Do I need to change
my diet?
Changing your diet to reduce the number of potassium-rich foods you eat may play an important role in helping you manage your potassium level over the long-term.1
Your doctor will probably advise you to follow a low-potassium diet, and they may be able to answer any questions you have on specific foods, so you can continue to eat meals that you enjoy.
Visit our resources section to download
‘Your guide to a low-potassium diet’
|
High-potassium foods2 You may need to limit or avoid these potassium-rich foods in your diet |
Low-potassium foods3 To create low-potassium meals, you may need to limit portion size when including these in your diet |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Fruits |
Bananas, melons, oranges, nectarines, kiwi, mango, papaya, prunes, pomegranate, dates, dried fruits, dried figs | Apples, blueberries, cranberries, grapes, grapefruit, pears, pineapple raspberries, strawberries |
|
Vegetables |
Avocados, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, parsnips, pumpkin, vegetable juices, white potatoes, winter squash, tomato and tomato-based products, deep-coloured and leafy green vegetables (such as spinach or Swiss chard) dried beans and peas, black beans, refried beans, baked beans, lentils, legumes | Asparagus, cabbage, aubergine, green beans, green peas, iceberg lettuce, onions, radishes, turnips, water chestnuts |
|
Other |
Milk and yogurt, nuts and seeds, bran and bran products, chocolate, granola, molasses, peanut butter, salt substitutes | Rice, noodles, pasta, bread and bread products (not wholegrain), pies without chocolate or high potassium fruit, cookies without nuts or chocolate |
You may need to limit or avoid these potassium-rich foods in your diet
|
Fruits |
Bananas, melons, oranges, nectarines, kiwi, mango, papaya, prunes, pomegranate, dates, dried fruits, dried figs |
|
Vegetables |
Avocados, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, parsnips, pumpkin, vegetable juices, white potatoes, winter squash, tomato and tomato-based products, deep-coloured and leafy green vegetables (such as spinach or Swiss chard) dried beans and peas, black beans, refried beans, baked beans, lentils, legumes |
|
Other |
Milk and yogurt, nuts and seeds, bran and bran products, chocolate, granola, molasses, peanut butter, salt substitutes |
To create low-potassium meals, you may need to limit portion size when including these in your diet
|
Fruits |
Apples, blueberries, cranberries, grapes, grapefruit, pears, pineapple raspberries, strawberries |
|
Vegetables |
Asparagus, cabbage, aubergine, green beans, green peas, iceberg lettuce, onions, radishes, turnips, water chestnuts |
|
Other |
Rice, noodles, pasta, bread and bread products (not wholegrain), pies without chocolate or high potassium fruit, cookies without nuts or chocolate |
Find more guidance on treatments for
high potassium
References
1. Dunn JD, et al. Am J Manag Care 2015;21:S307–15. 2. Patient. Dietary Potassium. Available at: https://patient.info/health/dietary-potassium. Date accessed: November 2021. 3. UpToDate. Patient education: Low potassium diet (Beyond the Basics). Available at: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/low-potassium-diet-beyond-the-basics. Date accessed: November 2021.