Foods High in Potassium
Foods High in Potassium – Having a handy list of foods high in potassium is a smart idea as it is a necessary mineral that accounts for about 5% of the minerals in your body.
Therefore, eating enough potassium-rich foods is crucial for maintaining nutritional health.
Your body’s cells contain the majority of potassium. Along with sodium, potassium also aids in preserving the body’s water balance and controls the movement of fluids into and out of cells.
There are several more uses for potassium. It is necessary for both proper growth and the activation of nerve impulses. Meats and whole grains provide a surprising percentage of your daily potassium need.
However, we shall cover a list of other fruits and vegetables that are high in potassium in the next sections of this post. But first, let’s discuss why potassium is important in your diet and how much quantity you should take.
What Makes Potassium Vital for Your Diet?
The potassium mineral is crucial in keeping the human body functioning regularly and efficiently.
The smooth muscle mass, skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle all require blood potassium for contraction functions. In addition, the renal system also needs potassium to function properly.
The walls of your large intestine require potassium. It ensures that peristaltic motion occurs.
The digestive tract walls will be brittle and unable to respond or contract properly to eliminate waste products if insufficient potassium is in the blood circulation.
Blood potassium greatly increases the amount of oxygen delivered directly to tissues, which is essential for healthy cell function and eliminating harmful substances.
Additionally, blood potassium creates an alkaline environment both within and outside the cell that aids in protecting cell walls from pathogenic agents such as dangerous bacteria and fungi.
Additionally, blood potassium draws water out of the body.
Therefore, a balanced diet with high potassium content is necessary to provide the best well-being and health.
What is the Recommended Daily Intake of Potassium?
Generally speaking, you must ensure you get the necessary daily potassium intake. However, there is a certain limit to consuming this element. Below we have discussed recommended potassium intake for children, adults, and seniors.
Infants:
For breast-fed infants under the age of twelve months, the estimated potassium intake is 400 mg/day; for infants between the ages of seven and twelve months, the recommended amount is 860 mg/day.
Kids:
For kids between 4- 5, the recommended potassium quantity is 2300 mg/day. However, your child doesn’t have to get the suggested potassium daily. Instead, you can aim daily amount as an average for the week.
Teens:
A child needs 2,300 mg/day of potassium per day during their pre-teen years and 3,000 mg/day after turning 14.
Adults:
On average, the adult male body requires 3400 mg/day and for females, it is 2600mg/day. Eating the below-discussed food item will help your body to fulfill the requirement.
Seniors:
No matter what gender you are, the daily potassium need remains constant throughout your senior years. According to the National Institutes of health, you’ll require an average of 3,000 mg of potassium per day.
Foods High in Potassium – List of Foods
Fruits and vegetables are often the dietary items that are highest in potassium. Besides that, legumes, seafood, and dairy products are excellent sources of this essential nutrient.
However below, we have discussed each potassium-rich food in detail.
Vegetables
Foods High in Potassium
Potassium is abundant in many food products, particularly in vegetables. Sources such as beet green and potatoes are all included in this list.
1. Sweet potatoes:
When talking about foods high in potassium, we frequently think of bananas. But few of us know that sweet potatoes are high in potassium.
According to the latest scientific research, sweet potato has just 131 calories and 694 milligrams of potassium. The vegetable is also especially rich in carbohydrates, beta-carotene, and fiber.
This healthy and delicious vegetable is also completely customizable. You can have them cooked, pounded, roasted, or stuffed to meet your potassium needs.
2. Heated Potato:
Another bland vegetable that is a remarkable source of potassium is people’s favorite potato. Amazingly, one heated potato has 1081 mg of potassium.
So whether it is lunch or dinner, you may have this delicious vegetable combined with grilled chicken or any of your favorite meals of a similar kind.
3. Beet Greens:
The majority of the people consume beets. However, when it comes to beet greens, they are typically overlooked and treated like trash.
But because they bestow an astonishing 644 milligrams of potassium in a half glass portion, these mildly astringent greens deserve to be part of your diet.
In addition, beet greens are a fantastic source of foliate and cell reinforcements, both raw and cooked.
