Are your patients OK with K?
Are your patients OK with K?
Here is a list of foods and their potassium content in milligrams. Patients on diuretic therapy may find it helpful to know what foods they should be eating to help keep their potassium at a healthy level.
"A good rule to remember is that most fruits and vegetables are good sources of potassium," says Kathleen Zelman, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetics Association in Alexandria, VA. But don’t forget about other sources. Haddock, she says, provides 340 mg per 3 ounce serving. Three ounces of turkey contribute 255 mg more. And for patients who would like to eat a half-cup’s worth, okra adds as much potassium as that serving of poultry. Even a large bell pepper provides 90 mg.
Zelman says there is no recommended daily allowance for the element, but most people need 2,000 mg to 3,500 mg a day.
Patients should still be careful about what they add to their food, as salt, butter, sugar, and other condiments may complicate the management of their condition.
¼ cup of dried apricots (about eight apricot halves) | 448 |
Medium-sized banana | 396 |
Cantaloupe (100 g serving) | 309 |
¼ cup of pitted dates | 290 |
Two figs | 232 |
One nectarine | 288 |
One orange | 181 |
¼ cup of pitted prunes | 317 |
Raisins (100 g serving) | 751 |
Winter butternut squash (100 g serving) | 284 |
One medium sweet potato | 396 |
One tomato | 273 |
(See box on resources, p. 22, for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s on-line lists of nutritive values of food.)
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.
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