Most dairy products are among the high potassium foods. They are part of the DASH medical study diet that has been shown to reduce blood pressure, reduce osteoporosis and reduce kidney stone formation.
For the most part, 8 fluid oz of liquid milk or 8 oz of yogurt will provide approximately 400 mg of potassium. If it is fortified with protein, it will provide a bit more potassium. The dried or powdered milk will have a much higher potassium content and a higher content of potassium in the liquid milk can be obtained if the powder is not diluted as much as usually recommended.
Of course, potassium content is not the only consideration when determining whether to include a particular food in our diet. Notice that butter, cheese and ice cream are missing from the table. Butter and cheese are loaded with sodium and have little potassium. Many ice creams have a favorable potassium to sodium ratio, but only a moderate amount of potassium in the usual serving. We'll discuss these foods and some of the other nutritional factors further in the next post.
The weights for the potassium and sodium are milligrams. The potassium and sodium values given are for 100 grams of food.
As usual, K is potassium, and Na is sodium.
Except for the potassium to sodium ratio (which we calculated), the source of data is: USDA National Nutrient Database Standard Reference – Release 22.
| Food | K | Na | Ratio K:Na |
| CHEESE,LOW-SODIUM,CHEDDAR OR COLBY |
112 | 21 | 5.3 |
| CREAM SUBSTITUTE,POWDERED | 812 | 181 | 4.5 |
| CREAM,FLUID,HALF AND HALF | 130 | 41 | 3.2 |
| CREAM,FLUID,LT (COFFEE CRM OR TABLE CRM) |
122 | 40 | 3 |
| CREAM,SOUR,KRAFT BREAKSTONE'S FREE FAT FREE SOUR CRM |
219 | 72 | 3 |
| CREAM,SOUR,KRAFT BREAKSTONE'S RED FAT SOUR CRM |
210 | 59 | 3.6 |
| CREAM,SOUR,RED FAT,CULTURED | 129 | 41 | 3.1 |
| CREAM,SOUR,SOUR CREAM,REDUCED FAT |
211 | 70 | 3 |
| CREAM,SOUR,SOUR DRSNG,NON-BUTTERFAT,CULTURED,FILLED CREAM-TYPE |
162 | 48 | 3.4 |
| EGGNOG | 165 | 54 | 3.1 |
| MILK,BUTTERMILK,DRIED | 1592 | 517 | 3.1 |
| MILK,CHOC BEV,HOT COCOA,HOMEMADE |
197 | 44 | 4.5 |
| MILK,DRY,NONFAT,INSTANT | 1705 | 549 | 3.1 |
| MILK,DRY,NONFAT,REG | 1794 | 535 | 3.4 |
| MILK,DRY,WHOLE | 1330 | 371 | 3.6 |
| MILK,FLUID,1% FAT | 150 | 44 | 3.4 |
| MILK,GOAT,FLUID | 204 | 50 | 4.1 |
| MILK,INDIAN BUFFALO,FLUID | 178 | 52 | 3.4 |
| MILK,LO NA,FLUID | 253 | 3 | 84.3 |
| MILK,LOWFAT,FLUID,1% MILKFAT | 150 | 44 | 3.4 |
| MILK,NONFAT,FLUID,PROT FORT (FAT FREE/SKIM) |
182 | 59 | 3.1 |
| MILK,PRODUCER,FLUID,3.7% MILKFAT |
151 | 49 | 3.1 |
| MILK,RED FAT,FLUID,2% MILKFAT,PROT FORT |
182 | 59 | 3.1 |
| MILK,SHEEP,FLUID | 137 | 44 | 3.1 |
| MILK,WHL,3.25% MILKFAT | 132 | 43 | 3.1 |
| PROTEIN SUPP,MILK BSD,MUSCLE MILK LT,PDR |
840 | 250 | 3.4 |
| PROTEIN SUPP,MILK BSD,MUSCLE MILK,PDR |
1129 | 329 | 3.4 |
| YOGURT,FRUIT VAR,NONFAT,FORT W/ VITAMIN D |
194 | 58 | 3.3 |
| YOGURT,FRUIT,LOFAT,10 GRAMS PROT PER 8 OZ |
195 | 58 | 3.4 |
| YOGURT,FRUIT,LOFAT,11 GRAMS PROT PER 8 OZ |
216 | 65 | 3.3 |
| YOGURT,FRUIT,LOFAT,9 GRAMS PROT PER 8 OZ |
177 | 53 | 3.3 |
| YOGURT,FRUIT,LOFAT,W/LO CAL SWEETENER |
194 | 58 | 3.3 |
| YOGURT,KRAFT BREYERS LOWFAT STRAWBERRY YOGURT (1% MILKFAT) |
192 | 52 | 3.7 |
| YOGURT,KRAFT BREYERS LT N' LVLY LOWFAT STR'BERY YOGURT (1% MILKFAT) |
151 | 45 | 3.4 |
| YOGURT,KRAFT BREYERS LT NONFAT STR'BERY YOGURT (W/ASPRT&FRUCT SW'T) |
146 | 45 | 3.2 |
| YOGURT,KRAFT BREYERS SMOTH&CRMY LOWFAT STR'BERY YOGURT (1% MILKFAT) |
177 | 55 | 3.2 |
| YOGURT,PLN,LOFAT,12 GRAMS PROT PER 8 OZ |
234 | 70 | 3.3 |
| YOGURT,PLN,SKIM MILK,13 GRAMS PROT PER 8 OZ |
255 | 77 | 3.3 |
| YOGURT,PLN,WHL MILK,8 GRAMS PROT PER 8 OZ |
155 | 46 | 3.4 |
| YOGURT,VANILLA,LOFAT,11 GRAMS PROT PER 8 OZ |
219 | 66 | 3.3 |
