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Another great resource...
Potassium Chronicles
Potassium Chart
Potassium is one of the most important elements in our diets.
The primitive, or "natural", diet contains approximately 2 mg. of
potassium for each calorie consumed. Persons who consume
4,000 mg. of potassium or more per day have a much lower
incidence of all degenerative diseases including insulin
resistance, obesity and adult onset diabetes. The modern food
consumer is lucky to get .5 mg. of potassium for each calorie
consumed. All of the dietary programs that lower cholesterol,
normalize weight or improve blood pressure contain high
amounts of potassium. You may choose the sources of
potassium that you like but make sure you get a minimum of 2
mg. per calorie and try to get even more.
Whole foods such as vegetables, legumes and fruits all have high
amounts of potassium. Grains have very little potassium except
in the bran. Adding rice, corn or wheat bran to foods can
increase the potassium content. Lean meats trimmed of visible
fat and poultry without the skin have about 1:1 calories :
potassium. Wild game and most lean fish have 1:2
calories:potassium.
Most of my clients find they need to use potassium broths or
drinks to get the suggested amount. They are not used to
consuming the quantity of food necessary to get 4,000-5,000mg.
of potassium a day. One potassium trick is to use tomato sauce,
jujuice, paste or salsa. Tomatoes are very high in potassium. They
can contribute significantly to your potassium intake. Tomato
based sauce can help balance the lack of potassium in pasta.
All forms of beans are high potassium; kidney, lentil, garbanzo,
black or pinto being the highest. Using beans, in chili, soup or
salad, increases the potassium, protein and complex
carbohydrate content - and beans add color, flavor and texture.
On a high potassium food plan the food is plain, no high calorie
sauces. It is cooked by steaming or broiling or microwave.
Boiling causes much of the potassium to be lost in the water. If
you are making soup or stew this problem is eliminated because
the water containing potassium is consumed. Good snacks are
whole grains with the bran and germ and/or fruits and
vegetables. While this may sound very restrictive, the good news
is - the bowel normalizes, energy increases and cravings
disappear. Weight becomes normal whether you were under
weight or over weight. This occurs without any sense of dieting.
Fresh foods, prepared from scratch are best. If you must use
canned foods use low sodium or sodium free, water packed.
Frozen foods should be purchased with no salt. I understand
this way of shopping and food preparation is tough. Some
clients may not be great cooks. Some of you may not cook at all.
The honest truth is - if you rely on prepared foods or restaurant
cooking you will not be able to regain or maintain your health.
Will changing your life style to eat high potassium be tough? At
first, YES. We are used to looking at foods differently. Some
people see everything as food. Others eat no fat or no dairy or
low cholesterol. Still others avoid any food that is not in a
container (can, box or tray). The idea that you can eat as much
as you like as long as the food is real and is balanced by
potassium to calories 2:1 is somewhat disconcerting at first. Very
soon after you begin this program you will see that it works.
Breakfast: Anytime Smoothie or - a bran cereal without sugar,
use Sucanat for sweetening, and 1/4 cup 2% milk and one egg
and 1 cup orange juice or other fresh or canned unsweetened
juice, high potassium or fresh fruit or- cooked oatmeal and
raisins or blueberries or other fruit with low fat milk or soy milk
or no milk with added soy protein or added low fat cottage
cheese, Sucanat sweetener or maple syrup or honey.
Lunch: Large salad with turkey or tuna 1-2 oz. and carrots,
cucumber, sprouts, kidney or garbanzo beans, sweet red
pepper, red cabbage, lettuce or mixed greens, onions and S&W
non fat dressing or equivalent or- 2 cups brown rice and 1-2 oz.
fish or poultry or lean red meat and 2 cups vegetable such as
asparagus or green beans and 2 fruits or 2 cups mixed fruit for
dessert. To add carbohydrates add 1-2 slices of whole grain low
fat bread or rice noodles to the salad or- soup or stew with lots
of veggies and a small amount of protein such as beans or
chicken or beef or tofu and whole grain bread and fruit for
desert.
Dinner: Soup or stew or casserole with some protein from
poultry or fish or legumes or tofu and lots of vegetables, served
with whole grain low fat bread or- 1-2 oz. of protein as above
(more if beans are your source) and rice or pasta (use tomato
based sauce to replace the missing potassium in pasta) or a
large baked potato with the skin and 2-6 oz. protein and 2 cups
of vegetables or salad with lots of veggies in it and 2 more cups
or servings of fruit.
Condiments: Salsa adds C, bioflavanoids and potassium. Low
salt, low sugar ketchup. Tomato sauces, low sodium. Reduced
sodium parmesan cheese. All spices and herbs. Wysong mixed
salt or VegeSalt. Low sodium soy sauces without preservatives.
Butter in small amounts. Low fat cream cheese in small
amounts. Regular sour cream in small amounts. Most non-fat
dressings but look for the most natural without artificial
flavorings and preservatives. Our favorite is S&W. Small
amounts of olive oil. Lots of garlic and onion. Yeast flakes to
flavor popcorn.
