Potassium Rich Foods

tinabell153
tinabell153 Posts: 292 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been logging for a couple months now and realize that I'm always pretty low on potassium. Anyone else have this problem? What can I eat that will up my daily potassium?

I already eat pistachios, which are considered a good source, but they can be high calorie.

Should I get a supplement? (My diary is open to friends only sorry) My usual daily intake is 900 when MFP says I need 3500 daily.

Replies

  • linwaggs
    linwaggs Posts: 25 Member
    When my potassium is low,I go for tomatoes. Not bad on the calorie count and they have quite a bit of potassium.
  • newking
    newking Posts: 70 Member
    Many things do not list the ootassium count here on mfp.

    Some things that are high in potassium include, dairy, potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, nuts, green leafy veg, beans, oranges, cantaloupe,
  • sthrnchick
    sthrnchick Posts: 771
    When I really low for my potassium intake...I eat a sweet potato...pretty high in potassium and not too high in carbs!
  • imaheal
    imaheal Posts: 63 Member
    :smile: I have the same problem! I know that idaho potatoes, tomatoes, bananas are all pretty high in potassium. I am ALWAYS way under on potassium and way over on sodium!
  • RuthSweetTooth
    RuthSweetTooth Posts: 461 Member
    It's not possible to know how much potassium you are really getting because it is not listed in the nutrition in formation on many labels, so there is nothing MFP can do to show you. I wish that Potassium would be deleted and Vitamin D would be added in its place.

    They say that generally, if you get enough calcium, you are often getting enough phosporus and vitamin D, and I think potassium.

    Fruits are very good sources of potassium.

    The supplements have too little potassium to be useful.

    Potassium is used in chemical reactions by the body, I am not sure that taking the supplements are recommended. You might want to ask your doctor. My husband takes potassium citrate because he has gout. He also has bad habits and eats too much salt, too much meat, all of these increase the bodie's need for potassium. Perhaps I will be able to help him with this problem, but it is hard to say. He is so addicted to the salt shaker. By the way, lite salt is about 50% potassium. You should ask your doctor about that too.

    Ruth
  • laus_8882
    laus_8882 Posts: 217 Member
    I track potassium and have found that two medium kiwis give me 474mg and 1/4 of a head of a medium cauliflower is worth 436mg. 200g of broccoli gets me 632mg. A surprise was to find that five medium mushrooms is a whopping 273mg of potassium! They cook down to basically nothing. Spinach is really, really good for potassium with 150g coming in at 837mg, again it cooks down to barely nothing, and costs a whole 35 worth of calories.

    You can also sneak in vegetables to meals. I made a bolognese which was on the high side calorie wise because I only had a red capsicum and onion lying around to throw in. It still had 738mg of potassium. If I'd done what I normally did and packed it with mushrooms, zucchini, carrots and celery the potassium count would be a lot higher and the calories (349) lowered.

    Oh, I've just noticed sweet potatoes. According to my tracker 2 small potatoes have 570mg between them.

    Hope that helps!
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    The most calorie-efficient food I know of that is reasonably high in potassium is cooked spinach. It's also high in iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, and (calorie for calorie) protein. A lot of green leafy vegetables are equally high in the same, but I've found few things as dense in them as good old spinach.

    1 cup of cooked spinach is 41 calories, and 840mg of potassium. Not to mention 1/4 of your calcium and Vit C, and 1/3 of your iron. For 41 calories. That's pretty darned good!

    Get a huge load of raw spinach leaves. Stir-fry some chicken in a wok with garlic and oregano in a healthy oil like olive oil. When the chicken is just about cooked, throw the spinach leaves on top and put the lid on it. Steam/cook the spinach, stirring occasionally, until it "melts" down and the leaves are soft. Plate, eat. Serve with a good carbohydrate (multigrain bread, pasta, rice) if you're so inclined.

    You can mix kale, collard greens, beet greens, etc in for flavor and variety. And, of course, play with spices.

    I actually experimented with some romaine lettuce that was starting to wilt this evening, cooked it down the same I would have done with spinach. It was really good. I never knew you could cook lettuce, but it was that or throw it out, and it worked out fine.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Reduced sodium salt - zero calories. 50% potassium chloride.
  • jkthrizzle
    jkthrizzle Posts: 6 Member
    Coconut Water is a great source!
  • dawnblu
    dawnblu Posts: 95 Member
    I have problems with low potassium and I can tell when I haven't had enough (combined with too much sodium). I took supplements before when I was trying to regulate and they are not fun. Horse pills and you have to take them with food - it's much better to regulate with your diet. The low-sodium V8 juice is a great source and gives you about a third of what you need for the day - combine that with a baked potato for dinner and you're there. I don't like tomato juice much so I used to call it my can of medicine and drink one per day. Now I can control it with other foods - other posters already mentioned - fruits, leafy greens, potatoes, mushrooms and tomatoes. Just read labels religiously - MFP does not do a good job of tracking potassium because most people who enter stuff in the database leave it out. good luck!
  • chris1816
    chris1816 Posts: 715 Member
    Many things do not list the potassium count here on mfp.

