Kidney Disease- Watching Potassium in Food
By controlling the amount of potassium you eat, you can keep a safe level in your blood. Here are cooking tips and a list of hidden sources of potassium.
When you have kidney disease, you need to control the amount of potassium you eat. People with kidney disease should have no more than 2,000 mg to 3,000 mg each day. Your healthcare provider will tell you what your limit should be. This will help you keep a safe level in your blood.
Some foods have high levels of potassium. Some foods can be prepared to remove potassium. The tips on this sheet will help you learn more.
Read all labels
Look for the Nutrition Facts Label on foods and drinks. At the bottom of the label, you will see the amount of potassium in the food or drink. Keep an eye on how much potassium you consume. Don’t eat or drink anything with more than 200 mg of potassium per serving.
Watch out for high-potassium foods
These foods have high potassium levels:
Dried fruits
Salt substitutes and light salt
Milk and yogurt
Chicken
Salmon
Avocados
Bananas
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Butternut squash
Spinach and broccoli
Most nuts
Coffee
Some fruit and vegetable juices
Some powdered drink mixes
Soak starchy vegetables
You can remove some potassium from starchy vegetables. For example, to reduce the potassium in white potatoes:
Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch pieces.
Place the potatoes in a large amount of unsalted water. Allow to stand for at least 2 hours.
Drain, rinse, and drain the potatoes again.
Cook in a large amount of unsalted water.
If you eat canned fruit and vegetables
Potassium in canned fruit and vegetables seeps into the canning liquid. Throw away the juice or water. Then rinse the fruit and vegetables with fresh water. This helps to remove more potassium.