Eating foods high in potassium on a consistent basis is a great benefit to your health. It will lower blood pressure, reduce risk of kidney stones, and reduce risk of bone loss. Your goal should be to get 4.7 grams (4700 mg) of potassium in high potassium foods. When you don't feel like cooking, here are some great high potassium foods that taste great raw to help you reach that goal.
Raisins – a cup of raisins gives you 749 mg of potassium. Eat them by the handful for a snack or add them to cereal, salad or yogurt.
Potatoes – a single potato with the skin has 421 mg of the super mineral. They can be diced or sliced raw and added to a salad, mixed with other veggies in a salad or made into a finger food appetizer or snack by slicing into sticks.
Two other side dishes of vegetables high in potassium that are great raw are broccoli – one stalk or a cup of flowerets give 325 mg, and zucchini – one large one gives 459 mg. These can be sliced or diced for appetizers or salads.
Tomatoes – you can bite into one whole, like an apple. Or you can slice it onto a sandwich. And you can slice or dice it into a salad or cold pasta. A cup of chopped cherry tomatoes packs 237 mg, or chopped yellow 258 mg of the magic mineral. If you prefer sun-dried tomatoes they will give you 3427mg.
Many of the beans are kings of the high potassium foods. A cup of black beans raw will provide 1483 mg. Kidney beans, red beans, navy beans, pinto beans, white beans are all similar in content. They are great as finger foods, or on salads or cold pasta.
Spinach is one of the high potassium foods. It makes a great raw substitute for lettuce in a salad. It can also substitute for pita bread as a roll-up with meat, cheese, or veggies. A cup provides 558 mg of potassium.
Some nuts are super sources of potassium. A cup of pistachios has 1025 mg, and an ounce of cashews has 660 mg of the wonder mineral.
Melons are a tasty way to fight high blood pressure. A cup of cantaloupe balls gives you 267 mg of potassium, and the same amount of honeydew provides 228 mg. Whether eaten for breakfast plain or added to yogurt or a smoothie, the taste is hard to beat.
Bananas have a well earned reputation as a source of potassium. A cup of mashed banana contains 358 mg. Plantains are a relative of the banana that is loaded with even more potassium – 499 mg in a cup of sliced plantains.
An 8 ounce serving of plain yogurt from skim milk will provide 255 mg of potassium. Eat it plain or add fruit pieces or use it as a topping on fruit. It also makes a great dip for raw veggies.
Another great dip is avocado. One cup of pureed avocado provides 507 mg of potassium. It can also be used as a topping on meat, as filler in a roll-up, or mixed into a salad.
Drinks that provide plenty of potassium are skim milk, providing 312 mg in an 8 ounce glass, and orange juice, coming in at 200 mg.
Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference – Release 22
