Potassium is a mineral vital to maintaining a healthy heart. Potassium works with other minerals, such as sodium, magnesium and calcium to maintain the necessary electrolyte balance in the body as well as to prevent muscle cramps. The Institute of Medicine recommends consuming 4.7 grams (or 4,700 milligrams) of potassium a day (this can be from food sources or vitamin supplements). Many healthy foods contain high levels of potassium. Incorporate these foods into your diet to achieve healthy levels.
Vegetables
Vegetables highest in potassium (at or higher than 1,000 milligrams) include avocado (1 cup per serving); baked potato (small, served with skin); edamame (1 cup per serving); lima beans (1 cup per serving) and sweet potatoes (1 cup per serving).
The next-closest proportion of potassium-containing vegetables includes tomato sauce (1 cup per serving) and winter squash (1 cooked cup per serving). Other vegetables that contain 250 mg or less of potassium include broccoli, carrots, celery, dry beans, green beans and zucchini.
Fruits
At 1,000 mg potassium, papayas is one of the highest potassium-containing fruits, followed by bananas, dried apricots, dried figs and orange juice.
Other foods containing up to 250 mg potassium include dates (five whole dates per serving); kiwi (1 whole fruit per serving); mango (1 whole fruit per serving); nectarine (1 whole fruit per serving); pear (1 large fruit per serving); raisins (1/4 cup per serving); and strawberries (1 cup per serving).
Protein Sources
Choices such as salmon, which contains 750 mg potassium per six-ounce raw serving, are high in potassium. Protein sources that have fewer than 250 mg potassium include peanut butter (2 tbsp. per serving) or chicken breast (five ounces per serving).
Miscellaneous Sources
One cup of plain, low-fat yogurt contains 500 mg while other dairy products, such as low-fat milk and ice cream, contain roughly around 300 mg potassium. Just 2 tbsp. molasses also contain more than 300 mg potassium. Seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin seeds also contain at least 200 mg potassium.
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