Your doctor may prescribe a low-potassium diet if you have kidney disease. Medications you take for other conditions may also make this diet necessary. A low-potassium diet does not mean you need to eliminate fish. When your health care provider recommends you consume less potassium, he will normally tell you how much potassium per day and per serving is safe for your health condition. Choosing fish that provides less potassium per serving maintains your body's electrolyte balance. This prevents hyperkalemia, or having too much potassium in your blood, which may cause heart attacks or an irregular heartbeat.
Potassium Restrictions
Normal blood potassium levels range from 3.5 to 5 mEq/L. Levels of 6 mEq/L and above endanger your health. The National Kidney Foundation's recommendation for renal patients on a low-potassium diet is 200 mg per serving. UpToDate, a medical news and evidence-based health information website, suggests 250 mg or less per serving for general low-potassium diets. You must also consider the total daily intake from all sources that your health care provider has recommended.
National Kidney Foundation Recommendations
At 59 mg of potassium, herring is the finfish option with the lowest amount of potassium in a 3 oz. serving. Surimi, or imitation crab, made with mixed fish has 77 mg in a 3 oz. serving. Fresh Chinook salmon has 149 mg, and orange roughy provides 154 mg in a 3 oz. serving. A 50 g or 1.8 oz. perch fillet has 175 mg. Processed fish options include 3 oz. of canned tuna in oil with 176 mg. Frozen packaged fish portions, such as fish sticks, provide additional options. A 1/2-inch thick fish patty that measures 4 inches by 2 inches and weighs approximately 2 oz. contains 123 mg. A 1/2-inch thick fish stick, measuring 1 inch by 4 inches, has 60 mg.
General Low-Potassium Diet Fish
An upper limit of 250 mg per serving gives you the option of a 3 oz. serving of water-packed canned white tuna or light water-packed at 201 mg each. A 60 g or 2 oz. fillet of pollock or walleye contains 232 mg of potassium. All other fish species contain significantly more than 250 mg of potassium in standard serving. You can only eat these fish if you decrease your serving size appropriately to stay within your per serving target.
Shellfish
The shellfish that fit low-potassium diets provide variety and expand your meal options. A 3 oz. serving of canned shrimp contains 68 mg of potassium. Six raw oysters have 131 mg. A 3 oz. serving of fried, breaded shrimp has 191 mg. One 60 g or 2 oz. crab cake has 194 mg. Fried, breaded oysters have 207 mg, and Alaskan king crab provides 223 mg in a 3 oz. serving.
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