Eat potassium-rich foods
Fill up on beans, potatoes, squash, fruit and dairy to reach the recommended amount of potassium.
- How often
- Daily
- Time
- Part of meals
- Recommended for
- 2 factors
How to do it
- Aim for the recommended intake: 3,400 mg a day for adult men and 2,600 mg for adult women.
- Beans and lentils are standouts: a cup of cooked lentils has about 731 mg, and a cup of canned kidney beans about 607 mg.
- Add starchy vegetables. A medium baked potato has about 610 mg, and a cup of mashed acorn squash about 644 mg.
- Snack on fruit. Half a cup of dried apricots has about 755 mg, and a medium banana about 422 mg.
- Include dairy and fish, such as a cup of milk (about 366 mg) or 3 ounces of salmon (about 326 mg).
Why it helps
Potassium helps your muscles, nerves, heart and kidneys work. Eating more of it, especially while eating less sodium, is linked to healthier blood pressure. Diets built on processed food tend to be low in potassium and high in sodium.
Be careful
If you have kidney disease, or take ACE inhibitors, ARBs or potassium-sparing diuretics, potassium can build up in your blood even from normal food. Salt substitutes are often potassium-based. Talk to your doctor before raising your intake or taking a supplement.