Low Potassium Vegetables

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Low Potassium Vegetables

For those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) the shock of being diagnosed is often accompanied by dietary guidelines restricting the intake of potassium and other electrolytes. The next realization is that almost all vegetables contain some amount of potassium.

While this is true, there are a few vegetables that are lower in potassium, and the amount of potassium in vegetables can be further reduced by soaking the vegetables in water before cooking, in a process called leaching. This works well for vegetables that will be eaten raw. Cooked vegetables should be boiled, and the water they are boiled in should be discarded.

While the daily value (DV) for potassium is 4700 milligrams (mg), a vegetable can be considered to be "low potassium" if it has less than 200mg of potassium per serving (please watch portion sizes). (2) The list of vegetables below serves as a suggestion of low potassium vegetables for your diet and is for informational purposes only. Please work with your primary care provider to establish a proper diet.

Note: Please use the percent daily value in this article only as a guide to compare foods and not as a target!

The amount of potassium in vegetables may vary based on the soil and conditions in which they are grown. The numbers below can be considered averages across the U.S. To be safe, incorporate new vegetables into your diet slowly and in small quantities.

Low potassium vegetables include cilantro, alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, arugula, kale, Napa cabbage, leeks, spaghetti squash, sweet onions, eggplant, and more. For more low potassium vegetable ideas, see the complete ranking of over 200 vegetables low in potassium.

Most vegetables are low in calories, and so should be eaten with other low potassium foods.

List of Low Potassium Vegetables

Cilantro Leaves1 Cilantro
Potassium
per 1/4 Cup
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
21mg
(0% DV)
521mg
(11% DV)
4530mg
(96% DV)
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro contains 2mg sodium, 2mg phosphorus, 1mg magnesium, and 3mg calcium.
Alfalfa Sprouts2 Alfalfa Sprouts
Potassium
per Cup Raw
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
26mg
(1% DV)
79mg
(2% DV)
687mg
(15% DV)
1 cup of alfalfa sprouts contains 2mg sodium, 23mg phosphorus, 9mg magnesium, and 11mg calcium.
Red Leaf Lettuce3 Lettuce
Potassium
per Cup Shredded
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
52mg
(1% DV)
187mg
(4% DV)
2877mg
(61% DV)
1 cup of shredded lettuce contains 7mg sodium, 8mg phosphorus, 3mg magnesium, and 9mg calcium.
Leaves of Kale4 Kale
Potassium
per Cup Fresh
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
56mg
(1% DV)
348mg
(7% DV)
1989mg
(42% DV)
1 cup of fresh kale contains 6mg sodium, 15mg phosphorus, 8mg magnesium, and 24mg calcium.
Arugula5 Arugula
Potassium
per Cup Fresh
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
74mg
(2% DV)
369mg
(8% DV)
2952mg
(63% DV)
1 cup of fresh arugula contains 5mg sodium, 10mg phosphorus, 9mg magnesium, and 32mg calcium.
Napa Cabbage6 Napa Cabbage
Potassium
per Cup Cooked
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
95mg
(2% DV)
87mg
(2% DV)
1450mg
(31% DV)
1 cup of boiled and drained Napa cabbage contains 12mg of sodium, 21mg phosphorus, 9mg magnesium, and 32mg calcium.
Leeks7 Leeks
Potassium
per Leek Cooked
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
108mg
(2% DV)
87mg
(2% DV)
561mg
(12% DV)
1/4 cup of boiled and drained leeks contains 3mg of sodium, 4mg phosphorus, 4mg magnesium, and 8mg calcium.
Spaghetti Squash8 Spaghetti Squash
Potassium
per Cup Cooked
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
109mg
(2% DV)
108mg
(2% DV)
697mg
(15% DV)
1 cup of boiled and drained spaghetti squash contains 28mg of sodium, 22mg phosphorus, 17mg magnesium, and 33mg calcium.
Onions9 Onions
Potassium
per Cup Cooked
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
116mg
(2% DV)
133mg
(3% DV)
216mg
(5% DV)
1 cup of cooked onions contains 10mg sodium, 29mg phosphorus, 8mg magnesium, and 17mg calcium.
Eggplants10 Eggplant
Potassium
per Cup Cooked
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
122mg
(3% DV)
123mg
(3% DV)
703mg
(15% DV)
1 cup of boiled and drained eggplant contains 1mg of sodium, 15mg phosphorus, 11mg magnesium, and 6mg calcium.
Cabbage11 Cabbage
Potassium
per Cup Raw
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
151mg
(3% DV)
170mg
(4% DV)
1360mg
(29% DV)
1 cup of shredded raw cabbage contains 13mg of sodium, 18mg phosphorus, 8mg magnesium, and 28mg calcium.
Green Bell Peppers12 Green Bell Peppers
Potassium
per Cup Cooked
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
154mg
(3% DV)
134mg
(3% DV)
231mg
(5% DV)
1 cup of cooked green bell peppers contains 20mg of sodium, 154mg phosphorus, 9mg magnesium, and 9mg calcium.
Slices of Cucumber13 Peeled Cucumber
Potassium
per Cup Sliced
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
162mg
(3% DV)
136mg
(3% DV)
2720mg
(58% DV)
1 cup, sliced of raw peeled cucumber contains 2mg of sodium, 25mg phosphorus, 14mg magnesium, and 17mg calcium.
Cauliflower14 Cauliflower
Potassium
per Cup Cooked
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
176mg
(4% DV)
142mg
(3% DV)
1235mg
(26% DV)
1 cup of boiled and drained cauliflower contains 18mg of sodium, 40mg phosphorus, 12mg magnesium, and 20mg calcium.
Stalks of Celery15 Celery
Potassium
per Cup Raw
Potassium
per 100g
Potassium
per 200 Calories
263mg
(6% DV)
260mg
(6% DV)
3714mg
(79% DV)
1 cup of chopped raw celery contains 81mg sodium, 24mg phosphorus, 11mg magnesium, and 40mg calcium.

About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that's found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It's more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Institutes of Health.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.

See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

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Data Sources and References

  1. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
  2. National Kidney Foundation on Potassium and Your CKD Diet
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