Electrolytes are minerals found in your blood, urine and other body fluids that carry an electric charge. These minerals include calcium, potassium, sodium, chloride, phosphorus and magnesium. Electrolytes help with muscle function, as well as the maintenance of fluid balance and your body's pH. Electrolytes can be lost through the urine or sweat, so they must be replenished in the diet to maintain a healthy balance in the body.
Fruits and Vegetables
Many fruits and vegetables contain three important electrolytes -- calcium, potassium and magnesium. High-calcium fruits and vegetables include collard greens, spinach and turnip greens. High potassium fruits and vegetables include apricots, bananas, potatoes, kiwi, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. High magnesium fruits and vegetables include spinach, artichoke hearts, butternut squash and okra. Including a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet is the best way to ensure that you get all of the minerals and electrolytes you need.
Sports Drinks
Many fruit juices, vegetable juices and commercially sold sports drinks contain electrolytes. When shopping for fruit and vegetable juices, look for "100 percent juice" on the label to ensure you are getting the best nutrition and most electrolytes. Sports drinks also contain added electrolytes to replace what is lost through sweat while exercising. Examples of these drinks include Gatorade, Powerade and Vitamin Water.
Salty Foods
While too much salt is not good for you, small amounts are necessary for proper functioning. Sodium chloride -- better known as table salt -- contains the electrolytes sodium and chloride. While the typical American diet provides adequate salt, you might need to supplement some in your diet in instances when you are excessively sweating or urinating (such as during intense exercise). A handful of salted pretzels, baked potato chips or salted crackers will provide you with just enough salt to keep your electrolytes in check.
Nuts, Beans and Seeds
Like fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans and seeds are plant-based foods. This means that they have similar nutritional value and provide many of the minerals that contain electrolytes. Specifically, soybeans and cowpeas are high-calcium legumes; almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts and most beans are high in magnesium; and lima beans, chickpeas and lentils are high in potassium. Including a variety of these foods in your daily diet will help ensure you remain in electrolyte balance.
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