Like sodium, potassium must stay balanced in your body. If your kidneys are not working well, potassium levels in your blood can rise. High potassium levels affect your heart rhythm, so your diet for managing kidney disease may include a potassium limit. Your doctor or registered dietitian will let you know if you need to avoid foods high in potassium, and your RD can explain how to stay within your limit.
Potassium is found in many fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and dairy foods.
The following foods are high in potassium:
- Apricots
- Artichokes
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Beets
- Brussels sprouts
- Chard
- Dates
- Greens (beet, collard)
- Canteloupe
- Nectarines
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- Okra
- Oranges/orange juice
- Parsnips
- Potatoes
- Prunes/prune juice
- Pumpkin
- Sweet potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes/tomato juice
- Vegetable juice
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The following foods are low in potassium:
- Apples/apple juice
- Applesauce
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Corn
- Cranberries/cranberry juice cocktail
- Cucumber
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- Eggplant
- Fruit cocktail
- Grapes/grape juice
- Green beans
- Lemon
- Lettuce (1 cup)
- Lime
- Mushrooms (fresh)
- Onions (fresh)
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- Peach (canned)
- Pear (canned)
- Pineapple
- Plums
- Radishes
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Tangerines
- Water chestnuts
- Watermelon
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Learn more about kidney disease and diet »
Reviewed December 2012