Potassium is an important vitamin that our bodies need for proper heart and kidney function. Most adults need about 4700mg of potassium in their diets per day. But, according to Colorado State University, most American are lacking in sufficient potassium in their diets. There are many different potassium-rich foods a person can eat to obtain the highest amounts of potassium.
Dairy
Most dairy products are good sources of potassium. However, there are a few dairy foods that are higher in potassium that can be excellent additions to your diet. For example, plain non-fat yogurt has about 531mg of potassium in an 8-oz. serving. Goat milk is another good source of potassium with about 498mg of potassium in a 1-cup serving. One cup of non-fat milk has about 382mg of potassium, while 1 cup of buttermilk offers 370mg of potassium.
Fruits
Some fruits are very high in potassium and can offer almost half of what your daily allowance is. For example, Dr. Decuypere, a chiropractic physician, reports that an avocado offers about 975mg of potassium. Dried fruit also contains high amounts of potassium. Dates, for example, contain about 964mg of potassium in a 1-cup serving. Dried peaches offer about 1378mg of potassium in about 10 large halves.
Fish
Various fish are excellent sources of potassium. Salmon contains the highest amount of potassium of any fish, with about 628mg of potassium in a 3-oz. serving. The same amount of cooked halibut has about 490mg of potassium, herring has about 419mg of potassium while Pacific cod has about 439mg. In addition, rockfish has about 442mg of potassium in a 3-oz. serving.
Vegetables
Several vegetables are very high in potassium. Eating two or three of these vegetables can give you your daily allowance of potassium. According to Dr. Decuypere, a butternut squash has about 582mg of potassium. In addition, one medium-sized sweet potato has about 694mg. Green vegetables such as amaranth leaves have about 846mg of potassium in a 1-cup serving. Another green vegetable, bok choy, has about 631mg of potassium in the same serving. Beans are also high in potassium. Soybeans contain the highest potassium in the bean family, with 1470mg in a 1-cup serving. A 1-cup serving of French green beans contains about 655-mg of potassium and lima beans offer a whopping 955mg of potassium. In addition, bamboo shoots have around 640mg of potassium in a 1-cup serving.
Member Comments