I have heard of low-potassium and the only food I knew that contained potassium was bananas. Boy Oh Boy, did I learn a lot lately.
I recently had a blood draw and my Dr. was concerned with elevated potassium levels. High Potassium can be very serious as it affects the rhythm of the heart. I looked up foods that help elevate potassium levels and low and behold, pretty much everything I eat, as a Vegan, contains potassium. If you start adding up a little in this food and a little in that food, you get a lot of potassium by the end of the day. In recent months, I have switched my glass of wine, while cooking, to a nice big glass of almond milk. (trying to be good) Guess what is high in potassium? ALMOND MILK. WHAT???? Because my numbers were slightly elevated, I’m pretty sure I know the culprit in the elevation….so it’s back to wine for me. Will have another blood draw in a couple of months to be sure that was the issue. (As a side note, my cholesterol numbers, which started the whole vegan eating process, went down 8 more points. Whoo Hoo!!! )
If you are adopting the vegan diet, even with exceptions, just know about potassium levels. I’m going to list the foods high in potassium for awareness purposes.
Bananas
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Beet greens
Beans
Yogurt
Clams
Carrots
Halibut
Molasses
Soy beans
Winter Squash
Almond Milk
Orange Juice
Whole grains. bread, pasta, cereal, wheat products
Almonds, Cashews, Pistachios, Sunflower Seeds
Bran cereals
Asparagus
Butter beans
Okra
White potatoes
Spinach
Brussel Sprouts
Apricots, Dates, Kiwi, Oranges, Cantaloupe, Honey dew
Avocado
THINGS THAT ARE LOWER IN POTASSIUM:
Apples, Blueberries, Blackberries, Grapefruit, Sweet Cherries, Peaches, Strawberries, Lemons, Canned Pears, Apple sauce, Cranberries
Cabbage, Celery, Cucumbers, Radishes, Cauliflower, Onions, Green beans, Peas, Corn, Red Bell Peppers
Egg Whites
Olive Oil
Salmon