What to Eat When Potassium Levels are High

Do you need a low potassium menu for when levels are high? Most people adjusting to low potassium diets have a hard time understanding which foods are good for them to eat when their potassium levels start to rise. Many foods that are generally good for the average person suddenly have negative repercussions, such as potential risk of abnormal heart rhythms and cardiac arrest. If you’re one of the many facing renal failure and turning to a low potassium lifestyle as a result, this should answer some of your questions about what to eat when potassium levels are high. You want to eat a low potassium diet and reduce your potassium intake until you get back to the normal potassium level in your blood.

Surprising Foods that are High in Potassium

From the start, it’s important to identify the foods you shouldn’t eat if lower potassium is your nutrition goal. Many foods that have been good for you most of your life, are suddenly not so wise to eat. Instead of figuring out what to eat when potassium levels are high from the beginning, it’s a good idea to figure out why your potassium levels are high in the first place.

Certain fruits and vegetables, for instance, are suddenly off the menu when you begin following a low potassium diet. The following fruits, and their juices, are very high in potassium:

• Bananas
• Melons
• Prunes
• Papayas
• Mangos
• Nectarines
• Oranges
• Pears
• Avocados
• Dates
• Figs

There are other fruits that are high in potassium. These are a few of the primary culprits however and a good to avoid. Orange juice and pomegranate juice are also very high in potassium and should be avoided when trying to lower your potassium levels.

There are plenty of vegetables on the list as well. While leafy greens are almost always good dietary choices, this isn’t the case when you’re avoiding potassium. This includes kale, turnips, spinach, mustard greens, and chard. Additionally, beans are a big no-no meaning you shouldn’t eat black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, or any other beans. Pumpkins, tomatoes (including juices, sauces, etc.), and squash are on the chopping block too as they contain more potassium than is safe for you to consume.

Here’s What To Eat When Potassium Levels Are High

These are a few of the foods that fit under the category of “what to eat when potassium levels are high.” They’re good choices because of their low levels of potassium and you can have them on the menu far more often than alternatives. The potassium content of these foods are in the low-potassium foods range of less than 200 mg of potassium per serving.

Apples, cranberries, grapes, blueberries, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, and more are great fruits to have handy when your sweet tooth attacks as they are lower in potassium than other fruit options. Juices that are low potassium are apple juice, grape juice, and pineapple juice that make great beverages for chronic kidney disease patients.

Great vegetables that make the great for what to eat when potassium levels are high include peppers, radish, lettuce, cucumbers, corn, cabbage, green beans, and celery because their potassium content is low.

Aside from fruits and vegetables there are other foods choices to consider when exploring what to eat when potassium levels are high. They include bread, nondairy creamers, rice, and pasta. Most of the time you can eat white bread and non-dairy milks like rice milk and soy milk. White rice and pasta are typically great choices but be sure to read the nutrition facts labels.

Treatment Options For High Potassium Levels

In addition to eating a low potassium menu and meal plan, you should also find out how to avoid getting your potassium levels so high in the first place. Common sense things like eating foods that are low in potassium and avoiding those that are high in potassium isn’t always enough. You should also practice moderation when eating any foods and go for variety when exploring your menu options. A typical low potassium diet has less than 2000 mg of potassium per day.

Ask your doctor about your medications and if they can be affecting your potassium levels. The diet can help but if your medication is increasing your potassium levels or causing you to retain more potassium then see if other medications can be used that are not as likely to affect your potassium blood levels.

Your doctor might prescribe a potassium binder that keeps you from absorbing as much potassium with meals, and this can help a great deal to keep your kidney function normal and slow the progression toward advanced kidney disease.