To maintain potassium levels, you can include raw beet greens in meals of mixed greens daily, cook them with beets, or add them to soups.
4. Carrots:
A cup of carrot juice or a serving of raw carrots provides 689 milligrams of potassium, making them a good mineral source. Carrots are fantastic for your eyes and vision since they also contain beta-carotene.
Have a glass of carrot juice as an evening snack, or add some chopped carrots to your midday plate of mixed greens.
5. Swiss Chard
Swiss Chard is a green leafy vegetable with a dark red or maroon color stalk. A single serving of 175g of Swiss Chard contains 961mg potassium.
Similarly, the vegetable also includes nutrients such as A, Vitamin C, iron, manganese, and fiber. Like other green leafy vegetables, the Swiss Chard has healthy plant intensifies that help prevents cancer.
Fruits
Foods High in Potassium
6. Bananas
Without a doubt, one of the richest sources of potassium is found in bananas. Around 422 milligrams of potassium are present in one medium-sized banana.
So eating a banana is a fantastic way to get your recommended daily potassium intake. Along with being high in potassium, it also has healthy carbohydrates that keep you full and aid digestion.
7. Avocados
Avocados are a must-have on a low-carb diet since they are a source of fiber and good fats with just 1.9g of carbs per 100g. One medium avocado has 630 milligrams of potassium.
8. Oranges
Due to their high vitamin C content, oranges and other citrus fruits are quite popular. They are, nevertheless, a great provider of potassium.
400 milligrams of potassium may be found in one glass of orange juice. Antioxidants, vitamin A, folate, and thiamine are also abundant in this fruit.
Orange juice is a cool beverage perfect for rehydrating after a light workout or on a hot summer day.
Along with Vitamin C, its strong antioxidant concentration fights free radicals and strengthens immunity to keep you healthy.
Non Vegetarians
Foods High in Potassium
9. Salmon
If you’re looking for a potassium-packed meal, why not try having some baby spinach and avocado with a fillet of baked salmon.
Like vegetables, salmon is a fantastic low-carb source of healthy fats and nutrients, including 357mg of potassium per 100g.
10. Halibut
A lean and light fish, Alaska Halibut is another non-vegetarian source of potassium. Combining a sweet, delicate flavor with a firm texture, a pure snow Alaska Halibut has 317 mg of potassium per 100g serving.
11. Cod
The majority of fish are rich in potassium, including cod. The Atlantic fish, commonly called cod or codling, is beneficial for those deficient in potassium since it contains 413 mg of potassium per 100 grams.
In addition to having high potassium, cod is also very low in fat and rich in beneficial vitamins like B-12, B3 (niacin), and B6.
Additional Foods High in Potassium:
Foods High in Potassium
12. Nuts
Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and cashew make a great low-carb snack as they contain low carbs. They are also potassium powerhouses and, on average, have 850mg of potassium per 100g.
13. Dairy Products
Compared to nonfat milk, which has more than 400 mg, a cup of whole milk provides more than 350 mg of potassium. Yogurt, another common dairy food, offers 350 mg of potassium in every 25 g cup.
Yogurt may be used in place of sour cream while cooking to increase the nutritional value of your cuisine.
14. Coconut Water
Coconut water is an amazing source of electrolytes that aid in luring water into your cells. Additionally, it’s a natural source of sugars that gives you energy while you work out and aid in restocking your glycogen.
Coconut water has 250mg of potassium in just 100g with other essential elements such as magnesium, sodium, and manganese.
15. Tomato Sauce
Not only is tomato sauce loved for its flavor, but it also contains various vital nutrients. On average, a cup of 250 g of tomato sauce contains 640 mg of potassium. Additionally, it is abundant in copper, vitamins B6, A, C, and E.
Final Thought
Most individuals can get all the potassium they need by eating a typical diet with lots of variety.
Since potassium supplements can have dangerous adverse effects if misused, experts advice getting this mineral from food rather than a supplement.
You can maintain the quality of your body’s fluids by eating a serving of vegetables and a piece of fruit.
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