Top 10 Foods Highest in Potassium

Every new year millions of us make a resolution to eat better.  I'm one of those so I've 

Every new year I, as well as millions, make a resolution to eat better.  To do this I decided to check the foods that will benefit me the most and try, really hard, to include them in my diet.  I'm not one who eats that many bananas, which I know are a good source of Potassium so my 1st check was to see what other foods might benefit me in this area.  A site called HealthAliciousNess.com provided me with the following information.

Potassium is an essential nutrient used to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. A deficiency in potassium causes fatigue, irritability, and hypertension (increased blood pressure). Unless you are on dialysis, or have a special condition, overdose of potassium from natural sources is nearly impossible; however, it is possible to consume too much potassium via potassium salts which can lead to nausea, vomiting, and even cardiac arrest. High potassium foods from natural food sources like beans, dark leafy greens, potatoes, squash, yogurt, fish, avocados, mushrooms, and bananas, are considered safe and healthy. The current daily value for potassium is 3.5 grams.

#1: White Beans

Potassium in 100g	1 cup cooked (179g)
561mg (16% DV)	1004mg (29% DV)

Other Beans High in Potassium (%DV per cup): Adzuki (35%), Soy (28%), Lima (28%), Kidney (20%), Great Northern (20%), Pinto (18%) and others at an average of 15% DV per cup cooked.

#2: Dark Leafy Greens (Spinach)

Potassium in 100g	1 Cup (30g)	1 Cup Cooked (180g)
558mg (16% DV)	167mg (5% DV)	839mg (24% DV)

Other Greens High in Potassium (%DV per cup cooked): Swiss Chard (27% DV), Kale (8% DV), and Collards (6% DV).

#3: Baked Potatoes (With Skin)

Potassium in 100g	Average Potato (173g)
535mg (15% DV)	926mg (26% DV)

Warning: Potatoes are high in simple carbohydrates and not recommended for people with diabetes. Sweet potatoes are actually better for regulation blood sugar, an average baked sweet potato with skin (114g) provides 542mg (15% DV) of potassium.

#4: Dried Apricots

Potassium in 100g	1/2 cup (65g)
1162mg (33% DV)	755mg (22% DV)

Other Dried Fruits High in Potassium (%DV per 1/2 cup): Peaches (22% DV), Prunes (20% DV), Raisins (18% DV).
Warning: Dried fruits are high in sugar.

#5: Baked Acorn Squash

Potassium in 100g	1 cup cubed (205g)
437mg (12% DV)	899mg (26% DV)

Other Squash High in Potassium (%DV per cup baked): Hubbard (21%), Butternut (17% DV), Zucchini (14% DV), Average Winter Squash (10% DV).

#6: Yogurt (Plain, Skim/Non-Fat)

Potassium in 100g	1 cup (245g)
255mg (7% DV)	625mg (18% DV)

Other Yogurt High in Potassium (%DV per cup): Whole-Fat (11% DV), Chocolate Yogurt (24% DV).

#7: Fish (Salmon)

Potassium in 100g	1 3oz fillet (85g)
628mg (18% DV)	534mg (15% DV)

Other Fish High in Potassium (%DV per 3oz fillet (85g)): Pompano (15% DV), Lingcod (14% DV), Halibut (13% DV), Yellowfin Tuna (13% DV), Anchovies (12% DV), Mackerel (10% DV), Herring (10% DV) and most other fish at an average of 10% DV.

#8: Avocados

Potassium in 100g	Average Avocado (201g)	1/2 Cup Pureed (115g)
485mg (14% DV)	975mg (28% DV)	558mg (16% DV)

An average avocado provides 322 calories, half a cup purred contains 184 calories.

#9: Mushrooms (White)

Potassium in 100g	1 cup sliced (108g)
396mg (11% DV)	428mg (12% DV)

1 cup cooked sliced white mushrooms contain 28 calories.
Other mushrooms high in potassium (%DV per cup sliced): Portabella (9% DV), Brown or Crimini (9% DV), Enoki (7% DV), Shiitake (5% DV), Maitake (4% DV).

#10: Bananas

Potassium in 100g	Average Banana (118g)	1 Cup Mashed (225g)
358mg (10% DV)	422mg (12% DV)	806mg (23% DV)

An average banana provides 105 calories, 1 cup mashed contains 200 calories. 

AHHHH Nuts! I Didn't Know That

I love nuts but didn't really know very much about them, other than the fact that they taste good.  I had always heard that they were healthy but also grew up with the old saying that "if it taste good it probably isn't good for you."  Well, I went checking to learn a little more about some of my favorites and here is what I found.

Peanuts - They supply 7 g of protein per serving and are an excellent source of niacin and a good source of magnesium and vitamin E.

Pecans - These delicious nuts are the only popular nut native to North America.  One ounce of these domestic nuts is a good source of copper, fiber, thiamin and zinc.

Almonds - Excellent source of vitamin E and a good source of dietary fiber.  Early explorers traveling from Asia to the Mediterranean brought almonds and dried fruit along with them.

Walnuts - Are a nutritious addition to desserts, salads, pastas and sauces.  The botanical name is Juglans Regia.  No matter what you decide to call them, these nuts are a good source of copper and magnesium.

Pistachios - These delicious nuts are ripe in late summer when their shells naturally split open along their seams.  An ounce of these provides a good source of phosphorus and almost 290 mg of potassium.

