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Low-Potassium Nutrition Therapy
What Is Potassium?
Potassium is an important nutrient that is found in most foods. Fruits,
vegetables, nuts, and milk are highest in potassium.
Why Does My Child Need a Low-potassium Diet?
When the kidneys are not working, the body does not get rid of extra potassium through urine. If extra
potassium builds up in the bloodstream, it can cause very serious heart problems. During dialysis, the
body gets rid of extra potassium with each dialysis treatment. However, potassium can easily reach
dangerously high levels between treatments if you get too much potassium from food.
Meal Planning Tips
•
•
•
•
Choose fruits and vegetables that are lowest in potassium (see lists in this handout).
Limit your child to no more than 2 to 3 servings of higher-potassium fruits and vegetables.
Limit milk, yogurt, and pudding to 1 cup daily.
Avoid 100% fruit juices and dried fruits. Fruit drinks such as lemonade and cranberry juice
cocktail have very little potassium.
• Soak potatoes and other vegetables to decrease the potassium content.
o Peel vegetables and cut into pieces that are approximately ⅛-inch thick.
o Rinse and soak the vegetable pieces in warm water for at least 2 hours (use 10 cups water
for every 1 cup of vegetables).
o Drain and rinse soaked vegetables under warm water.
o Boil vegetables for 5 minutes (use 5 cups water for every 1 cup of vegetables).
o Use soaked vegetables in soups and stews, or they can be scalloped, mashed, or fried.
Notes:
Copyright American Dietetic Association. This handout may be duplicated for client education.
Chronic Kidney Disease Low-Potassium Nutrition Therapy—Page 1
Low-Potassium Fruits (0-200 mg per Serving)
Fruit (Serving Size)
Potassium (mg)
per Serving
160
90
140
130
150
67
Apple (1 medium or 1 cup)
Applesauce (½ cup)
Blackberries (½ cup)
Blueberries (1 cup)
Cherries (10 or 2 ounces)
Cranberries, raw, whole
(1cup or 3ounces)
Fruit cocktail (½ cup)
Grapes, seedless (10)
Grapefruit
(½ medium or 4 ounces)
Kiwi (½ medium or 1.3 ounces)
Mango
(½ medium or 3.5 ounces)
Pears, canned (½ cup)
Peach
(1 medium or 3 ounces)
Pineapple (½ cup)
Plums, canned in syrup (½ cup)
Raspberries (½ cup)
Rhubarb, cooked (½ cup)
Tangerine (1 medium or 3 ounces)
Watermelon (1 cup)
115
90
170
126
160
90
198
90
115
95
115
130
175
Low-Potassium Vegetables (0-200 mg per Serving)
Vegetable (Serving Size)
Alfalfa sprouts (½ cup)
Asparagus
(4 spears or 2 ounces)
Bean sprouts (mung), raw (1 cup)
Bean sprouts (soybeans), raw (½ cup)
Broccoli, cooked (½ cup or 3.2 ounces)
Cabbage, raw, red/green (1 cup)
Cauliflower, raw (½ cup)
Carrots raw (½ cup)
Celery, raw (7.5-inch stalk)
Collards, boiled (1 cup)
Corn, frozen, boiled (½ cup)
Cucumber, with peel (¼ or 2-inch piece)
Potassium (mg)
per Serving
15
130
155
170
166
172
150
180
115
170
121
108
Low-Potassium Nutrition Therapy—Page 2
Cucumber, without peel (¼ or 2-inch piece)
Eggplant, cooked (½ cup)
Garlic (4 cloves)
Green beans, fresh, boiled (½ cup)
Green beans, frozen, boiled (½ cup)
Lettuce, butter head (1 cup)
Lettuce, iceberg (1 cup chopped)
Lettuce, loose leaf (1 cup)
Lettuce, romaine (1 cup)
Mixed vegetables, frozen (½ cup)
Okra, boiled (½ cup)
Onion, raw, chopped (¼ cup)
Pepper, bell (½ medium or 2 ounces)
Radishes (10 or 1.5 ounces)
Rutabagas, raw (1 cup)
Spaghetti squash, baked (1 cup)
Summer squash, raw, sliced (½ cup)
Squash, zucchini, raw, sliced (½ cup)
Turnip, cooked (½ cup)
Water chestnut, canned (½ cup)
75
125
50
187
85
141
87
148
162
155
135
63
106
105
150
181
110
140
105
85
High-Potassium Fruits (More than 200 mg per Serving)
Fruit (Serving Size)
Apricots (3 medium or 3.5 ounces)
Avocado (¼ medium or 1.5 ounces)
Banana (1medium or 4 ounces)
Cantaloupe (½ cup)
Dates, dried (5 medium or 1.4 ounces)
Honeydew (½ cup)
Orange (1 medium or 4.4 ounces)
Papaya (½ med/5 ounces)
Pear, fresh (1 medium or 5.5 ounces)
Plums (2 medium or 4.4 ounces)
Prunes (5 medium or 1.4 ounces)
Raisins (¼ cup or 1.3 ounces)
100% fruit juice (1 cup)
Potassium (mg)
per Serving
315
275
450
245
350
230
235
390
210
220
315
310
300-500
Low-Potassium Nutrition Therapy—Page 3
High-Potassium Vegetables (More than 200 mg per Serving)
Vegetable (Serving Size)
Potassium (mg)
per Serving
265
Artichoke (¼ medium or 2.5 ounces)
Beans:
Kidney, canned (½ cup)
330
Lima, canned (½ cup)
265
Navy, canned (½ cup)
380
Pinto, canned (½ cup)
290
Beets, boiled (½ cup)
260
Brussels sprouts (½ cup)
247
Chard, swiss, boiled (½ cup)
430
Corn, fresh, boiled (½ cup)
204
Mushrooms, raw (½ cup)
259
Peas, dried, cooked:
Blackeyed peas (½ cup)
240
Chickpeas/garbanzo (½ cup)
240
Lentils (½ cup)
365
Split peas (½ cup)
355
Potatoes, all types, baked with skin
759
(1 small or 4.9 ounces)
Potatoes, all types, boiled without skin
457
(1 small or 4.9 ounces)
Sweet potatoes , baked with skin (1 medium or 4 ounces) 397
Sweet potatoes, boiled or mashed (½ cup)
302
Tomato, raw, chopped (1 cup)
273
Tomato puree, canned (¼ cup)
266
Winter squash, baked (½ cup)
450
Yam, baked or boiled (½ cup)
456
Potassium values from Pennington JAT, Douglas AD. Bowes & Church’s Food Values of Portions
Commonly Used. 18th ed. New York, NY: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005.
Notes:
Low-Potassium Nutrition Therapy—Page 4