Dozens of everyday foods are packed with potassium, and many of them deliver more per serving than the banana most people think of first. Fruits, vegetables, beans, dairy, and fish are all rich sources. Adults need between 2,600 mg (women) and 3,400 mg (men) of potassium daily, and most people fall short. Knowing which foods carry the most can help you close that gap without much effort.
Fruits With the Most Potassium
Bananas get all the credit, but they’re not even the top fruit. A medium banana has roughly 420 mg of potassium. Dried apricots blow past that: a half-cup delivers around 750 mg. Prune juice is another standout at about 700 mg per cup. Oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and kiwi all land in the 300 to 500 mg range per serving.
Coconut water has become a popular option, offering around 400 to 600 mg per cup depending on the brand. Avocado, often grouped with vegetables but technically a fruit, provides about 485 mg in half a medium avocado. Raisins, dates, and dried figs are all concentrated sources as well, since drying fruit removes water but leaves the minerals behind.
Vegetables and Potatoes
Potatoes are one of the single best potassium sources in the average diet. A medium baked potato with the skin on contains roughly 900 to 950 mg, nearly a third of the daily target for women. Sweet potatoes are close behind at about 540 mg for a medium one. The skin matters: much of the potassium sits in or just below it, so peeling reduces the amount you get.
Leafy greens are another major category. Cooked spinach provides around 840 mg per cup, and cooked beet greens top 1,300 mg per cup. Swiss chard, bok choy, and cooked tomatoes (including tomato sauce and paste) are also strong sources. A cup of canned tomato sauce can have over 700 mg. Winter squash like acorn and butternut typically deliver 400 to 900 mg per cooked cup.
Beans, Lentils, and Seeds
Legumes are potassium powerhouses. White beans lead the pack at roughly 1,000 mg per cooked cup. Kidney beans, pinto beans, and lentils all fall in the 600 to 700 mg range per cup. Soybeans (edamame) deliver about 675 mg per cup cooked. These foods have the added benefit of providing fiber and plant protein alongside the potassium.
Among seeds and nuts, pumpkin seeds offer around 260 mg per ounce. Almonds, pistachios, and sunflower seeds each contribute 200 mg or more per serving. They won’t match a plate of beans, but they add up when eaten regularly as snacks or toppings.
Fish, Dairy, and Meat
Wild coho salmon delivers 387 mg of potassium in just 3 ounces, and other varieties of salmon range from 280 to 535 mg per serving. Halibut, tuna, and cod are in a similar range. Fish is one of the more potassium-dense animal proteins available.
Dairy is an underappreciated source. A cup of 1% milk has about 366 to 443 mg. Plain nonfat yogurt is even higher, reaching 625 mg in an 8-ounce container. Low-fat plain yogurt comes in around 573 mg for the same portion. Whole milk yogurt is lower at roughly 264 mg per 6-ounce container, so the fat content does make a difference. Chicken breast, pork loin, and lean beef each provide 250 to 400 mg per 3-ounce cooked serving.
Quick-Reference List
- White beans (1 cup cooked): ~1,000 mg
- Beet greens (1 cup cooked): ~1,300 mg
- Baked potato with skin: ~900 mg
- Spinach (1 cup cooked): ~840 mg
- Dried apricots (½ cup): ~750 mg
- Plain nonfat yogurt (8 oz): ~625 mg
- Lentils (1 cup cooked): ~700 mg
- Salmon (3 oz cooked): ~390 mg
- Banana (1 medium): ~420 mg
- 1% milk (1 cup): ~370 mg
Why Potassium Matters
Potassium plays a direct role in blood pressure regulation. It helps your blood vessels relax by triggering cells in the vessel walls to release tension, which lowers resistance to blood flow. At the same time, potassium works in the kidneys to flush out excess sodium. When you eat more potassium, your kidneys reduce sodium reabsorption at multiple points along the filtration process, so more sodium leaves the body through urine. This is one reason higher potassium intake is consistently linked to lower blood pressure, especially in people who are sensitive to salt.
Beyond blood pressure, potassium is essential for normal muscle contractions and nerve signaling. When levels drop too low, early symptoms include fatigue, muscle weakness or spasms, constipation, and a feeling of skipped heartbeats. A significant drop can cause abnormal heart rhythms, lightheadedness, and in extreme cases, paralysis or cardiac arrest. Most people who eat a varied diet won’t reach that point, but chronic undereating of potassium-rich foods, heavy sweating, or prolonged illness can push levels down.
How Much You Actually Need
The recommended adequate intake is 3,400 mg per day for adult men and 2,600 mg per day for adult women. The Daily Value printed on food labels uses a higher benchmark of 4,700 mg, so percentages on packaging may look smaller than you’d expect. If a label says a food provides 10% of your daily potassium, that’s 470 mg.
Hitting these numbers is easier than it sounds if you build meals around whole foods. A breakfast of yogurt and a banana gets you past 1,000 mg before noon. Add a baked potato or a cup of lentils at lunch or dinner and you’re well over halfway there. The people most likely to fall short are those who eat primarily processed and fast foods, which tend to be high in sodium and low in potassium.
When High-Potassium Foods Need Caution
For most healthy adults, getting potassium from food carries essentially no risk. Your kidneys efficiently clear any excess. But people with chronic kidney disease lose that ability as kidney function declines, and potassium can build up to dangerous levels in the blood. This is especially true for those who also take certain blood pressure medications that block the hormone system controlling sodium and potassium balance. People with advanced kidney disease or those on dialysis typically work with a dietitian to manage potassium intake carefully. If you have kidney problems, your doctor has likely already flagged this for you.