Kidney Disease: Eating a Safe Amount of Potassium
Potassium is a mineral that is found in many foods. The body needs some potassium to keep the heart, muscles, and nerves working normally. But if your kidneys don’t work well, potassium can build up in your blood. It can be serious and even deadly if the levels go up too high. By controlling how much potassium you eat, you can keep a safe level in your blood.
Using this guide
Use this serving guide along with the food list below. Always follow your dietitian’s instructions on the number and size of servings to eat. You can leach some of the potassium out of some foods. Do this by soaking and cooking the food in large amounts of water. Ask your dietitian about how to do this. Also talk with them before you eat foods that aren’t on this list. Think about bringing your spouse or partner to your meetings with the dietitian. That way you'll have more support to manage your diet.
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___ daily servings of foods that have high potassium content (250 mg to 500 mg per serving).
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___ daily servings of foods that have medium potassium content (150 mg to 250 mg per serving).
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___ daily servings of foods that have low potassium content (5 mg to 150 mg per serving).
You can substitute food choices in the following way:
Potassium content of some foods
|
Potassium Level
|
Vegetables
|
Fruits
|
Starches
|
|
High
|
Artichokes (1)
Bok choy (½ cup)
Spinach (½ cup)
Tomatoes (½ cup)
|
Bananas (1)
Cantaloupe or honeydew (½ melon)
Oranges (1)
Peaches, fresh (1)
|
Beans, dried (½ cup)
Lentils (½ cup)
Potatoes (½ cup or 1 small)
Winter squash, yams (½ cup)
|
|
Medium
|
Broccoli (½ cup)
Carrots (½ cup)
Eggplant (½ cup)
Peppers (1)
|
Apples (1)
Cherries (½ cup)
Peaches, canned (½ cup)
Pears, fresh (½ cup)
|
Bread, pumpernickel (1 slice)
Chickpeas, cooked (½ cup)
Corn, fresh (½ cup)
Tortillas, corn (4 small)
|
|
Low
|
Asparagus (4 spears)
Green beans (½ cup)
Cauliflower (½ cup)
Cucumbers (½)
|
Blueberries (1 cup)
Grapefruit (½ cup)
Grapes (½ cup)
Strawberries (½ cup)
Watermelon (½ cup)
|
Bagel, plain (1)
Bread, white (2 slices)
Oatmeal (¾ cup)
Pasta, plain (1 cup)
Rice, white (1 cup)
|
Online Medical Reviewer:
Heather M Trevino BSN RNC
Online Medical Reviewer:
Melinda Murray Ratini DO
Online Medical Reviewer:
Walead Latif MD
Date Last Reviewed:
6/1/2025
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