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High-Potassium Diet

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA

Home | Health Information Center | Wellness Centers | Food & Nutrition | Article

What Is Potassium?

Why Should I Follow This Diet?

Food Choices

Tips

En Español

What Is Potassium?

Potassium is a mineral found in many foods, such as whole grains, fruits, veggies, milk, dried beans, and peas. It helps keep your blood pressure normal and also helps muscles like the heart contract the right way.

Why Should I Follow This Diet?

This diet may help lower high blood pressure, especially in people who are also on a low-sodium diet. This can help lower the risk of stroke and other problems from high blood pressure. People with kidney problems should not follow this diet. Talk to your doctor before you make any changes.

Food Choices

This chart shows the healthy foods that are highest in potassium. Eating foods from this list will help lower your blood pressure. You should also follow a low-sodium or heart-healthy diet.

Food Group	Food High in Potassium
Grains	Bran muffin Cereal Granola or muesli with fruit and nuts Wheat germ
Veggies	Artichokes Avocados Beets, beet greens Broccoli Brussels sprouts Kale Kohlrabi Mushrooms Parsnips Potatoes Rutabaga Spinach Sweet potato Swiss chard Tomatoes Tomato or vegetable juice Winter squash Zucchini
Fruits	Apricots Banana Cantaloupe Dates Dried figs Grapefruit juice Honeydew melon Kiwi Mango Nectarine Orange Papaya Pear Pomegranate, pomegranate juice Pumpkin Prunes, prune juice Raisins
Milk	Buttermilk Low-fat chocolate milk Milk Soy milk Yogurt
Meats and Beans	Beans, baked and lima Chicken Clams Crab Fish Lean ground beef Nuts (almonds, Brazil, cashew, hazelnuts, mixed peanuts) Peanut butter Pork Roast beef Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin) Turkey
Fats and Oils	Avocado Nuts and nut butters

Tips

Eat a lot of whole grains, fruits, and veggies. These foods are high in potassium and loaded with other vitamins and minerals.
Work with a dietitian to make a meal plan that is right for you.

RESOURCES:

American Society for Nutrition
http://www.nutrition.org

Eat Right—Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
http://www.eatright.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca

Heart and Stroke Foundation
http://www.heartandstroke.ca

References:

Kidney and diet. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Published November 7, 2017. Accessed June 17, 2019.

Patient education: dietary and fluid compliance for patients on hemodialysis. EBSCO Nursing Reference Center website. Available at: https://www.ebscoh.... Updated January 4, 2019. Accessed June 17, 2019.

Potassium and your CKD diet. National Kidney Foundation website. Available at: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/potassium. Accessed June 17, 2019.

Last reviewed June 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Dianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN
Last Updated: 12/31/2019

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