What is potassium?
Potassium is an essential mineral that helps the muscles, heart, and nerves work properly. Our body gets potassium from the foods we eat. It is mainly found in fruits, vegetables and whole grain products.
Potassium is carefully balanced by the kidneys. Too much potassium in the body can cause serious heart problems, and even death.
Read food labels
Some labels state the amount of potassium in a food. But remember that a food may still contain potassium even if potassium is not on the label.
Choose foods that have less than 200 mg of potassium per serving.
| Food labels: Nutrition Facts (one serving) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amount | % Daily Value | |
| Potassium | Less than 200 mg | 6% or less |
Serving sizes
Watch the serving sizes on labels. If you eat a large serving of a low-potassium food, it becomes a high-potassium food!
If you are not sure if a particular food is safe to eat, ask your dietitian.
Low-potassium food choices
Almost all foods contain potassium. Choose low-potassium foods more often and avoid high-potassium foods.
Vegetables
Peel and boil all vegetables in lots of water. Choices are for 125 mL (half-cup) servings unless otherwise indicated.
| Best choices | Foods to avoid | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfalfa sprouts; bean sprouts | Asparagus (four spears) | Artichokes | Avocado |
| Bamboo shoots, canned | Beets, soaked and boiled | Bamboo shoots, raw | Beet greens |
| Broccoli and rapini, boiled | Brussels sprouts | Broccoli, raw | Bok choi |
| Cabbage, red or green; coleslaw; sauerkraut | Carrots, boiled | Carrots, raw | Chinese cabbage or pak choi |
| Cauliflower, cooked | Celery, 1 stalk | Pumpkin and squash | Rapini, raw |
| Corn | Cucumber; pickles | Spinach, cooked | Swiss chard |
| Dandelion | Eggplant | ||
| Endive, escarole | Lettuce | ||
| Mushrooms | Mustard greens, watercress | ||
| Okra | Onion and green onion | Parsnips | |
| Peppers, sweet (any colour) | |||
| Potatoes, soaked and boiled | Potatoes, instant mashed, fried or baked | Sweet potato or yam | |
| Tomato, fresh, 1/2 medium | Tomato sauce or tomato ketchup (maximum 2 tablespoons a day, each) | Tomato paste, puree, juice; Clamato | Canned tomatoes |
| Turnip and rutabaga, boiled | Water chestnuts, canned | Vegetable juices | Winter melon/squash; zucchini |
Fruit
Eat cooked (boiled), frozen or canned fruits instead of fresh or dried. Avoid fruit juices and syrups from a can. Choices are for 125 mL (half-cup) servings unless otherwise indicated.
| Best choices | Foods to avoid | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple, 1 medium; apple sauce | Berries (blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, loganberries, raspberries, strawberries) | Apricots | Banana and plantains |
| Casaba melon | Clementine, 1 medium | Coconut | Dragon fruit |
| Cherries, 10 medium | Crab apples | Dried fruits: raisins, dates, dry figs, prunes, apricots, peaches | Figs |
| Grapefruit, 1/2 medium* | Grapes, green or red | Fruit cups or cocktails in syrup | Fruit juice and nectars |
| Guava, 1 small | Lemon and lime juice (maximum 1 tablespoon) | Kiwi | Mangosteen |
| Loquats, up to 3 | Lychees, 10 medium | Melon: honeydew, cantaloupe, musk | Nectarine |
| Mandarin or tangerine oranges, 1 medium (fresh, not canned) | Mango, 1/2 medium | Orange | Papaya |
| Peach, 1 small | Pear, 1 small | Peach, canned | Pear, canned |
| Pineapple | Plum, 1 medium | Persimmon | Pomegranate |
| Watermelon, 1 cup or slice | Prunes, canned with juice | Rhubarb | |
| Starfruit or carambola | Tangelo | ||
| *This depends on the medications you are taking. Always check with your dietitian. | |||
Breads and cereals
Choose breads and cereals made with white (enriched) flour or light rye. Avoid eating whole wheat, multi-grain and mixed grain or seed breads and cereals.
| Best choices | Foods to avoid |
|---|---|
| White breads, bagels, English muffins, roti, chapatti, tortilla and crackers; saltine crackers | Whole wheat and whole grain breads, bagel, English muffins, roti, chapatti, tortilla and crackers (for example bran, pumpernickel, dark rye, mixed grains); corn tortilla and Masa |
| Pancakes, waffles (3 medium) | Smart and Wonder+ bread |
| Granola bars (no nuts, limit to 1 bar a day) | Baked products with bran, chocolate, raisins, molasses or nuts |
| Cereals: cream of rice, cream of wheat, puffed rice and wheat, corn-based (brands include Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Corn Flakes, Corn Pops, Crispix, Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Honey Bunches, Honeycomb, Just Right, Rice Krispies, Special K, Reese Puffs) | Cereals: bran cereals (such as All-Bran, Bran Flakes, Raisin Bran), whole wheat cereals (such as Cheerios, Shreddies, Shredded Wheat, Mueslix) and cereal with dried fruits, raisins or nuts |
| Oatmeal, instant packages (mixed with water, limit to 1 pack a day) | Oat squares, oat bran and all oat cereals |
| Flour, enriched, made from white wheat or white rice | Flour made from potato, soy, corn (cornmeal), chickpeas, barley, brown rice, rye or whole wheat |
| Pasta or noodles,white wheat | Pasta or noodles, brown or whole wheat; boxed macaroni and cheese (such as Kraft Dinner) |
| Rice, white | Rice, brown or wild |
Milk and milk alternatives
You can have ______ servings of milk and milk products a day. Limit cow's milk to 1/2 cup a serving.
