What Brings Your Potassium Level Up?

If you're like most Americans, you don't get enough potassium from your diet. Eating patterns that emphasize protein, fat, sodium and sugar can downplay beneficial minerals, vitamins and fiber -- the nutrients that co-exist in many potassium-rich foods. The American Heart Association warns against relying on potassium supplement pills, however, which can harm rather than help your health. Food sources safely provide the minimum 3,500 mg of potassium per day that your body needs to regulate blood pressure and heartbeat and grow new muscle cells.

Cooked Dry Beans and Peas

Foods with 20 percent daily value, or DV, of potassium are considered high content by the FDA and make the biggest contribution to your potassium level. Pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black beans, black-eyed peas and other legumes have some of the greatest potassium concentrations among all foods. Cooked white beans provide the most, with more than 30 percent DV per 1-cup serving. If you have high blood pressure, reduce sodium while increasing potassium intake by cooking legumes fresh from scratch, buying reduced-sodium canned beans or rinsing the salt from canned products.

Fruits and Vegetables

High-potassium fruits and vegetables are healthy food sources that won't detract from your cardiovascular health with undue saturated fat or sodium. Dried dates and raisins, cooked plantains, prune juice and bananas are among fruit choices with 20 percent DV of potassium or more per cup. Baked potatoes, cooked spinach, tomato juice and mushrooms are among vegetables with similar attributes. Choose a reduced-sodium tomato juice to preserve the potassium benefit on your blood pressure.

Fish

While meats and poultry have potassium DVs of about 5 to 10 percent of your total needs, most fish have higher concentrations. Fish that contribute more than 10 percent DV to your diet in 3-oz. servings include cod, haddock, halibut, rockfish and trout.

Dairy Products

While high-content foods give your diet big potassium boosts all at once, dairy foods that you eat every day represent steady sources that help you build your mineral totals. One cup of plain low-fat yogurt with 15 percent DV of potassium and non-fat milk with 11 percent DV of potassium slowly but surely push you toward your full recommended allowance, especially if you get the three daily servings of these dairy products suggested by the American Heart Association.