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For more information, speak to your health care provider about a referral to a dietitian.
POTASSIUM INTAKE
Potassium is a mineral that has many important roles within your body, including regulating your heartbeat and blood pressure. Maintaining a normal potassium balance is important, as high, or low potassium levels in your blood can affect your heartbeat.
Most foods and beverages contain potassium but in different amounts. If your potassium level is too high and you have been advised by your cardiologist to lower it, changes in your diet can help.
Some medications can also increase your potassium level. If this is the case, your health care team may need to change or adjust a medication accordingly.
POTASSIUM AND POTATOES
Potatoes are very high in potassium. However, the way a potato is prepared can reduce its potassium, allowing them be part of a potassium-restricted diet.
LOW POTASSIUM FOOD GUIDE
To help you avoid foods that are high in potassium, follow examples suggested in our guide below. Please note that organizations may use different cut-off levels to decide which foods are high or low in potassium. Therefore, you may find some variations among resources.
Note that ½ cup is 1 serving unless otherwise stated.
Our examples below are a guide and not to replace the advice of your health care provider.
Speak to your dietitian about the number of servings that is right for you or to identify low-potassium foods that are not captured on this list, including foods from various cultures.
FRUITS
Limit to 3 servings per day, or as recommended by your registered dietitian. 
Choose (example of 1 serving): 
1 apple 
Applesauce 
10 cherries 
½ mango 
1 Peach 
1 Pear, medium 
1 Plum 
Raspberries 
Strawberries 
Blueberries 
Blackberries 
Pineapple 
Apple juice 
Pineapple juice 
Cranberry juice or cocktail 
Nectars from guavas, peaches, and pears
Avoid: 
Apricots 
Avocados 
Bananas
Coconut, dried and raw 
Cantaloupes
Nectarines 
Oranges 
Honeydew melons 
Kiwis 
Papayas 
Coconut, orange, and prune juices
Coconut water
Do not eat starfruit (also known as carambala, bilimbi, belimbing, Chinese starfruit, star apple) if you have kidney problems.
VEGETABLES
Limit 3 servings per day, or as recommended by your registered dietitian.
Choose (example of 1 serving): 
Onion 
Broccoli, chopped, raw, or frozen 
Beans, green or wax 
Mushrooms, raw 
Carrots, raw (16cm long or 8 baby carrots)
Carrots, boiled and drained 
Okra, raw or boiled and drained 
Peppers 
1 cup green peas, frozen, boiled, or canned and drained
Raw peas
Asparagus (5 spears) 
1 celery stalk, raw 
1 cup of lettuce 
Cauliflower, raw or cooked 
1 cup cucumber, sliced 
Corn kernels, frozen, canned, or boiled and drained 
Snow peas, raw (10 pods)
Avoid: 
Tomato sauce  
Mushrooms cooked 
Rapini (cooked) 
Bok choy, cooked 
Brussel sprouts, cooked 
Juice- vegetable, clamato, V8 or tomato 
Potatoes, sweet potatoes (unless prepared according to the cooking instructions listed above or below-place this info where you feel it fits best).
GRAINS
Choose (example of 1 serving): 
Bread, bagels, and rolls made with 60% whole wheat, light rye, or white flour 
Corn or rice-based cereals (Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, cream of rice, cream of wheat, non-bran cereals 
White pasta
White pita 
Crackers (cream, graham, matzo, water, soda)  
White melba toast 
White rice, wild rice 
White rice cakes 
Tortilla chips