Like calcium and sodium, potassium is an electrolyte essential for the body’s growth and maintenance. Maintaining a proper water balance inside and outside the body’s cells is necessary.
It also plays an essential role in the response of nerves to stimulation and the contraction of muscles, including the heart muscle. Hence, eating the best foods for potassium is the right choice.
Moreover, various studies suggest that increasing dietary potassium can negate some of the adverse effects of dietary sodium on blood pressure. Reducing sodium and increasing potassium provides more excellent heart disease protection than intervention alone.
As a result, having the right amount of potassium in your diet helps to keep you healthy.
What’s more?
Just try to eat plenty of potassium-rich foods to keep a proper water balance inside and outside your body’s cells and keep it healthy, no matter how old you are.
In this article, we will familiarise you with the ten best foods for potassium.
1. Bananas
Bananas are one of the best foods for potassium. They are rich in the mineral potassium. Potassium helps maintain fluid levels in the body and regulates the movement of nutrients and waste products in and out of cells.
Potassium also helps muscles to contract and nerve cells to respond. It keeps the heart beating regularly and can reduce the effect of sodium on blood pressure.
Potassium may reduce the risk of kidney stones forming as people age. In turn, healthy kidneys ensure that the right amount of potassium stays in the body.
One medium-sized banana contains 422 milligrams (mg) of potassium.
It is best to try bananas to meet your body’s daily potassium requirements.
2. Potatoes
Potatoes are fat-free, gluten-free, plant-based, affordable, and a quality carbohydrate. They are cholesterol-free and sodium-free, with only 110 calories per 5.3oz serving.
In addition, they are an excellent source of potassium because one average-sized potato contains more than 20 per cent of the nutrient’s daily value.
Potatoes rank highest for potassium content among the top 20 most frequently consumed raw vegetables and the top 20 consumed raw fruits. One medium potato (5.3 ounces) with the skin contains 620 mg potassium. That’s 15% of your daily requirement and more than a banana.
Baked potatoes with the skin still on are the best option, as much of a potato’s potassium is in the skin.
Potatoes are more energy-packed than any other popular vegetable and have even more potassium than a banana. Potato performance recipe options fuel your body and brain throughout the day- whether you live an active lifestyle or compete with elite athletes.
That’s why nutritionists suggest potatoes as one of the best foods for potassium.
3. Avocados
When you are searching for the best foods for potassium, avocado is a good choice for you.
Avocado is a buttery fruit that contains various nutrients, including heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and vitamins C, E, and K. Avocados also contain nearly 5 grams of fibre in half a cup. Avocados are a good source of potassium, providing 364 mg in a half-cup serving.
One avocado has three times as much potassium as one banana.
4. Spinach
Leafy greens are one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables you can eat. It is one of the best sources of potassium. A 3-cup serving of fresh spinach, or 1 cup cooked, contains 558 mg, or 12% DV of potassium. That’s over 25% more than you’ll find in a banana.
Spinach is also a good source of fibre, antioxidants, vitamin A, and vitamin C. So, you can add spinach to your menu of the best foods for potassium.
5. Guava
Guava is also one of the best foods for potassium. It is a tropical fruit that is incredibly rich in potassium.
A 100-gm serving of guava has 417mg of potassium, roughly 9 per cent of the daily value of the recommended dietary allowances.
6. Watermelon
Watermelon isn’t a top source of potassium, but it does supply a small amount of this essential mineral. One cup of diced watermelon delivers 170 milligrams of potassium. That’s about 4 per cent of the 4,700 milligrams of potassium you need daily.
Eating a wedge of watermelon, about 1/16 of melon, will give you 320 milligrams of potassium, or 7 per cent of your daily requirement. Although you probably wouldn’t eat an entire melon in one sitting, a 15-by-7.5-inch melon will yield approximately 5,060 milligrams of potassium, which is just a bit more than the recommended amount.
Watermelon is also a great source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and the antioxidant lycopene. That’s why we included watermelon in this list of the best foods for potassium.
7. Coconut Water
Coconut water is the king in the list of best foods for potassium. It is a particularly hydrating drink and an excellent natural alternative to sports drinks. Because it contains essential electrolytes that help draw water into your cells. Its natural sugars also provide energy during exercise and help replenish lost glycogen stores afterwards.
Coconut water is refreshing when served chilled with ice after a sweaty workout. Just make sure to avoid varieties with added sugar.
8. Raisins
Raisins are a kind of dried fruit that is high in potassium. It is well-known as one of the best foods for potassium.
Half a cup of raisins contains 618 mg of potassium.
Opt for raisins with only dried grapes with no added sugar, coatings, or other ingredients for the most healthful type.
9. Legumes
Aside from beans, the legume family includes lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, and peanuts — all of which are high in potassium.
For instance, a 1-cup (198-gram) serving of lentils packs 15% of the DV for the mineral, while the same serving of chickpeas, soybeans, and peanuts provides 10%, 19%, and 23% of the DV, respectively.
Certain legumes, such as lentils and chickpeas, contain phytates. Therefore, remember to soak them overnight to reduce their phytate content.
10. Dried Apricots
Several dried fruits are high in potassium. Apricots are one of the best foods for potassium. They are bright orange fruit that people may eat either fresh or dried.
Half a cup of dried apricots contains 1,101 mg of potassium. These fruits also provide other vital nutrients, such as iron and antioxidants.
Just 1/2 cup packs 16% of the DV and fibre and vitamins A and E.
Bottom Line
Potassium is a vital mineral and electrolyte that your body needs to maintain normal blood pressure, transport nutrients into your cells, and support healthy nerve and muscle function.
It’s an essential nutrient because our bodies can’t produce it.
Many of the foods that we already eat contain potassium. The foods listed above are high in potassium.
So, if you need to boost the amount of potassium in your diet, choose the above-mentioned best foods for potassium.