Low Potassium Diet
                                                    
                                                   
                                                  Potassium is a mineral found in most foods. The average daily diet 
                                                  provides about 3000-6000 mg of potassium. High levels of potassium in 
                                                  the blood can affect your heart rate and muscles. Eating large amounts 
                                                  of lower potassium foods can also raise your blood potassium level. A 
                                                  low potassium diet may help lower blood levels and keep them in a safe 
                                                  range: 3.5 – 5.3 mg/dl. 
                                                   
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                                                                                               High Potassium Foods to Limit 
            Food Groups                      Recommended Choices                           (Very high potassium foods are in bold)
          Breads, cereals,  One serving is:                                                •    Whole grain breads and cereals 
          rice & pasta               •   ½ cup rice, noodles, pasta, cooked                •    Bran, wheat germ 
                                         cereal, long rice 
          6-9 servings daily         •   ¾ cup dry cereal (not whole grain) 
                                     •   1 slice bread 
                                     •   4-6 crackers 
          Vegetables                 •   Alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, broccoli  •  Artichokes, beets & beet greens, 
                                         (raw), carrots, cauliflower, celery,                  broccoli (cooked), brussels sprouts, 
          2-3 servings daily             collards, cucumber, eggplant,                         corn-on-the cob, lotus root, potato 
                                         green peas, green beans, green                        (white & sweet), potato chips, 
          One serving is:                pepper, head cabbage, kale, leeks,                    pumpkin, spinach (cooked), Swiss 
           •   ½ cup fresh,              lettuce, mushrooms, onion, radish,                    chard, tomatoes, tomato paste & 
               cooked,                   summer squash (white flesh),                          sauce, winged beans, winter squash 
               canned                    turnip, turnip greens, watercress,                    (orange flesh),  yams  
           •   1 cup raw,                wax beans, zucchini                               •   Bamboo shoots (fresh), bok choy, 
               leafy                 •   Canned bamboo shoots, beets,                          burdock (gobo), cassava, luau (taro 
               vegetables                corn                                                  leaves), marungay pods, seaweed 
                                     •   Bittermelon leaves, chayote,                          (ogo, limu), taro, yardlong beans 
                                         daikon, won bok, marungay leaves,  •  Juices and soups made from these 
                                         mung bean sprouts, mustard                            vegetables. 
                                         greens, nori, okra, seaweed                       •    Limit to 1/2 cup daily: poi 
                                         (konbu, wakame), water chestnuts 
          Fruits                    •   Apple, applesauce, apricots,                       •   Avocado, banana, cantaloupe, 
                                        berries, cherries, cranberries, figs,                  honeydew, kiwi, melon balls, 
          2-3 servings daily            fruit cocktail, grapefruit*, grapes,                   nectarine, orange, persimmon, 
                                        peach, pear, plum, watermelon                          pomegranate, prickly pear  
          One serving is:           •   Asian pear, longan, loquat, lychee,                •   Breadfruit, guava, jackfruit, 
          •   ½ cup fresh,              mandarin oranges, mango, papaya,                       plantain, pomelo (jabon), soursop, 
              canned,                   lilikoi, pineapple, tangerine                          tamarind 
              frozen                                                                       •   Juices made from these fruits 
          •   1 fruit (tennis       *Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may                   •   Dried fruit: apricots, dates, figs, 
              ball-sized)           interact with certain medications.                         prunes, raisins  
          •   2 tbsp dried          Check with your pharmacist or doctor                    
              fruit   
          •   ½ cup juice 
           0006  2521  Original: 6/17/2005               Revised: 6/11/2010               Page 1 
                                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                   Low Potassium Diet
                                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                   
                                                                  People with diabetes should limit their intake of juices, regular 
                                                                  sodas and other sweets/sugars. NOTE: You can reduce the 
                                                                  potassium content of certain vegetables and fruits by peeling, 
                                                                  cutting into small pieces, and soaking in a large amount of water 
                                                                  for several hours or overnight. Discard the water before cooking. 
                                                                  Drain and discard the liquid from canned vegetables and fruits.  
                                                                   
                                                                   
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                                                                                                                 High Potassium Foods to Limit 
            Food Groups                             Recommended Choices                                    (Very high potassium foods are in bold)
         Meats &                         •    Lean beef, pork, lamb, chicken,                              •    Limit to ½ cup daily: tofu, soy milk, 
         substitutes                          turkey, fish, shellfish, veal.                                    cooked beans: kidney, black, soy, 
                                         •    1 egg = 1 oz. meat                                                pinto, navy, mung, azuki, natto 
         Limit to 5-6 oz.                                                                                  •    Limit to 2 tbsp daily: nuts and seeds: 
         daily                                                                                                  peanuts, peanut butter, macadamia, 
                                                                                                                walnuts, coconut, sunflower seeds 
         Soups                           •    Soups made from meat stock, with                             •    Soups made from vegetable stock, 
                                              rice or noodles and  lower                                        tomato soup, milk, beans. 
                                              potassium vegetables 
         Milk, Yogurt &                  •    Limit to ½ cup daily: whole, skim or                          
         Cheese                               low-fat milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, 
                                              ice cream, ice milk, sherbet, or 
                                              frozen yogurt 
                                         •    Substitute: non-dairy creamer 
                                         •    Limit to 1-2 oz per day: cheese 
         Desserts                        •    1 medium serving:  cake, pie,                                •    Desserts made with high potassium 
                                              cookies, plain manju/mochi (no an);                               fruits, nuts, custard, an (sweet bean 
                                              senbei, popsicles, icees                                          jam) 
         Beverages                       •    Limit to 2 cups daily:  coffee, tea                          •    Tomato, carrot  & vegetable juices.
                                         •    Soft drinks, regular and diet sodas,                         •     Fruit juices: grapefruit, orange, 
                                              juice drinks                                                      prune  
                                                                                                           •    Cappuccino, chocolate milk/cocoa, 
                                                                                                                soy milk 
         Fats/oils                       • Butter, margarine, mayonnaise,                                  •    Coconut milk and cream, peanut 
                                              salad dressing, vegetable oils                                    butter 
         Miscellaneous                   •    White sugar, jam, jelly, honey,                              •    Molasses, salt substitutes 
                                              preserves, syrup, vinegar                                         (potassium chloride), Brewer’s 
                                         •    Hard candy mints, jelly beans, gum                                yeast, chocolate, Bragg’s amino 
                                                                                                                         TM
                                              drops, marshmallow, chewing gum                                   acids  
                                         •    Miso, soy sauce and catsup in 
                                              moderation 
                                          
             0006 2521   Original: 6/17/2005            Revised: 6/11/2010             Page 2