Kidney Disease: Eating a Safe Amount of Potassium
Potassium is a mineral found in many foods. The body needs some potassium to keep the heart working normally. But if your kidneys don’t work well, potassium can build up in your blood. It can be serious and even deadly if the levels go up too high. By eating a low potassium diet, you can keep a safe level of potassium in your blood. A low potassium diet contains about 2000 mg of potassium a day. Use this food list as a guide to help you pick foods that are low in potassium.
Potassium content of some foods
Low Potassium Foods (foods that have 5 mg to 150 mg of per serving)
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Fruit
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Vegetable
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Beverage
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Other Foods
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Applesauce (1/2 cup)
Blackberries (1/2 cup)
Blueberries (1/2 cup)
Grapes (1/2 cup)
Pears, canned (1/2 cup)
Pineapple (1/2 cup)
Plums, canned (1/2 cup) or 1 fresh
Raspberries (1/2 cup)
Tangerines (1)
Watermelon (1/2 cup)
Papaya (1/2 cup)
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Asparagus (4 spears)
Beans, green & wax (1/2 cup)
Bean sprouts (1/2 cup)
Bell pepper (1/2 cup)
Cabbage (1/2 cup)
Cucumber (1/2)
Lettuce (1 cup)
Onions (1/2 cup)
Radishes (5)
Summer squash (1/2 cup)
Turnips (1/2 cup)
Celery (1/2 cup)
Eggplant (1/2 cup)
Broccoli (1/2 cup)
Mushrooms (1/2 cup)
Okra (3 pods)
*Soaked vegetables (1/2 cup)
* Read "Removing potassium from foods" on the last page.
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Apple juice (1/2 cup)
Cranberry juice (1/2 cup)
Grape juice (1/2 cup)
Hi-C, fruit drinks (1 cup)
Lemonade/limeade (1 cup)
Pear nectar (1/2 cup)
Peach nectar (1/2 cup)
Tang (1 cup)
Coffee (6 oz)
Soda (12 oz)
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Jellybeans (10)
Cream of wheat (½ cup)
Grits/oatmeal (1 cup cooked)
Corn cereals (1 cup)
Sausage (1 oz)
Bread (1 slice)
Margarine (1 Tablespoon)
Tortilla chips (1 oz)
Popcorn (3 cups)
Pretzels (1 oz)
Pancakes (3 small)
Hard candy (1 oz
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Medium Potassium Foods (foods that have 150 mg to 250 mg of per serving)
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Fruit
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Vegetable
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Beverage
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Other Foods
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Pears, fresh (1)
Cantaloupe (½ cup)
Honeydew (½ cup)
Fruit cocktail (½ cup)
Cherries (½ cup)
Apple (1)
Grapefruit (1/2)
Rhubarb cooked (1/2 cup)
Kiwi (1)
Avocado (1/4)
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Brussel sprouts (½ cup)
Beets (½ cup)
Carrots (½ cup)
Rutabagas (1/2 cup)
Mixed vegetables (½ cup)
Greens: mustard, collards (1 cup)
Corn (1/2 cup)
Peas (1/2 cup)
Cauliflower (1 cup)
Spinach (1 cup)
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Apricot nectar (½ cup)
Grapefruit juice (½ cup)
Pineapple juice (1 cup)
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Trail mix (1 oz)
Ground beef (3.5 oz)
Oat bran cereal (3/4 cup)
Peanut butter (2 Tablespoons)
Chocolate (1 oz)
Bagel (1)
Most nuts (1 oz)
Yogurt (8 oz)
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High Potassium Foods (foods that have 250 mg to 500 mg per serving)
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Fruit
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Vegetable
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Beverage
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Other Foods
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Apricots (3)
Banana (1)
Dates (6)
Figs (3)
Nectarines (1)
Oranges (1)
Peaches (1)
Prunes (5)
Raisins (1/4 cup)
Dried Apricots (6 halves)
Dried Peaches (2 halves)
Dried Pears (3 halves)
Strawberries (1 cup)
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Artichokes (1)
Beans: lima, pinto, navy (1/2 cup)
Yams, sweet potato (1 cup)
Winter squash (1 cup)
Parsnips (1 cup)
Potatoes, boiled (1/2 cup)
Pumpkin (1 cup)
Split peas, lentil (1/2 cup)
Black eye peas (1/2 cup)
Tomato (1)
Tomato sauce (1/2 cup)
Sundried tomatoes (1/4 cup)
Beet greens (1 cup)
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Orange juice (1 cup)
Tomato juice (1/2 cup)
V-8 juice (1 1/2 cup)
Milk (1 cup)
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Pork Ribs (3.5oz)
Beef Ribs (3.5 oz
Tenderloin (3.5 oz)
Potato chips (1oz)
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Very High Potassium Foods (foods that have 500 mg or more per serving)
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Fruit
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Vegetable
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Beverage
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Other Foods
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Currants, dried (1/2 cup)
Mixed fruit, dried Papaya (1 medium)
Plantains (1 cup)
Guava (1 cup)
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Adzuki beans (1cup)
Bamboo shoots (1 cup)
Black beans (1 cup)
Butter beans (1 cup)
Cranberry beans (1 cup)
Great Northern beans (1 cup)
Potato, baked (1 small)
Potatoes, fried, french fries (1/2 cup)
Soybeans (1 cup)
Kidney beans (1 cup)
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Prune juice (1 cup)
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Soybeans nuts (1/2 cup)
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Removing potassium from food
Leaching is a process that can remove some of the potassium out of some high potassium foods. Before cooking, peel and slice the vegetables. Soak vegetables in warm water for at least 4 hours. Change the water frequently. Talk with your dietitian about how to do this. Also, talk with your dietitian before eating foods that are not on this list.
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