Potassium plays a key role in many systems of the body. As the Tufts University Medical Center notes, "Potassium helps maintain normal blood pressure and also helps muscles, including the heart, to contract properly." The American Heart Association explains that, "Some foods high in potassium are also high in calories. When weight control is important, eat more low-calorie foods. Foods such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products that are high in potassium and calcium, when incorporated in the DASH Diet Study, helped to significantly lower blood pressure." DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and the DASH diet focuses on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, non-fat dairy, low-sodium foods, nuts and legumes, and lean meats and fish.
Fruits
The following fruits have at least 400 mg of potassium in a serving of one cup: banana, papaya, honeydew melon and cantaloupe. Just one medium-sized banana can have more than 800 mg of potassium and cup of cantaloupe can offer more than 470 mg.
Potatoes
A baked potato, with the skin, packs about 1,600 mg of potassium, or nearly half of your recommended daily allowance of the nutrient. Ten frozen French fries (cooked), while not as healthy an option as a fresh potato, still contain more than 330 mg of potassium. A sweet potato, cooked, with skin, delivers around 900 mg of potassium.
Vegetables
Cabbage, cooked in a variety of styles, is among the best vegetable sources of potassium. A cup of shredded cabbage, cooked pak-choi style, contains around 630 mg of potassium. A cup of raw spinach offers about 160 mg, while a cup of diced Portobello mushrooms delivers more than 400 mg of potassium.
Fish
Potassium levels in seafood vary greatly, but in general, fish can be a consistently good source. Just half a filet of Atlantic salmon, for example, cooked with a dry heat has around 680 mg of potassium. A can of white tuna, packed in water, has around 400 mg of potassium.
Dairy
All dairy options in your diet should be made from low-fat or non-fat milk. You can avoid the saturated fats that way and still benefit from the protein, calcium, vitamin A and potassium in those products. Just half a cup of skim milk, for example, contains 410 mg of potassium, along with 500 mg of calcium.
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