Several common drinks pack a serious potassium punch, with carrot juice leading the list at 689 mg per cup and coconut water close behind at around 600 mg. For reference, adults need between 2,600 mg (women) and 3,400 mg (men) of potassium per day, and most people fall short. Choosing the right beverages is one of the easiest ways to close that gap.
Vegetable Juices Top the List
If you’re looking for the single highest-potassium drink you can pour from a bottle, carrot juice is it. One cup of canned carrot juice delivers 689 mg of potassium, roughly 20% of an adult woman’s daily target in a single glass. Tomato juice comes in second among vegetable options at 527 mg per cup. Both are widely available, inexpensive, and easy to work into meals or drink on their own.
Vegetable juice blends (the kind sold as “low-sodium vegetable juice”) vary by brand, but most use a tomato base and land somewhere in the 400 to 500 mg range per cup. Check the nutrition label for the exact number, and pay attention to sodium content, which can be high in regular versions.
Coconut Water
Coconut water has built a reputation as a potassium powerhouse, and it largely deserves it. One cup contains about 600 mg of potassium. That’s roughly the same as one and a half medium bananas, not the “four bananas per glass” claim that circulates online. Still, 600 mg from a light, low-calorie drink is substantial. Pure, unsweetened coconut water also provides some magnesium and sodium, making it a natural electrolyte source after exercise or on a hot day.
Fruit Juices Worth Knowing
Orange juice is the fruit juice most people associate with potassium, and for good reason. An 8-ounce glass of fresh or from-concentrate OJ typically contains 350 to 450 mg. Prune juice runs even higher, often exceeding 500 mg per cup, and it brings iron and fiber along with it. Pomegranate juice and apricot nectar also fall in the moderate-to-high range, generally between 300 and 500 mg depending on the brand and whether it’s diluted.
A quick rule of thumb from the FDA: any food or drink containing at least 350 mg of potassium per standard serving qualifies as a “good source.” Most of the juices listed here clear that bar easily.
Milk and Soy Milk
Cow’s milk is an underrated potassium source. Whether you drink skim or whole, a cup delivers roughly 350 to 400 mg of potassium. Soy milk is comparable on average, though the range across brands is wide, from under 250 mg to nearly 500 mg per cup depending on the formulation. Other plant milks like almond, oat, and rice milk tend to be lower in potassium unless they’ve been fortified, so check labels if this matters to you.
Coffee and Tea
Black coffee contributes more potassium than most people realize. A standard 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains roughly 80 to 230 mg depending on the brewing method. Drip coffee and Aeropress methods extract the most, while espresso falls in the middle at around 150 mg per serving when you account for typical serving sizes. If you drink three or four cups a day, coffee alone could supply 5 to 7% of your daily potassium needs.
Tea contains potassium in smaller amounts, generally well below coffee. It’s not a significant source on its own, but it does add up over the course of a day.
Sports and Electrolyte Drinks
Commercial sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade contain surprisingly little potassium. Most provide under 100 mg per serving, far less than a glass of orange juice or coconut water. They’re designed primarily to replace sodium and provide quick carbohydrates during intense exercise, not to deliver potassium.
If you want a recovery drink that actually replaces potassium lost through sweat, you’re better off with coconut water, orange juice, or milk. Harvard’s School of Public Health suggests a simple homemade electrolyte drink: mix 3.5 cups of water with half a teaspoon of salt, a couple tablespoons of honey, and 4 ounces of orange juice or coconut water. It’s cheaper than commercial options and delivers more potassium.
Smoothies as a Potassium Vehicle
Blended drinks let you stack multiple high-potassium ingredients into a single glass. The most potassium-dense smoothie ingredients include bananas, spinach, avocado, kale, and coconut water. A smoothie made with one banana, a handful of spinach, half an avocado, and a cup of coconut water can easily deliver 1,000 mg or more of potassium, nearly a third of the daily target for most adults.
Swapping in coconut milk or adding a tablespoon of nut butter pushes the number higher. If you’re trying to keep potassium lower (for kidney-related reasons, for instance), using apple, rice milk, or ice instead of banana and coconut water brings the total down considerably.
Quick Comparison by the Cup
- Carrot juice: 689 mg
- Coconut water: ~600 mg
- Tomato juice: 527 mg
- Prune juice: ~500+ mg
- Orange juice: 350–450 mg
- Cow’s milk: 350–400 mg
- Soy milk: 250–500 mg (varies by brand)
- Brewed coffee: 80–230 mg
- Sports drinks: under 100 mg
Who Should Be Careful
People with chronic kidney disease often need to limit potassium because their kidneys can’t filter it efficiently. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases specifically flags orange juice as a high-potassium drink to avoid when blood sugar drops in people with diabetes and kidney disease, recommending apple, grape, or cranberry juice instead. If you’ve been told to watch your potassium intake, the drinks near the top of the list above are exactly the ones to moderate or avoid.