Did you know it is recommended we consume 4700mg of potassium per day? This essential nutrient is found in all body tissue, playing a key role in proper cell function. It can be found in many foods, making it easy to get enough each day. Here are some healthful benefits of potassium and the top foods to help you get your recommended daily dose. (1,2)
The Benefits Of Potassium
Potassium offers many health benefits including: (2,3)
- Blood Pressure and Stroke: A diet high in potassium can help reduce blood pressure and risk for stroke.
- Kidney Stones: When you don’t get enough potassium you can increase calcium levels in the kidneys which increases the risk for kidney stones.
- Osteoporosis: Potassium can reduce the risk for osteoporosis by helping increase bone density.
- Type II Diabetes: Those with low potassium levels tend to have higher fasting blood glucose levels and insulin resistance.
By eating a diet rich in potassium you can help avoid these common health issues.
Foods High In Potassium
So how can you help maintain healthy potassium levels? Try adding more of these foods to your diet: (2, 3, 4)
Beet Greens
Greens in general offer a good dose of potassium including Swiss chard, spinach, and kale. However, beet greens top the list offering 1309mg or 28% Daily Value (DV).
Salmon
Fish is another food source for potassium including snapper, mahi mahi and tilapia. But the big winner is salmon offering 1068mg or 23% DV.
Large White Beans
Legumes such as navy beans and lentils are another great choice. Large white beans offer the highest daily value at 21% or 1004mg, followed closely by lima beans at 20%.
Avocados
These green goddesses of health stand alone as a gold standard of wellness, with 975mg or 21% DV of this healthful nutrient.
Potatoes
The humble potato often gets a bum rap by the no carb/low carb clan, but it does offer a very respectable wallop of potassium at 926mg or 20% DV. Reach for the sweet potato which has a little less, but helps to regulate blood sugar levels with more nutrients than white varieties.
Acorn Squash
Squash is often overlooked for its healthy dose of potassium including the Hubbard, butternut, and zucchini. However, if you’re looking for the highest dose, acorn squash comes in the winner with 896mg or 19% DV.
Milk
Dairy in general offers its fair share of potassium, but a nice cold glass of milk is your best bet, at 732mg or 16% DV.
White Button Mushrooms
These little cuties have been pushed aside by their more fashionable cousins crimini, oyster and portabella. However, while you will get some potassium from those gourmet choices, you’ll get more from the button mushroom reaching into the double digits for DV at 12%.
Bananas
Bananas have long been the go-to source for potassium, but you’ll actually get a higher DV from guava at 15% or kiwis at 12%.
Tomatoes
This yummy salad favorite offers a respectable amount of potassium at 523mg or 11% DV. However, if you want more bang for your buck, using tomato paste in cooking is your best bet with 2455mg followed by tomato puree at 1065mg.
It won’t be hard to find ways to add these healthy foods to your diet from salads to sides and mains to snacks!
