Get Ideas for Shopping Low Potassium Foods
Your body needs a healthy level of potassium to maintain a regular heartbeat and keep your muscles and nerves working well. Having kidney disease can make it harder to maintain a healthy potassium level range, which is 3.5-5.0 mEg/L if you’re living with CKD or 3.5-5.5 mEq/L if you have ESRD. It’s important to work with your dietitian to understand and manage your potassium intake. If your dietitian recommends a low potassium diet, incorporating low potassium foods in each food group will help you stay your healthiest. If your lab results indicate a low potassium level, your dietitian may recommend more high potassium foods.
Foods for a low potassium diet
Here’s a list of low potassium foods to help you plan healthy meals and write up your grocery list. Potassium needs vary by person, so talk to your dietitian about your potassium level and appropriate foods to choose.FRUITS LOW IN POTASSIUM
Blueberries
Cherries
Dried fruits: apples, blueberries, cherries, coconut, cranberries
Grapes
Lychee
Pear
Persimmon
Pineapple
Plum
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tangerines
Watermelon
Lemon
Lime
BREADS, CEREALS & GRAINS LOW IN POTASSIUM
Serving size: 1 slice, 1 piece or ½ cup
Bagel (half)
Bread loaf
Cereal
Corn tortilla
Couscous
English muffin (half)
Old-fashioned or steel-cut oatmeal
Pasta
Pita (half)
Quinoa
Rice
Rice cakes
Slow-cook Cream of Wheat
Slow-cook grits
VEGETABLES LOW IN POTASSIUM
Asparagus
Bean sprouts
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cherry tomatoes
Corn (½ cup corn or small ear)
Cucumber
Eggplant
Green or wax beans
Greens: collard, mustard, turnip
Jicama
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce
Mushrooms (raw)
Okra
Onion
Peas: green, sugar snap, snow
Peppers: green, red, yellow, jalapeño
Radish
Spinach (raw)
Squash: spaghetti, yellow
Turnips
Water chestnuts (canned)
FLUIDS LOW IN POTASSIUM
100% fruit juices: apple, cranberry, grape, pineapple
Fresh-brewed coffee
Fresh-brewed tea: black, herbal
Fresh-squeezed lemonade
Nectars: apricot, guava, mango, papaya, peach, pear
Sodas: club, lemon-lime
Water: sparkling, tap
PROTEINS LOW IN POTASSIUM
Serving size for CKD: ¼ cup or 1-2 ounces, cooked
Beans
Beef
Chicken
Edamame
Eggs (whole or egg whites)
Fish
Lamb
Lentils
Pork
Tofu
Turkey
Veal
Wild game
DESSERTS & SNACKS LOW IN POTASSIUM
Serving size: 1 piece, 1/8 pie or 1/2 cup
All-natural fruit leather
Animal crackers
Applesauce
Frozen fruit bars
Fruit cocktail
Homemade desserts: fruit pie or cobbler
Italian ice
Nuts, seeds and natural nut butters (2 tablespoons)
Rice Krispies Treats®
Sherbet
Unsalted snacks: crackers, pita chips, popcorn, pretzels, tortilla chips
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