Potassium and your Chronic Kidney Disease diet

What is potassium and why is it important to you?

Potassium is a mineral found in many of the foods you eat. It plays a role in keeping your heartbeat regular and your muscles working right. It is the job of healthy kidneys to keep the right amount of potassium in your body. However, when your kidneys are not healthy, you often need to limit certain foods that can increase the potassium in your blood to a dangerous level. You may feel some weakness, numbness and tingling if your potassium is at a high level. If your potassium becomes too high, it can cause an irregular heartbeat or a heart attack.

What is the safe level of potassium in my blood?

Ask your doctor or dietitian about your monthly blood potassium level and enter it here:

• If it is 3.5 - 5.0………………………You are in the SAFE zone
• If it is 5.1 - 6.0………………………You are in the CAUTION zone
• If it is higher than 6.0……………..You are in the DANGER zone

How can I keep my potassium level from getting to high?

• You should limit foods that are high in potassium. Your renal dietitian will help you plan your diet so you are getting the right amount of potassium.
• Eat a variety of foods but in moderation.
• If you want to include some high potassium vegetable in your diet, leach them before using. Leaching is a process by which some potassium can be pulled out of the vegetable. Instructions for leaching selected high potassium vegetables can be found at the end of this fact sheet. Check with your dietitian on the amount of leached high potassium vegetables that can be safely included in your diet.
• Do not drink or use the liquid from canned fruits and vegetables, or the juices from cooked meat.
• Remember that almost all foods have some potassium. The size of the serving is very important. A large amount of a low potassium food can turn into a high- potassium food.
• If you are on dialysis, be sure to get all the treatment or exchanges prescribed to you.

What foods are high in potassium (greater than 200 milligrams per portion)?

The following table lists foods that are high in potassium. The portion size is ½ cup unless otherwise stated. Please be sure to check portion sizes. While all the foods on this list are high in potassium, some are higher than others.

Fruits

• Apricot, raw (2 medium) dried (5 halves)
• Avocado (¼ whole)
• Banana (½ whole)
• Cantaloupe
• Dates (5 whole)
• Dried fruits
• Figs, dried
• Grapefruit Juice
• Honeydew
• Kiwi (1 medium)
• Mango(1 medium)
• Nectarine(1 medium)
• Orange(1 medium)
• Orange Juice
• Papaya (½ whole)
• Pomegranate (1 whole)
• Pomegranate Juice
• Prunes
• Prune Juice
• Raisins

Vegetables

• Acorn Squash
• Artichoke
• Bamboo Shoots
• Baked Beans
• Butternut Squash
• Refried Beans
• Beets, fresh then boiled
• Black Beans
• Broccoli, cooked
• Brussels Sprouts
• Chinese Cabbage
• Carrots, raw
• Dried Beans and Peas
• Greens, except Kale
• Hubbard Squash
• Kohlrabi
• Lentils
• Legumes
• White Mushrooms, cooked (½ cup)
• Okra
• Parsnips
• Potatoes, white and sweet
• Pumpkin
• Rutabagas
• Spinach, cooked
• Tomatoes/Tomato products
• Vegetable Juices

Other Foods

• Bran/Bran products
• Chocolate (1.5-2 ounces)
• Granola
• Milk, all types (1 cup)
• Molasses (1 Tablespoon)
• Nutritional Supplements:
    Use only under the
    direction of your doctor
    or dietitian.
• Nuts and Seeds (1 ounce)
• Peanut Butter (2 tbs.)
• Salt Substitutes/Lite Salt
• Salt Free Broth
• Yogurt
• Snuff/Chewing Tobacco

What foods are low in potassium?

The following table list foods which are low in potassium. A portion is ½ cup unless otherwise noted. Eating more than 1 portion can make a lower potassium food into a higher potassium food.

Fruits

• Apple (1 medium)
• Apple Juice
• Applesauce
• Apricots, canned in juice
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Cherries
• Cranberries
• Fruit Cocktail
• Grapes
• Grape Juice
• Grapefruit (½ whole)
• Mandarin Oranges
• Peaches, fresh (1 small)
  canned (½ cup)
• Pears, fresh (1 small)
  canned (½ cup)
• Pineapple
• Pineapple Juice
• Plums (1 whole)
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Tangerine (1 whole)
• Watermelon (limit to 1 cup)

Vegetables

• Alfalfa sprouts
• Asparagus (6 spears)
• Beans, green or wax
• Cabbage, green and red
  Carrots, cooked
• Cauliflower
• Celery (1 stalk)
• Corn, fresh (½ ear) frozen (½ cup)
• Cucumber
• Eggplant
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Mixed Vegetables
• White Mushrooms, raw (½ cup)
• Onions
• Parsley
• Peas, green
• Peppers
• Radish
• Rhubarb
• Water Chestnuts, canned
• Watercress
• Yellow Squash
• Zucchini Squash

Other Foods

• Rice
• Noodles
• Pasta
• Bread and bread products (Not Whole Grains)
• Cake: angel, yellow
• Coffee: limit to 8 ounces
• Pies without chocolate or high potassium fruit
• Cookies without nuts or chocolate
• Tea: limit to 16 ounces

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Information originally from the National Kidney Foundation located at: 
http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/potassium.cfm

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Additional Resources

HealthyPeople.gov

​A resource by Healthy People that will provide you with further resources and information on Chronic Kidney Disease!

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