High Potassium Foods

Many types of bread are low potassium foods. In addition they generally are high in sodium also. Potassium, sodium and phosphorus need to be controlled in those who have the most common reason for being on a low potassium diet – those with poorly functioning kidneys. For those with poor kidneys, sodium will cause more fluid to accumulate and should be limited. This table includes sodium so you can identify those breads that are very high in sodium, and find the breads that are relatively lower in sodium.

Other Factors

Those who also have diabetes will need to limit carbohydrates. Generally one slice of bread is considered a serving, and about 6 to 11 servings of grains, including breads, can be consumed in a day. Whole grain and high fiber breads should be avoided since they are usually higher in phosphorus. Other sources of grains include rice, pasta and noodles discussed here. Whole, intact grains for porridges and cereals, and unleavened flour, such as used for tortillas are discussed here.

The breads are all high in carbohydrates, and those in renal failure are in need of an additional source of protein to provide 8 to 10 ounces of protein foods daily. This should come from meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. Nuts, lentils and high protein grains are still lower in protein and are higher in potassium and phosphorus for equal amounts of protein.

If the only requirement is low potassium, the breads listed will help. They are all less than 200 mg potassium in a serving, except for the mixes that provide multiple servings.

Medical Condition Caution

But people with medical conditions requiring a low potassium diet most often need multiple aspects of their diet regulated, and need the advice of a doctor and dietitian to help with their specific requirements. These tables will be inadequate for managing their health, and can only serve as a guide to show how foods that seem similar will vary significantly in important dietary elements.

The weights all are grams except for the potassium and sodium, which 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, amount of potassium per serving, and sodium per serving (all of which we calculated), the source of data is: USDA National Nutrient Database Standard Reference – Release 22.