Foods high in Potassium
Electrolyte mineral that counters sodium's effect on blood pressure. Concentrated in fruit, vegetables, beans, and dairy.
About Potassium
Potassium is the dominant positive ion inside cells, paired with sodium outside. That balance powers nerve signals, muscle contraction, and the rhythmic squeeze of the heart. Potassium also helps the kidneys excrete sodium, which lowers blood pressure.
Fruit, vegetables, beans, dairy, and fish are the best sources. Bananas are famous for it but a baked potato carries roughly twice as much. The DASH diet, designed to lower blood pressure, works partly by raising potassium intake.
UK adult RI: 2,000 mg/day. Most UK adults don't reach this while also exceeding the sodium target. Closing that gap, more produce, less salt, lowers blood pressure measurably.
Foods high in potassium, cream of tartar, spinach, beans, and more
Ranked by how much you get per calorie, so foods are not rewarded for simply being dry or concentrated. Values from USDA FoodData Central, McCance & Widdowson's CoFID, ANSES Ciqual, and other public nutrition databases. Amounts in milligrams.
Per calorie is the default here because it answers what to eat: ranked purely by amount, a list of the richest foods fills up with dried and concentrated things nobody eats a plateful of. Switch to per 100 grams above if concentration is what you are after. Our foods low in potassium list is measured per 100 grams instead, and that is deliberate too: per calorie would reward a food for carrying plenty of energy and none of the nutrient, which puts cooking oil below lettuce on a low-sodium list.
- Cream of tartar 8,694.56mg per 100 grams
- Spinach, baby, boiled in unsalted water 4,750mg per 100 grams
- Beans, sword, raw 4,390.24mg per 100 grams
- Beet greens, raw 3,463.64mg per 100 grams
- Soy sauce, reduced sodium, made from hydrolyzed vegetable protein 3,442.22mg per 100 grams
- Beet greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 3,366.67mg per 100 grams
- Beet greens, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 3,366.67mg per 100 grams
- Amaranth leaves, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 3,052.38mg per 100 grams
- Amaranth leaves, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 3,052.38mg per 100 grams
- Dill, fresh 3,000mg per 100 grams
- Chrysanthemum, garland, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 2,845mg per 100 grams
- Chrysanthemum, garland, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 2,845mg per 100 grams
Common questions about Potassium
- How much potassium do I need?
- UK adult RI: 2,000 mg/day. Most UK adults don't reach this while also exceeding the sodium target.
- What foods are highest in potassium?
- Baked potatoes carry roughly twice as much as bananas. Fruit, vegetables, beans, dairy, and fish are all good sources.
- Can potassium help lower blood pressure?
- Yes. Potassium helps the kidneys excrete sodium, which lowers blood pressure measurably. The DASH diet works partly via increased potassium intake.
- Can you have too much potassium?
- From food, very rarely. People with kidney disease or on certain blood-pressure medications may need to limit intake, check with a clinician before supplementing.