A List Of High-potassium Foods

Potassium is a mineral and an electrolyte essential for the proper functioning of cells, tissue and organs, and also for carrying electricity through your body. Potassium works in conjunction with salt and magnesium, and the amount you need depends on how much of these two minerals you have in your bloodstream. But in general, it's recommended that teenagers and adults get 4,700 mg of potassium daily.

Potato

Fruits and vegetables have the highest content of potassium. Among them, potatoes top the vegetable list. One medium baked potato with the skin left on has 926 mg of potassium. It also provides 48 mg of magnesium and 17 mg of sodium, in addition to other minerals and vitamins.

Prune

Prunes and their juice are high in potassium, but the dried plums have quite a bit more of the nutrient than their liquid. While 1 cup of prune juice provides 707 mg of potassium, 1 cup of pitted prunes contains 1,274 mg of the mineral.

Banana

Although banana's health benefits are often touted for the fruits' potassium content, they are a better source of vitamins B6 and C. But the banana is still a good source of potassium. On average, it provides 467.28 mg of the nutrient, with variations depending on the fruit's size.

Lima Beans

Despite their low popularity in the modern American diet, lima beans were a Native American crop long before the Europeans arrived. In fact, there's evidence that lima beans have been cultivated for 7,000 years and perhaps longer. One half cup of cooked lima beans offers 484 mg of potassium and 104 calories.

Seafood

Flounder and scallops have the highest content of potassium among seafoods. Flounder, a flatfish of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, has 307 mg of potassium per 3 oz. The scallop is the edible muscle of a shellfish and it opens and closes the animal's two hinged shells. Four ounces of baked or broiled scallops contain 444.46 mg of potassium.