Potassium, Calcium and Iron

Potassium is in a lot of foods that don't record it on their nutrition info because it's not "required." For example, one package of salmon has potassium listed; another doesn't...same with raisins. I found that the store brand generic raisins indicates 220 mg of potassium (I think) in a little box but the Sun Maid brand doesn't list potassium. So you may not be as low on potassium as you think.

Coffee, yogurt, bananas, peas, legumes, many fruits and veggies but ESPECIALLY potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes all have potassium - a good size potato will have over 1000 mg of potassium. Do some investigating and find foods you like that have potassium in them - you may need to look it up online rather than relying on the package or the food database (some people don't put all the nutrition info in when they log food.) Even peanut butter has potassium. I have added my own entries to ensure that the potassium is added - I don't understand people who add stuff to the database with incomplete info.

As to iron - I have a hard time always meeting 100%. I figure if I get 80% or more that's great. Total cereal has 100% of a bunch of vitamins and minerals in 1 serving for 100 or 110 calories. I mix it in my yogurt every day. (I don't like milk and it has more nutritional punch than granola does) Sometimes I use a full serving, sometimes I just do part of a serving. Many cereals and breads are fortified with iron...

Calcium - I usually am a little over on calcium. I take a calcium supplement because I do not eat enough dairy products and have not eaten enough over the years and I am afraid of osteoperosis. Kale and spinach are a couple non-dairy sources of calcium.

Before you make too many sad disappointed faces at people, you need to understand that people create database entries based on what it says on the label of whatever they're eating.

WOW...I didn't realize making a sad face was so offensive. My humble apologies.

And sometimes it's just people putting in only calories and fat, nothing else, even though the calcium, iron, sodium and vitamin C content is right there on the label for the exact same product....so my stands.

Coconut water has 11-14% DV of potassium depending on what brand you get. So maybe coconut products in general have potassium as well. I think even milk has potassium in it; my protein powder has decent potassium. I would just hit up some of the high potassium foods a few times a week and not worry too much. Gatorade probably has more than coconut water and is cheaper but I don't think it's very healthy.

As for iron, calcium can potentially affect absorption so I would try to consume the two away from each other if possible. If you're eating red meat you should be ok, but again try to consume calcium away from it. Vitamin C is known to increase iron absorption. Nothing wrong with grabbing a decent iron supplement and taking Vit C with it a couple times a week. If you're not eating red meat and/or you're female, I would definitely recommend supplementing with iron especially around that time of the month. Iron is hard for some people to absorb even amongst meat eaters and esp females. So there's a lot of iron deficiency.

As for calcium, that shouldn't be too hard if you eat at least a couple servings of dairy a day. Yogurt and cheese are better sources because the acidity of milk can possibly affect calcium absorption by the bones (at least there is some evidence for this). Plenty of other stuff has calcium though. Keep your eye out on your fav foods for which ones have more calcium. Algae is a really good source too but not that common in American culture.

segacs wrote: »

wizzybeth wrote: »

I have added my own entries to ensure that the potassium is added - I don't understand people who add stuff to the database with incomplete info.

Before you make too many sad disappointed faces at people, you need to understand that people create database entries based on what it says on the label of whatever they're eating. If potassium isn't listed on the food label (and like you pointed out, it's not required to be so most labels don't include it), then people won't add the value 'cause they don't know it.

It's not that they don't care; it's just that they don't know.

JPW1990 wrote: »

Is this based on blood work or what you see when tracking? A lot of user entries in the database don't bother filling in half the info if they don't care about it, and that includes the calcium and iron info at the bottom. A lot of labels don't include potassium at all.

^^ This. Unless your doctor finds that you're deficient in something, don't worry about it.

This is true. I went to buy a potassium vitamin bcse I was not close to my goal. The pharmacist cautioned against it unless lab work indicates I am low.

Sprinkle salt substitute (or "light salt") on your meat and veg. It's pretty much pure potassium.