Potassium helps the heart and nervous system function properly. Studies conducted by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute indicate that potassium helps control blood pressure. Too much potassium, however, can cause health problems, so careful monitoring of potassium intake is important. The Ohio State University Medical Center classifies potassium-rich foods into two categories: very high and high. Foods very high in potassium contain more than 400mg per serving; those in the high category contain more than 200mg per serving.
Fruits and Juices
Fresh fruits very high in potassium--using Ohio State University Medical Center's classification system--include bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and papaya. Papayas are the highest at 781mg per one piece of fruit, according to the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, and bananas have 594mg per cup. Dried fruits in the same category include prunes and apricots. Fruit juices very high in potassium include orange juice, prune juice and grapefruit juice.
Fruits and juices categorized as high in potassium include peaches, raspberries, oranges, watermelon, mango, blackberries, grapes, raisins, dried figs, kiwi, strawberries, boysenberries and apple juice.
Vegetables
Vegetables with very high potassium content include tomatoes and tomato products such as tomato paste and tomato puree, squash, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, beet greens, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, spinach, broccoli, cucumber and brussels sprouts. Beet greens are at the top of the list with 1,309mg per cup, and one baked potato contains 1081mg. Dried lima beans and kidney beans are also very high in potassium, with 955mg and 713mg per cup, respectively.
Vegetables in the high potassium category include asparagus, carrots, sweet corn, celery, turnip greens and red and green peppers. Onions, beets, cauliflower and zucchini also contain high levels of potassium.
Other Foods
Other foods very high in potassium are yogurt, with 579mg per 8 oz. container, skim milk with 407mg per cup and tuna at 484mg per 3 oz. serving. Also very high in potassium are salmon, low sodium baking powder, barley, cream of tartar and molasses.
Other foods in the high potassium category include beef. A 3 oz. serving of ground beef contains 370mg. Peanut butter, soy milk, low-fat buttermilk and raisin bran cereal are also in this category. A 3 oz. serving of white turkey meat contains 256mg of potassium, and 1 cup of white rice has 222mg. Pumpkin seeds and almonds are also good sources of potassium.
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