potassium (mg) Calories

Sweetpotato, baked, 1 potato (146 g) 694 131

Tomato paste, ¼ cup 664 54

Beet greens, cooked, ½ cup 655 19

Potato, baked, flesh, 1 potato (156 g) 610 145

White beans, canned, ½ cup 595 153

Yogurt, plain, non-fat, 8-oz container 579 127

Tomato puree, ½ cup 549 48

Clams, canned, 3 oz 534 126

Yogurt, plain, low-fat, 8-oz container 531 143

Prune juice, ¾ cup 530 136

Carrot juice, ¾ cup 517 71

Blackstrap molasses, 1 Tbsp 498 47

Halibut, cooked, 3 oz 490 119

Soybeans, green, cooked, ½ cup 485 127

Tuna, yellowfin, cooked, 3 oz 484 118

Lima beans, cooked, ½ cup 484 104

Winter squash, cooked, ½ cup 448 40

Soybeans, mature, cooked, ½ cup 443 149

Rockfish, Pacific, cooked, 3 oz 442 103

Cod, Pacific, cooked, 3 oz 439 89

Bananas, 1 medium 422 105

Spinach, cooked, ½ cup 419 21

Tomato juice, ¾ cup 417 31

Tomato sauce, ½ cup 405 39

Peaches, dried, uncooked, ¼ cup 398 96

Prunes, stewed, ½ cup 398 133

Milk, non-fat, 1 cup 382 83

Pork chop, center loin, cooked, 3 oz 382 197

Apricots, dried, uncooked, ¼ cup 378 78

Rainbow trout, farmed, cooked, 3 oz 375 144

Pork loin, center rib (roasts), lean, roasted, 3 oz 371 190

Buttermilk, cultured, low-fat, 1 cup 370 98

Cantaloupe, ¼ medium 368 47

1%-2% milk, 1 cup 366 102-122

Honeydew melon, 1/8 medium 365 58

Lentils, cooked, ½ cup 365 115

Plantains, cooked, ½ cup slices 358 90

Kidney beans, cooked, ½ cup 358 112

Orange juice, ¾ cup 355 85

Split peas, cooked, ½ cup 355 116

Yogurt, plain, whole milk, 8 oz container 352 138

So if I eat a banana, I blow my sugar levels. How can I get enough potassium?

I take a supplement. If not, I get leg cramps when I sleep.

I never seem to get enough potassium in my diet either! But, I found this link to a pdf (from the Ohio State University Medical Center) that lists all kinds of foods that are high in potassium. Not all the foods are super-healthy, but things like cauliflower, asparagus, spinach and zucchini are great choices! Hope this helps.

http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/PatientEd/Materials/PDFDocs/nut-diet/nut-other/high-potassium.pdf

I used to get leg cramps - but I associated that more with my Type 1 diabetes (I know many Type 1 diabetics suffer from these)..........but maybe the T1 diabetes is affecting my potassium level??? It messes with everything else, I don't see why not, haha.

It seems to get 4700mg I'd have to eat nothing but the things on that darn list! Maybe I will have to take a supplement....

Morton light salt has a lot of potassium- you can use it to lower your sodium while raising your potassium. I am allergic to bananas so I constantly struggle with leg cramps. Stretching, stretching and more stretching...

Blackberries, blueberries and strawberries are good sources too. And remember, the sugar on here doesn't differentiate between "natural" and added sugar. I never worry about the sugar from fruit, only the stuff I add through packaged foods. I don't think it is a big deal unless you are dealing with diabetes too.