Potassium-containing foods

Potassium is present in all animal and plant tissues. Major dietary sources include:

• milk (1.4-1.5 mg/kg)
• fruit and vegetables (0.8-4.4 mg/kg)
• fish (1.9-3.5 mg/kg)
• shellfish (0.3 to 3.9 mg/kg)
• beef (2-3.5 mg/kg)
• chicken and turkey (3 mg/kg)
• liver (2.5 to 4.2 mg/kg)

Potassium chloride is used in fertilisers and plant nutrients and thus may increase the potassium content of plants.

A list of high-potassium-containing foodstuffs is presented below (2):

Drinks

• fruit and vegetable juices
• coffee
• milk or milky drinks
• beer, cider, lager, sherry and wine

Fruit

• all dried fruit
• bananas, mango, grapes, apricots, rhubarb, fresh grapefruit and pineapple

Vegetables

• tomatoes, beetroot, plantain, mushrooms, sweet corn, avocadoes, aubergine, parsnip and spinach

Sweets

• chocolate, toffee and black treacle
• marzipan

Snacks

• all nuts
• all potato crisps
• Bombay mix

Potatoes

• baked or roast potatoes
• chips

References:

1. Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals. Safe Upper Levels for Vitamins and Minerals. May 2003. Available from https://cot.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/vitmin2003.pdf (accessed 31/05/24).
2. UK Kidney Association. Foods High in Potassium. 2021. Available from https://ukkidney.org/sites/renal.org/files/radar/RDG_docs/High%20Mg%20and%20K%20foods%202021.pdf (accessed 31/05/24).