| Best choices | Foods to avoid |
|---|---|
| Cheese (Swiss, mozzarella, cream cheese, cheddar, parmesan, brick, goat, paneer, queso fresco); Cheese Whiz® (limit to 2 tablespoons a day) | Buttermilk |
| Ricotta and cottage cheese (limit to ½ cup a day) | Yogurt, all types |
| Milk, cow (limit to 1/2 cup per serving) | Milk, goat |
| Milk, condensed (limit to 2 tablespoons a day) | Milk evaporated or powder |
| Almond, rice or soy drink, original, unsweetened | Coconut milk |
| Non-dairy creamer (such as Coffee Rich or Coffee Mate) | Almond, rice or soy drinks that contain nuts, chocolate, carob, raisins, coffee or malt |
| Milk puddings (limit to 1/2 cup a day) | Milkshakes |
| Ice cream (limit to 1/2 cup a day) | Ice cream and other dairy products that contain nuts, chocolate, carob, raisins, coffee or malt |
| Cool Whip | Chocolate milk; chocolate puddings |
Meat and alternatives (such as beans, nuts, seeds and eggs)
Protein is important for growth. Eat at least one meal with meat or meat alternatives each day.
| Best choices | Foods to avoid |
|---|---|
| Beef | Goat |
| Chicken | Lamb |
| Turkey | Pork, roast and chop |
| Bacon, ham, hot dogs (limit to 1 wiener a day) | |
| Organ meats (for example liver and kidney) | |
| Fish (limit to 3 oz a day) | Shellfish and molluscs (abalone, clams, mussels, oysters, scallops) |
| Crab, shrimp, lobster, squid, surimi | Octopus |
| Eggs, fresh | Egg substitute |
| Peanut butter (limit to 1 tablespoon a day) | Peanuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts and other nuts |
| Beans, green and wax; green peas; snow peas | Beans, edamame, chickpeas, split peas, lentils, dal |
| Soft tofu |
Drinks
Choose fruit drinks* and fruit punches* instead of natural fruit juices* and nectars. Limit yourself to one cup of fruit juice* with low-potassium fruits each day.
*Avoid any drink that contains grapefruit juice.
| Best choices | Foods to avoid |
|---|---|
| Plain water | Flavoured drink mix (such as Crystal Light, Mio, Kool-Aid, which often contain added potassium) |
| Milk | Tea (black), coffee, capuccino |
| Cranberry juice | Coconut water; coconut milk |
| Apple juice | Mangosteen juice (such as Xango), orange juice, prune juice |
| Lemonade | Iced tea; soda or pop |
| Vegetable juice | |
| Malt or chocolate drinks (brands include Ovaltine, Milo, Nesquik); coffee substitutes (such as Postum) |
Chips, sweets and candies
Limit snacks to 1/2 cup servings.
| Best choices | Foods to avoid |
|---|---|
| Cookies: arrowroots, graham crackers, social tee, animal cookies | Chocolate (dark, milk and white); chocolate cake |
| Apple chips (limit to 1/2 cup) | Banana chips |
| Fruit roll-ups | Licorice, black |
| Marshmallows | Coconut; macaroons |
| Pie made with low-potassium fruits | Cookies with nuts or chocolate |
| Corn chips, popcorn, tortilla chips, nachos | Chex Mix, party mix, potato chips, taro chips, trail mix, sesame seeds, nuts and seeds |
| Rice cakes | Hazelnut chocolate spread |
| Goldfish; Ritz crackers | Hazelnut chocolate spread |
Other foods
These include sweeteners, condiments and seasonings. Avoid salt substitutes, as they contain high amounts of potassium.
| Best choices | Foods to avoid |
|---|---|
| Artificial sweeteners (brands include Splenda, Nutrasweet, Sugar Twin, Equal) | Molasses; carob |
| Sugar, white | Sugar, brown |
| Corn syrup; table syrup | Maple syrup; dark syrup |
| Salt and pepper | Salt substitute, NoSalt |
| Herb seasonings (such as Mrs. Dash) | Meat extracts (brands include Oxo, Bovril) |
| Ketchup (maximum 2 tablespoons a day); mustard; relish | |
| Vegetable oils and margarine |
