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

Ericacea
Ericacea Posts: 45
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
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?
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Replies

  • BeansMachine
    BeansMachine Posts: 3
    Coconut water? I've heard it has more potassium than bananas. It taste a bit salty though. Also avocados have potassium
  • BarbWhite09
    BarbWhite09 Posts: 1,128 Member
    Eat a banana. *hides*
  • DL121004
    DL121004 Posts: 214 Member
    https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR24/nutrlist/sr24w306.pdf
  • utes09
    utes09 Posts: 561 Member
    Potatoes, milk, V8
  • jkdarby
    jkdarby Posts: 53 Member
    gatorade
  • elcieloesazul
    elcieloesazul Posts: 448 Member
    Paprika/red chili powder, avocados, pistachios, chocolate, dried apricots, sunflower seeds, beans, fish.
  • PinkEarthMama
    PinkEarthMama Posts: 987 Member
    I hate bananas.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    coconut water--used it after several long training runs while training for my last half marathon and it worked really well.
  • Oo_BrookeNicole_oO
    Oo_BrookeNicole_oO Posts: 165
    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
    gleechick609 Posts: 544 Member
    POTATOES!!!! TONS of potassium in there! Much more than a banana!
  • SammyKatt
    SammyKatt Posts: 363 Member
    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
    gentlebreeze2 Posts: 450 Member
    apples, potatoes, milk, yogurt, raisins, oranges

    Do not take a potassium suppliment without consulting your doctor. It could have serious reprocussions!
  • abutterflyemerges
    abutterflyemerges Posts: 101 Member
    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
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    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
    Sunfleursue Posts: 3 Member
    Here's a handy list I found :wink:

    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
    OneSchrutebuck Posts: 44
    Cantaloupe is high in potassium. So are cucumbers, strawberries, and tomatoes.
  • gleechick609
    gleechick609 Posts: 544 Member
    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
    cherriewilliams Posts: 107 Member
    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
    amanakos Posts: 3
    I think Kiwis have a decent amount of potassium for their size... and they're delicious, probably one of my favorite fruits :-)
  • firesoforion
    firesoforion Posts: 1,017 Member
    Avocados. Potatoes are pretty good too.
  • cherriechiu
    cherriechiu Posts: 7
    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
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    Unless you hate the taste of banana, I take your challenge and say BANANA while motioning you to bring it!
  • CrystalFlury
    CrystalFlury Posts: 400 Member
    Potatoes have loads of potassium
  • bethvandenberg
    bethvandenberg Posts: 1,496 Member
    sweet potatoes and regular potatoes are both good sources.
  • LaurasClimb
    LaurasClimb Posts: 211 Member
    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
    pixiesx3 Posts: 172 Member
    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
    AnarchoGen Posts: 400 Member
    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
    Soapstone Posts: 134 Member
    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
    twistygirl Posts: 517 Member
    I just take a Potassium pill and call it a day.
  • LesliePierceRN
    LesliePierceRN Posts: 860 Member
    gatorade

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