Potassium, a mineral, works by
protecting blood vessels from oxidative damage
and keeps vessel walls from thickening. Adults should aim to get 4,700
mg of potassium a day. (Too much potassium, usually from supplements,
can be dangerous, so try to get your intake from healthy eating unless a
doc says otherwise.) These
delicious foods can help you reach your goal.
Sweet potatoes
Surprise—sweet potatoes, not bananas, rank highest on the list of
foods that are high in potassium.
One sweet potato packs a whopping 694 mg of potassium and only 131
calories, plus loads of fiber, beta-carotene, and energizing carbs.
Baked, fried, grilled, mashed, or stuffed,
sweet potatoes are one of the healthiest and most delicious foods you can eat.
Tomato sauces
Fresh tomatoes are great, but tomato paste and puree are better
sources of potassium. One quarter cup of tomato paste delivers 664 mg of
this vital mineral, while one half cup of puree comes in at 549 mg.
Tomato juice itself has just over 400 mg. So if you love cooking with
tomatoes and want to get more potassium into your diet, make spaghetti sauce more often!
Beet greens
If you've ever bought fresh beets and tossed the greens in the garbage, time to change your ways. Those cooked,
slightly bitter greens deserve a place at the table in part because they pack a whopping 644 mg of potassium per half cup. Antioxidant-packed
beets are also a great source of folate, raw or cooked!
Beans
White beans lead the pack when it comes to potassium, with half a cup
delivering nearly 600 mg, but kidney and lima beans, as well as lentils
and split peas, are all respectable sources. All beans are
good for your heart and appear prominently on our list of the
20 best foods for fiber so it's smart to make beans a much bigger part of your diet.
Yogurt
Eight ounces of plain old non-fat yogurt contains 579 mg of
potassium, while low-fat, whole milk, and cultured buttermilk—yogurt's
tangy cousin—have a little less.
Delicious ways to use yogurt
include mixing it with granola at breakfast, using it instead of mayo
on sandwiches and in salads, and swapping it for whipped cream on
desserts. Bonus: Most yogurt products contain probiotics, natural
bacteria that can
aid digestion and keep your gut healthy.
Clams
Canned or fresh, 3 ounces of clams pack 534 mg of potassium and have the
highest concentration of vitamin B12 of any food. Use them to make seafood pasta or traditional New England claim chowder.
Prunes
Prune juice is no joke when it comes to potassium, delivering 530 mg
per 3/4 cup; half a cup of stewed prunes have nearly 400 mg. While you
know prunes are good for regularity, you may not know that eating more
of these dried plums can help keep your bones strong too. In one study,
women who ate
10 prunes a day had significantly higher bone density than women who ate dried apples.
Carrot juice
The juicing trend means more people will be getting their potassium
from carrot juice, which packs over 500 mg in one 3/4 cup. Besides their
potassium benefits, carrots and other orange-colored fruits and
vegetables are also
great for your eyes and vision.
Molasses
Looking for a nutrient-packed alternative to sugar or honey? One tablespoon of
blackstrap molasses (the thick, dark kind) has nearly 500 mg of potassium and a respectable amount of iron and calcium.
Fish
Meaty fish like halibut and tuna have nearly 500 mg of potassium per 3
ounce serving, but cod and even farm-raised rainbow trout have plenty
of potassium too. But potassium isn't the only reason to add more fish
and seafood to your diet. Evidence is mounting that regularly eating
fish, not taking fish supplements, can increase your lifespan, thanks in
large part to the healthy fats in fresh fish; a
high fish diet can even reduce your risk of death by heart disease by 35%, according to Harvard researchers.
Soybeans
Unprocessed soy products (think edamame, not soy powder) are a great source of protein and can also fight
inflammation in the body. Bonus: half a cup of cooked soybeans have nearly 500 mg of potassium.
Winter squash
Winter squash like
spaghetti squash
are a dieter's dream: it has less than 50 calories per serving, yet
contains plenty of vitamin A and filling fiber. But winter squash is
also a great source of potassium, with 448 mg per half cup.
Bananas
Everyone thinks of bananas when they think of high-potassium foods,
and one medium fruit does pack more than 400 mg of this heart-healthy
mineral. But bananas are also the
ultimate hunger buster, packed with
Resistant Starch, a healthy carb that fills you up and helps to boost your metabolism.
Milk
Milk is a surprising source of potassium, with 382 mg per cup for the
non-fat or skim version (1% and whole milk has a little less). If
you're not a fan of milk, try adding this high-
calcium fluid to
smoothies and healthy milkshakes.
Orange juice
One of the
healthiest additions to your breakfast table, 3/4 of a cup of orange juice delivers 355 mg of potassium. Orange juice, especially the
fresh-squeezed variety, is a good source of calcium, folate, and several B vitamins.
