Like sodium, potassium must stay balanced in your body. If your kidneys are not working well, potassium levels in your blood can rise. High potassium levels affect your heart rhythm, so your diet for managing kidney disease may include a potassium limit. Your doctor or registered dietitian will let you know if you need to avoid foods high in potassium, and your RD can explain how to stay within your limit.
Potassium is found in many fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and dairy foods. The following foods are low in potassium:
General Food
Bread (bread products)
Cake – angel, yellow
Coffee (maximum 8 ounces)
Cookies (without nuts or chocolate)
Noodles
Pasta
Pies (without chocolate or high-potassium foods)
Rice
Tea (maximum 16 ounces)
Vegetables
Alfalfa sprouts
Asparagus – 6 spears
Beans (wax or green)
Cabbage (red and green)
Canned chestnuts
Carrots (cooked)
Celery (1 stalk)
Corn (fresh 1/2 ear, frozen 1/2 cup)
Cucumber
Eggplant
Fresh mushrooms
Green peas
Kale
Leached potatoes
Lettuce
Mixed vegetables
Okra
Onions
Parsley
Peppers
Radish
Rhubarb
Water
Watercress
Fruits
Apple – 1 medium/juice/sauce
Apricots, canned in juice
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cherries
Cranberries
Fruit cocktail
Grapes (juice)
Grapefruit (1/2 whole)
Mandarin oranges
Peaches – fresh (1 small), canned (1/2 cup)
Pears – fresh (1 small), canned (1/2 cup)
Pineapple (juice)
Plums – 1 whole Raspberries