    Some things that are high in potassium include, dairy, potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, nuts, green leafy veg, beans, oranges, cantaloupe,

    Everyone here needs to note what the previous poster said; do not go by MFP for tracking potassium. Potassium is not listed in most nutrition facts as it is not legally required to be listed like sodium. You are likely not under your potassium at all, as it is in quite a few different foods. Generally if you are eating a balanced diet you are getting more than enough potassium. Supplementing should not even be considered unless told to by a doctor; as too much potassium can cause heart complications.

    I'm willing to bet everyone here is taking in more than enough potassium in one day as it is.
  • MissCheese
    MissCheese Posts: 195 Member
    A good source of potassium is green coconut water, relatively low calorie too.
  • Masterdo
    Masterdo Posts: 331 Member
    I like chicken for potassium too. The sodium to potassium ratio is very good in fact in chicken. Since I eat a lot of it for lean protein anyway, I like the extra benefit :)
  • kitigonkukoo
    kitigonkukoo Posts: 218 Member
    I've actually bee hospitalized for severely low potassium, as it resembles meningitis. I literally had 2 spinal taps done to test for it, when it was just low potassium.

    Yep.

    So, when I'm not feeling right, or it seems like my potassium is low, I follow the DR's orders: grab an Ensure drink (or two, if you are really low) per day for a week or so, then switch to just a couple a week if you are eating a decent amount of potassium-rich food (that you can absorb).

    That's actually a better source of a larger quantity of potassium that you can absorb (more than regular food).
  • patchesgizmo
    patchesgizmo Posts: 244 Member

    Should I get a supplement? (My diary is open to friends only sorry) My usual daily intake is 900 when MFP says I need 3500 daily.

    Pottassium is used to regulate heart, too much potassium can be deadly. Before taking a potassium supplement check with your Dr.
  • Marillian
    Marillian Posts: 3,892 Member
    Reduced sodium salt - zero calories. 50% potassium chloride.

    Using a salt substitute with certain medications can be potentially fatal. For example, some diuretics. Please check the contraindications and/or warnings on prescriptions prior to using potassium chloride (salt substitute).
  • McSloopy
    McSloopy Posts: 1
    VitaCoco coconut water has more potassium than a banana. Throw in some spinach, kale, romaine, etc. and you've got a great green smoothie for a post work-out pick-me-up. :happy:
  • h822
    h822 Posts: 6
    There are many online databases where you can check potassium content of foods. Just google "potassium content of foods" or "potassium counter".
  • Eve23
    Eve23 Posts: 2,352 Member
    Avocados is where I get mine.
  • cpaman87
    cpaman87 Posts: 193 Member
    I noticed that my potassium intake was low also. I did an internet search for high potassium foods and added some to my diet. I noticed a few posts suggesting that potassium is not listed on a number of foods in MFP. I didn't see any bad effects from eating too much of it so I will keep my intake up.

    I have added:
    avacados
    tomatoes
    fish

    All ggod and good for you.
  • ronaldmcyd
    ronaldmcyd Posts: 54 Member
    As other posters have said the potassium info is not on all the labels, and it's represented as zero in most of the foods it is in on this site. I have found Spinach to be the best source for me. But if your eating fruits, veggies, dairy, meat, or legumes. You should check other sites to help you estimate what your currently taken it.

    something else to note is Potassium and sodium have a balance in your body, and the use of salt substitutes can drastically tip the scale. As salt substitutes are basically potassium
  • Wenchilada
    Wenchilada Posts: 472 Member
    If it turns out you really are lagging in potassium, a can or two of Low Sodium V8 will do the trick. It's loaded with potassium. I drink one if I get a charlie horse. Doesn't taste that great, but if it's super cold, it's fine. Nutritional supplements (pills) are only legally allowed to contain 99mg of potassium in the US - that's about 3% of your daily recommended amount - due to the whole Na/K balance thing. So don't just go loading up on potassium with abandon, because like others have said, you can really screw up your electrolyte balance if you go overboard. Maybe put some real salt into the V8 to be safe, if you keep your sodium intake low otherwise. It'll possibly taste a little better, too... heck, I've seen my mother put salt into a glass of REGULAR V8 - seriously. :grumble:

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