Protein: Meat, fish, poultry, eggs or legumes/grains. 6-10 servings
per day based on body weight and physical activity level. See
your protein information sheet. Serving size meat, fish, poultry
is 1 oz. Serving egg is 1 egg. Serving legumes is 1/2 cup. Servings
grains is one cup. Approximate grams per serving 6-8.
Breads/Grains: Servings per day 6-15. Size serving is bread 1
slice or 1/2 bagel or muffin. Grain is 1/2 cup. Pasta is 1/2 cup. All
grains should be eaten as whole grain with bran and germ.
Limited by potassium content.
Vegetables: 4-6 servings each 1 cup. More is OK. No limit.
Fruit: 4-8 servings each 1 cup or 1 fruit or 1/2 cup juice. If
tolerated by the bowel more is OK. If you are or have been
extremely hypoglycemic in the past make sure you add fruit
slowly and that all fruit consumed is without added sugar or
other sweetener. Also look for the highest potassium fruits at
first.
Total plan must have a minimum of 2mg. potassium per calorie
consumed. No matter what your caloric intake is you should not
get less than 3,500mg per day.
If you need to check values use the Pennington, Bowes and
Church, Food Values of Portions Commonly Used.
Whether your goal is energy, weight loss, improved mental or
physical performance or general good health the potassium
plan will work.
POTASSIUM CHART
My daily goal for potassium is my ideal body weight X 20 X 2
=________________mg.
FOOD GROUP 500 MG OR MORE 300-499MG 100-299MG DAIRY
1 CUP - Skim Milk 355
Whole milk 351
Buttermilk 343 Cottage cheese
1/2 cup 109 MEAT
FISH
POULTRY
Sardines 668
4 OZ. Flounder 664
Salmon 504 Chicken 466
Cod 460
Beef liver 431
Turkey 416
Round steak 398
Haddock 396
Pork lean 377
Lamb lean 365
Perch 324
Tuna 300 - VEGETABLES,
LEGUMES &
NUTS
1/2 C. unless noted Potato w/skin 1 782 Squash 473
1 Tomato 444
Beans 374
1 Sweet potato 342
Almonds 444
Spinach 292
1 Carrot 246
Broccoli 207
Beets 177
Asparagus 165
Cashews 226
Peas 157
Mustard Greens 154
Mushrooms 145
Celery 1 stalk 136
Walnuts 270
Radishes, 5 lrg 131
Cauliflower 290
Peanut butter 1 T. 100 FRUITS Avocado 1/2 680
Raisins, 1/2 c. 553 Orange juice, 1 c. 496
Banana, 1 med. 440
Apricots, dried 1/4 c. 318
Peach, 1 med. 308
3 Apricots, fresh, 301 Orange, 1 med. 269
1 Pear 219
Apple, 1 med. 167
Grapefruit 1/2 132
Cherries 10 129
Strawberries 1/2 c. 122
Pineapple 1/2 c. 113
Plum 112
Tangerine 108 GRAINS - - Brown rice 1 c. 137 OTHER FOODS
Blackstrap molasses 1 T. 585mg.
Low Sodium V8 6 oz. 560mg
Knudsen's Very Veggie 8oz. 980mg. - Nutritional Yeast 1 T. 152
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF POTASSIUM AND PROTEIN GET FOOD
VALUES OF PORTIONS COMMONLY USED PENNINGTON AND
BOWES AVAILABLE AT MOST BOOK STORES
EASY RECIPES TO INCREASE POTASSIUM:
YEAST DRINK
1 cup fresh orange juice or Very Veggie or apple juice or V8
2-6 heaped tbls. nutritional yeast flakes (start with smaller
amount)
Potassium 800-1,800mg. Protein 8-24 grams
ANYTIME SMOOTHIE
1 banana or other fruit
1 cup fresh orange juice or other whole juice
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries or other berry
One serving favorite brand protein powder
Potassium 1300=1500mg. Protein 15-25 grams.
MOLASSES HOT COCKTAIL
6-8 oz hot water
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses, unsulphured
Optional--1 tablespoon natural apple cider vinegar
Potassium 585-625mg.
POTATO PEELING BROTH
8-10 cups water
2 bunches parsley
SSkins of 6 medium potatoes cut 1/4 inch thick
6 carrots 8 stalks celery
Simmer 30+ minutes reducing to 6 cups Strain - Throw out
veggies
One cup of broth without the vegetables contains 1200-1400 mg
potassium.
BANANA SMOOTHIE
1 c skim milk 1 banana
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses, unsulphered
Potassium 1300mg Protein 9 grams Drink hot or cold.
Be creative and let me know if you have found an easy way to
boost potassium to share with others. Most of my clients will tell
you that trying to eat enough potassium is extremely hard. The
goal is to get a minimum of 2 mg. of potassium for each calorie
consumed. More is OK but less is not. If you eat allot of sodium
many of the expected benefits of potassium will be lost.
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