Hazelnuts - These nuts are also called filberts and are a good source of Vitamin E.  Toasted hazelnuts not only remove their bitter skins but also bring out their rich, buttery flavor.

And just so you'll know how much is in a serving, I found this in my research:  A handful of nuts is equal to about 1 oz., which corresponds to a standard serving size on many packages of nuts. Looking at the actual number of nuts in a serving, 14 shelled walnut halves and 24 shelled almonds equal one serving. Other measures of serving size by number include: 16 cashews, 28 peanuts and 45 pistachios. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends 1.5 oz of nuts a day, roughly equal to 1/3 cup.

Food Labels

This is an article I found on Eating Well that I had to share. 

1. Be Wary of Nutrient Callouts

That tabbed banner of nutrition information emblazoned on the front of various products (cereals, granola bars, pasta) is called Facts Up Front and is food-industry-created. You’ll see numbers for saturated fat, sodium, sugar and calories, as well as two "nutrients to encourage." For example: Lucky Charms cereal can tout its calcium and vitamin D levels, even though a 3/4-cup serving has 10 grams of sugar and marshmallows is the second ingredient. In addition, nutrient-content callouts, such as "low fat" or "cholesterol free," sometimes appear on unhealthy foods. Sure, Jujubes are a fat-free food, but they also have 18 grams of sugar per serving.

2. Read the Fine Print

In a 2010 report, "Food Labeling Chaos," the Center for Science in the Public Interest said that many ingredient lists are intentionally unclear. "They are often printed in small, condensed type, and many manufacturers use all capital letters that studies show are more difficult to read than [a combination of] upper and lower case letters… some companies print the list in various colors of ink against poorly-contrasting backgrounds or insert the ingredient list in a fold or other area where it will not be visible unless the consumer makes an extra effort to reveal the list."

3. Misleading Healthy Claims

Phrases such as "Helps Support Immunity!", "Helps protect healthy joints!" that describe how a food component may affect the structure or function of the body can be vague or misleading. A 2010 study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that nutrition marketing, such as health claims on the front of a box, is commonly used on products high in saturated fat, sodium and/or sugar, and more often in kids’ products. Stick to the Nutrition Facts Panel to determine how healthy a food is.

4. Don’t Believe High-Fiber Fibs

Sixty-six percent of consumers look for the phrase "high fiber," according to Technomic, a food-industry consulting firm. Yet the product might be "high fiber" because it contains isolated fibers in the form of purified powders, such as maltodextrin. These fibers don’t have the same beneficial health effects as intact fibers from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Other faux names: oat fiber, wheat fiber and oat hull fiber.

7. Look for Whole Grains

The phrase "Made with Whole Grains" doesn’t guarantee the product is made predominantly of whole grains. In fact, only a miniscule amount may be there. Look for the word "whole" (whole wheat whole grain, whole + name of grain) listed first in the ingredient list. Similarly, the Whole Grain Stamp—which appears on products that contain at least 8 g whole grains per serving—doesn’t guarantee the healthiest choice. A recent study in Public Health Nutrition found some grain products marked with the stamp higher in sugar and calories than grain products without the stamp. The best way to identify the healthiest grain product? Look for at least 1 g fiber for every 10 g total carbohydrates.

6. Don’t Judge a Product by Its Name

To get around FDA labeling regulations (which don’t cover product names), companies create wholesome monikers for their unhealthy foods and beverages. Vitamin Water, for example, is basically sugar water (31-32 g sugar per bottle) with some vitamins thrown in. Other health-evoking product names include think Thin nutrition bars, SmartFood popcorn and Snackwell’s snacks.

7. Wee Serving Sizes

Tiny serving sizes make unhealthy substances (fat, sugar) look less bad. Example: a 15-ounce can of organic soup labeled "healthy" contains "about two" servings; each serving has 480 mg of sodium. The FDA says that a food can’t be called "healthy" if it contains more than 480 mg per serving. But most people eat the whole can (960 mg). A better way: a February 2013 study found that for products containing two servings that are customarily consumed at a single eating occasion, displaying two columns (one for the entire package and one for a split of the package) on the label helps consumers make healthier choices.

Apple Facts

Apples are high in water content and both types of fiber.  Soluble which helps prevent blood sugar spikes that lead to cravings.  Insoluble which helps to fill you up. A medium apple is about 85 percent water with 5 grams of soluble fiber.  Apples also contain quercetin, a flavonoid shown to help fight certain cancers, reduce cholesterol damage and promote healthy lungs. 

Organic apples are worth the extra cost.  They contain less pesticides than commercial apples. The peel holds half the fiber and most of the iron, magnesium and vitamin C, so you definitely want to eat the peel. Your kids may not like the peel, and you may even be prone to removing it yourself, but it is an essential part of the apple.

Not only can apples decrease your risk of heart disease, they can also reduce your risk for diabetes.  Several studies have shown that women who consumed at least an apple a day were able to reduce their risk of Type II diabetes. Many of the preventive vitamins were found in the peel of the apple. Your kids may not like the peel, and you may even be prone to removing it yourself, but it is an essential part of the apple.

One thing to remember is that while the apple is quite delicious when combined with certain sauces or when peeled, remember that anything that is done to an apple to alter its original content will reduce its level of nutrition.