Leafy vegetables are low in potassium, but they contain a number of other important vitamins and minerals, so don’t avoid them just because they have less potassium.
Potassium is a mineral that plays an important role in your body. It helps maintain fluid balance, regulates the heartbeat and controls muscle function.
When you get too little potassium in your diet, it can lead to muscle weakness, fatigue and irritability. Some people experience more serious symptoms like dry skin or heart palpitations.
A low-potassium diet is also associated with osteoporosis and kidney stones. That’s because your kidneys need enough potassium to help filter waste products from your blood into urine.
However, there’s no evidence that eating lots of leafy vegetables will actually cause bone loss — unless you’re getting very few calories from food overall (which can happen if you fast).
Leafy vegetables
Low-potassium vegetables include asparagus, avocado, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower and celery.
High-potassium vegetables include beets, corn and spinach.
Fruits and vegetables with low potassium content include applesauce, canned fruits with added sugar or syrup, canned fruits without added sugar or syrup (including bean sprouts), dried apricots, dried cranberries (sweetened), fresh figs (dried), grapefruit juice concentrate, grapes (dried), honeydew melon (canned in light syrup), lemons (fresh), limes (fresh), mangoes (fresh), nectarines (canned in light syrup), oranges (fresh), papayas (canned in light syrup), peaches (canned in heavy syrup or packed in light syrup), pears (canned in heavy syrup or packed in light syrup).
Leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale, are low in potassium and high in calcium. Low-potassium foods include fruits and vegetables.
Potassium is a mineral that helps maintain blood pressure, muscle contraction, nerve function and fluid balance. Potassium also helps regulate your heartbeat and the beating of your heart.
A healthy diet should contain at least 4,700 milligrams of potassium per day. Certain foods contain more potassium than others. These foods include:
Vegetables (1 cup): Parsnips (208 mg) Turnip greens (204 mg) Chard, swiss (192 mg) Watercress (189 mg) Spinach, cooked from fresh leaves (181 mg) Lettuce, romaine hearts (177 mg) Parsley (170 mg) Beets, cooked from fresh roots (166 mg) Endive (163 mg) Cauliflower (156 mg) Asparagus spears (156 mg) Brussels sprouts cooked from fresh buds (155 mg)* Celery root* Potatoes* White beans* Sweet potato* Broccoli florets* Cabbage green or red leafed* Green peas peas
Leafy vegetables low in potassium
Leafy greens are a great way to get your daily dose of potassium. They’re also high in fiber, iron and vitamins A and K. The best leafy greens for potassium include spinach, swiss chard, collard greens, mustard greens and kale.
High-Potassium Vegetables
Vegetables can be a good source of potassium if you choose the right ones. However, most vegetables contain very little of it. Some of the highest-potential options include:
Sweet potatoes — 1 cup (180 g) contains 707 mg of potassium.
Winter squash — 1 cup (250 g) contains 826 mg of potassium.
Tomatoes — 1 cup (180 g) contains 606 mg of potassium.
Low-Potassium Fruit Options
Fruits aren’t always a good source of potassium unless they’re canned in their own juice or packed with added sugar. Some fruits have some nutritional value but aren’t necessarily rich in potassium:
Bananas — 1 medium banana has 422 mg of potassium; however, most people eat more than one banana at once so this number could be higher or lower depending on your serving size. Bananas also contain fiber
Leafy vegetables are low in potassium, but they are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Leafy vegetables are low in potassium but contain many other good things that can help your body to function properly. Vegetables like kale, spinach, collard greens and mustard greens contain more vitamins A and C than almost any other food group. They also have a variety of minerals such as iron, magnesium and calcium. These nutrients help the body perform certain functions like absorb vitamins and minerals from other foods you eat.
A diet high in potassium-rich foods can reduce your risk of osteoporosis, kidney stones and high blood pressure. If you have kidney disease or heart failure, you should avoid eating too much potassium because it can cause further problems with your health. However, if you don’t have these conditions or aren’t at risk for them, then leafy green vegetables are an excellent source of nutrients that will help improve your overall health.
Vegetables low in potassium include:
Artichoke (1/2 medium) – 3 mg
Beet greens (1 cup) – 6 mg
Broccoli (1 cup) – 9 mg
Cabbage (1 cup) – 10 mg
Leafy vegetables low in potassium
Leafy vegetables are a great way to get your daily dose of phytochemicals without adding too many calories. In fact, they’re so low in calories that they can actually help you lose weight. Leafy greens are also packed with fiber, which helps keep your digestive system running smoothly.
When choosing leafy greens, go for dark green varieties like spinach and kale over iceberg lettuce and romaine. Darker greens have more vitamins and minerals than lighter ones and more fiber as well. Here are some of the best leafy greens for reducing your potassium intake:
Spinach – Spinach has only 4 grams of potassium in one cup (cooked). It also has 1 gram of protein per cup (cooked) and is an excellent source of folate and vitamin A. This dark green leafy vegetable is also high in vitamins C and K as well as calcium and magnesium.
Kale – Kale has only 10 grams of potassium per cup cooked and it’s high in vitamins A, C, E, K and folate along with manganese, copper, iron, calcium and magnesium. You can eat kale raw or cooked — just be sure to remove the stems before cooking so they don’t get tough.
High potassium vegetables
Beets, spinach, Swiss chard and white potatoes are some of the most high potassium vegetables. Other foods like sweet potatoes, carrots and asparagus are also high in potassium.
Low potassium fruits and vegetables
You may want to limit your intake of citrus fruits because they contain a lot of potassium. Other low-potassium fruits include apples, blueberries, cranberries and strawberries.
Low potassium breakfast foods
Most breakfast foods are not high in potassium or phosphorus. Eggs have very little phosphorus and no potassium at all. Yogurt is a good choice for a morning meal because it contains some calcium but not much phosphorus or potassium.
High potassium vegetables
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and peas are good sources of potassium. Potassium is an electrolyte that helps to regulate blood pressure, muscle contraction and nerve activity.
Low potassium fruits and vegetables
Apples, grapes, oranges, grapefruit and peaches are some examples of low potassium fruits. Berries are also good sources of potassium because they contain so few calories. Most vegetables contain a moderate amount of potassium.
Low potassium breakfast foods
Many breakfast food items are low in both phosphorus and potassium. These include:
Low-fat milk or soymilk (1 cup)
Eggs (2 large)
Whole wheat toast (2 slices)
The following foods are low in potassium and phosphorus, as well as other nutrients.
High potassium vegetables
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams: 1/2 cup (about 100 grams)
Low potassium fruits and vegetables
Fruits: 2 ounces (56 grams)
Vegetables: 1/2 cup (about 85 grams)
The following list of foods is low in potassium and phosphorus.
Foods High in Potassium
Fruits and Vegetables
Beets
Blackberries
Cantaloupe (1 cup)
Currants (1 cup)
Dates (5)
Figs (5)
Kiwifruit (1 medium)
Melons, all varieties (1 cup cubed)
Nectarines (1 large)
Olives, black or green (10 medium)
Oranges (1 medium navel or 2 small Valencia or satsuma tangerines**)**
High Potassium Vegetables
Beet greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
Dandelion greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
Spinach, chard (Swiss), cooked, boiled, drained without salt
Broccoli raab (rapini), cooked, boiled, drained without salt
Soybeans in pods – all varieties and colors
Lima beans (baby), canned (plain or in tomato sauce)
Peas – edible-podded fresh or frozen (includes snow peas)