High Potassium Foods

In the last post we discussed the fish that are high potassium foods. There were quite a few. Today we discuss and post a table listing the other sea foods that are high in potassium. All of these seafoods satisfy the 3 to 1 ratio that is favorable for bone density, blood pressure and cardiovascular health. Furthermore, these foods are high in protein, low in fat, and have no carbohydrates.

The table includes crayfish, calamari, clams and frog legs. However, notably missing are lobster, shrimp, oyster, scallops and crab, as well as caviar. Shrimp, lobster, oyster and most crab have about the same amount of potassium as sodium. The exception is Alaska king crab. It has 5 times as much sodium as potassium. And caviar is loaded with over 8 times as much sodium as potassium.

Scallops, raw or steamed, have twice as much potassium as sodium. But if breaded, the usual breading adds sodium, resulting in more sodium than potassium in the dish. Alternatively, using low sodium breading and adding spices to the breading can change the sodium and potassium load.

Food Prep

Of course, how you prepare even the sea foods that are among the high potassium foods will influence the amount of potassium in the seafood. If you cook the dish in water that is salted, the potassium will leach out into the water, and the sodium will tend either to be retained or increase. If you steam the food, there will be less potassium loss.

Clams are often steamed or eaten raw. And thus they will retain their potassium. Clam bakes are another popular way to enjoy clams. And they are a great way for keeping the potassium in the clam.

Calamari (squid) is most frequently fried, and often coated with batter. Of course, the batter will influence the sodium and potassium content of the final dish. Furthermore, a low sodium batter will keep the potassium to sodium ratio healthy. If high potassium spices are used in the batter, an even better boost in potassium can be obtained.

Popular in the South and Midwest, frog legs are mostly eaten grilled or fried. If breaded, a good way to add more potassium is to use some of the spices in the breading. Alternatively, using low sodium breading will keep the sodium load healthy. Another example is an almond meal crust. It will give the same texture as breading, but add a lot of potassium.

Crayfish are another popular Southern dish. If boiled and only the meat is eaten, the potassium you get may be lower than indicated in the table. Other popular ways to serve crayfish are in soups or bisques. Since the potassium leaches into the water of the soup or bisque, and is consumed, you should get all the potassium indicated in the table.

Snails, known as periwinkle (escargot are land snails), are not eaten much in the US. But they are a common part of the diet in Scotland. And they provide a good source of potassium.

The Table

The weights are milligrams for the potassium and sodium. The potassium and sodium values given are for 100 grams (about 3 1/2 oz) 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.