Bananas get all the credit, but they’re far from the most potassium-dense food you can eat. A medium banana delivers roughly 420 mg of potassium, while dozens of other foods pack significantly more per serving. The daily adequate intake is 3,400 mg for adult men and 2,600 mg for women, and most people fall short. Here’s where to find the biggest potassium payoffs across your diet.
Beans and Legumes Lead the Pack
White beans are one of the most concentrated everyday sources of potassium. Just half a cup of cooked white beans delivers 502 mg, meaning a full cup pushes you past 1,000 mg in a single side dish. That’s nearly a third of the daily target for most women. Lima beans, lentils, and kidney beans follow closely, all offering 350 to 500 mg per half-cup cooked. Because legumes are also high in fiber and plant protein, they pull double duty in a potassium-focused diet.
Fish and Dairy Are Surprisingly Rich
Wild Atlantic salmon and canned clams each provide 534 mg of potassium per 3-ounce serving, more than a banana in a portion roughly the size of a deck of cards. Halibut comes in at 449 mg for the same serving size. If you eat fish even twice a week, those meals contribute meaningfully to your weekly intake.
Dairy is another overlooked category. A cup of nonfat plain yogurt contains 579 mg of potassium, making it one of the single highest-potassium foods you can grab from the fridge. Low-fat yogurt is close behind at 531 mg per 8-ounce serving. Regular milk, whether skim or whole, typically falls in the 350 to 400 mg range per cup.
Fruits Worth Knowing About
Avocados outperform bananas handily. Half an avocado contains about 364 mg, so a whole one delivers roughly 728 mg. If you’re making guacamole or adding slices to a sandwich, you’re getting a substantial potassium boost without even thinking about it.
Dried fruits concentrate potassium because the water has been removed. Dried apricots, prunes, and raisins are all notably high. A quarter-cup of dried apricots typically provides around 400 to 500 mg. Keep in mind that dried fruit also concentrates sugar, so portion awareness matters. Among fresh fruits, cantaloupe, honeydew, and oranges are solid choices, each offering 200 to 400 mg per serving.
Potatoes and Leafy Greens
A medium baked potato with the skin on is one of the richest single-food sources of potassium available, often reaching 900 mg or more. Sweet potatoes are similarly impressive, usually providing 500 to 700 mg depending on size. The key is eating the skin, where a significant portion of the mineral is concentrated. Boiling potatoes and discarding the water leaches potassium out, so baking or roasting preserves more.
Among greens, cooked beet greens and cooked spinach are standouts. Cooking concentrates the greens dramatically (a huge pile of raw spinach wilts into a small serving), so a single cup of cooked spinach can deliver over 800 mg. Swiss chard and bok choy are also reliably high, typically in the 400 to 600 mg range per cooked cup.
Quick-Reference Potassium Counts
- Nonfat plain yogurt (1 cup): 579 mg
- Wild Atlantic salmon (3 oz): 534 mg
- Canned clams (3 oz): 534 mg
- White beans (½ cup cooked): 502 mg
- Halibut (3 oz): 449 mg
- Avocado (half): 364 mg
- Banana (medium): ~420 mg
Why Potassium Matters
Potassium helps regulate fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle contractions, including those of your heart. Diets consistently high in potassium are associated with lower blood pressure and reduced risk of stroke. The mineral essentially counterbalances sodium: the more potassium you consume relative to sodium, the more effectively your kidneys can flush excess sodium out. This is why dietary guidelines emphasize potassium-rich whole foods rather than supplements, which deliver high doses without the accompanying fiber and other nutrients.
When High-Potassium Foods Need Caution
For most people, getting more potassium from food is beneficial and safe. Your kidneys efficiently clear any excess. But if your kidneys aren’t functioning normally, potassium can build up in the blood to dangerous levels, a condition called hyperkalemia. Certain medications amplify this risk. ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and a class of drugs sometimes called potassium-sparing diuretics (like spironolactone) can all raise blood potassium. If you take any of these, your doctor likely monitors your levels already, and loading up on high-potassium foods without guidance could cause problems.
On the flip side, some diuretics prescribed for blood pressure or fluid retention can deplete potassium, especially at higher doses. People on those medications sometimes need to deliberately increase potassium-rich foods or take a supplement to compensate. The direction matters, and it depends entirely on which medication and how well your kidneys work.