You can prevent disorders caused by inadequate blood potassium by paying attention to your dietary potassium intake. According to the American Heart Association, potassium mitigates the effects sodium in the body to regulate blood pressure. If your blood pressure is normal, you can track your consumption toward the FDA's average recommendation of 3,500 mg of potassium daily via the nutrition facts on food labels. Consuming potassium-rich foods in each food group can help you avoid high blood pressure related to low potassium.
Vegetable Group
Leafy green, tuber and root vegetables are some of the best dietary sources of potassium. One cup of cooked beet greens and a whole baked potato both provide over 30 percent of the daily value, or DV, of potassium. Cooked spinach, Chinese cabbage, sweet potatoes and yams approach that potent content. Rutabagas, kohlrabi, parsnips and Jerusalem artichokes all contain up to 20 percent DV or more of potassium, which the FDA considers high mineral content.
Fruit Group
Other than plantains, bananas and dried prunes, raisins and dates, which have up to 30 percent of the DV of potassium, most fruits add low to moderate potassium to your diet per 1-cup serving. Those with the highest amounts include papayas, kiwis, cantaloupes and other fleshy melons. The concentrated nutrient content of orange juice also contributes significant potassium to your daily totals.
Protein Group
Both plant- and animal-based protein foods deliver dietary potassium to help you maintain a steady adequate intake. At 30 percent DV of potassium per cooked cup, white beans have the largest mineral ratios. Soybeans, lima, pinto and kidney beans, lentils and split peas are some of the legumes that also provide high potassium content per cup. Chestnuts, halibut and rockfish are additional sources with greater potassium than that of meats and poultry.
Dairy Group
The complementary nutrition in some dairy products demonstrates why the USDA recommends getting your potassium and other nutrients from foods instead of dietary supplements. Important natural calcium and B vitamins accompany the 10 to 15 percent DV potassium content of yogurt and milk, while cheese has less significant mineral value. For the healthiest vitamin and mineral package in the fewest calories, choose fat-free varieties, which have greater potassium amounts than those with higher milk fat.
Grain Group
Whole grains such as oat bran, oatmeal and buckwheat groats offer the most potassium per 1-cup serving in the grain group, with moderate content of over 5 percent DV. The minerals in most cold cereals, breads, bulgur, rice and noodles have less than that, but help you build your potassium totals through multiple daily servings.
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