Looking for fruits high in potassium? Skip the potassium supplements and start eating potassium rich foods! At Ripe London, we think that fruits and vegetables are still the best ways to get all the vitamins and minerals we need. These nutritious foods are high in potassium, an essential mineral involved in muscle function, cell effectiveness, and ensuring the central nervous system is ready for action! Let's take a look at fruits high in potassium, as well as answer some common questions people have about potassium intake.
What Fruits Are High in Potassium?
All nutrition facts have been taken from the USDA.
Avocados
100g of avocado flesh contains around 485 mg of potassium. That's more potassium than bananas contain!
Avocados are one of the best potassium-rich foods out there, from offering heart health benefits to ensuring your nerves are functioning well. Potassium can also help you control and maintain normal blood pressure. Avocado on toast isn’t just tasty then, it has some incredible health benefits!
Bananas
100g of banana contains around 358 mg of potassium. Not bad for a medium banana, right?
Infamous for its ever so slightly radioactive potassium-40 content, banana would be most people's first and only pick if they were told to up their potassium intake. You'd have to eat around 10,000,000 bananas at once to die of radiation poisoning, so don't worry. You’d become sick of eating bananas long before the radiation will affect you!
There's no need to stop eating bananas, and you'd be giving up the protection against osteoporosis brought about by this potassium-rich food if you did.
Cantaloupes, Honeydew, and Watermelons
Cantaloupe contains around 267 mg of potassium per 100g.
100g of honeydew has around 228 mg.
100g of watermelon gives about 113 mg of potassium.
Melons are full of water, vitamin C, and healthy antioxidants to lower cholesterol. Plus, with these high potassium levels, you'll be less likely to get kidney stones - as higher potassium intake has been shown to lower the chance of kidney stones forming in cases where too much sodium has been consumed
Citrus Fruits
Oranges have around 181 mg of potassium per 100g.
Citrus is high in other vitamins, including vitamin C, which is great for boosting immunity and healing from wounds. The vitamin C in citrus fruits is also great for preventing cardiovascular disease - as is potassium! Potassium-rich fruits like oranges and grapefruits help your heart muscles move, making it work less hard, and preventing heart disease.
Coconuts
From a coconut, you'll get around 356 mg of potassium per 100g.
Out of all potassium-rich food sources, coconut is definitely one of the most fun. With both coconut flesh and coconut water, you get plenty of fibre with little carbs. This might help your body to maintain a low blood sugar level, thanks to slower digestion. Because coconut is high in potassium, this works well with the blood pressure benefits brought about by a potassium-rich heart.
Dried Fruits
You'll get around 732 mg from 100g of dried plums. You can also get approximately 1162 mg of potassium from 100g of dried apricots. Wow!
Dried fruits, like dried apricots, come with plenty of fibre. They're also a great source of polyphenol, an antioxidant thought to be linked with better blood flow. Because they also come with enough potassium to feed a large family, you might find your blood pressure to be massively improved after regularly eating dried fruits.
Fruit and Vegetable Juices
Orange juice has approximately 200 mg potassium per 100g. Tomato juice has around 229 mg per 100g.
Orange juice is high in vitamin C, which we've already established can work well with the high potassium content to potentially prevent cardiovascular health issues.
Tomato juice may also be beneficial for heart health, as it's been found that those who consume tomatoes have a significantly lower risk of developing heart disease.
Pomegranates
Pomegranates will give you around 236 mg of potassium per 100g.
High in other nutrients, Pomegranates contain polyphenols, which can also make it easier to exercise! It's thought that the polyphenols in pomegranate can improve performance and reduce exhaustion.
Because they also have good potassium levels, which can improve blood pressure and blood flow, pomegranates are ideal for a pre-gym snack!
Other Potassium Rich Foods
Eating fruits alone won't solve the issue of not enough potassium intake, so let's take a look at other food sources to boost your potassium levels.
- Beans and legumes (1406mg per 100g of raw kidney beans)
- Yams (816mg per 100g)
- Leafy green vegetables (558mg per 100g of spinach)
- Fatty fish (522mg per 100g of tuna)
- Swiss chard (379mg per 100g)
- Butternut squash (352mg per 100g)
- Sweet potatoes (335mg per 100g)
- Beetroot (325mg per 100g)
- Salt substitutes (can be 100% potassium chloride)
The Best Potassium Rich Foods Out There
From orange juice to fatty fish, salt substitutes to pomegranates, there are plenty of foods out there you can eat to raise potassium levels. Coming with healthy fats and boasting an essential nutrient content, you can reduce your stroke risk as well as getting plenty of plant based protein (and some great tastes)!
Get More Potassium At Work: Ripe London
Cut down on processed foods and saturated fat with fresh, local produce from Ripe London.
Our curated selections include an array of fruits renowned for their high potassium content, such as citrus fruits, bananas, avocados, and dried fruit. By incorporating these nutrient-packed options into your routine, you're not only boosting your overall health but also supporting cardiovascular function and lowering blood pressure levels!
Don't miss out on this opportunity to get some healthy daily value, prioritise health, and boost productivity - all by getting more potassium into your diet! Order your fruit deliveries from Ripe London today and reap the rewards of a potassium-rich diet for yourself and your family!
Potassium FAQs
Why is Potassium Important?
Potassium is crucial for maintaining proper bodily function and overall health. A potassium deficiency can lead to various health issues such as muscle weakness, fatigue, high blood pressure, and even irregular heart rhythms. Supplementing with potassium can help address deficiencies and support optimal nerve and muscle function, fluid balance, and cardio health.
How Much Potassium Should I Have Per Day?
Adults should aim for around 3000mg of potassium intake per day. Though this is only about 300g of dried plums every day, you can take a potassium supplement if your GP says you can. Too much potassium intake can lead to chronic kidney disease, in which the kidneys can't remove enough potassium from the blood.
Is One Banana A Day Enough Potassium?
Sporadically eating even the most potassium rich food sources won't get you to your daily value. A large banana will only give you around 487mg, whereas the recommended daily amount is roughly 3000mg. Ensuring you have a diet rich in potassium content is essential for getting those good health benefits.
Can You Have Too Much Potassium?
High potassium is called hyperkalemia. Exceeding the daily allowance of roughly 3000mg of potassium can cause stomach pain, chest pain, muscle weakness, and even arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).
Can Potassium Help With High Blood Pressure?
Yes! Increasing your potassium intake can decrease your blood pressure because it energises muscles - meaning the heart doesn't have to work as hard, as well as reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
How Can I Monitor My Potassium Intake?
A potassium blood test can measure how much potassium is in your blood. If you've ever had a routine blood test (called an electrolyte panel), you'll have had your potassium intake monitored. Potassium supplements or other dietary supplements can be taken under the guidance of a medical professional if you are deficient. The best way to monitor your potassium intake, however, is simply to take note of the nutritional info of the food you're eating.
We hope this potassium-rich article helped you plan a few meals this week. We have loads more articles just this on the Ripe blog, so explore our blog further for a healthier, happier you!
