What are Potassium Enriched Foods

The food that is rich in potassium is known as potassium enriched food. One of the minerals in the human blood stream is potassium. Potassium along with another important mineral sodium helps to maintain normal functioning of the kidneys, brain, heart and the skeletal muscles. This mineral is a significant nutrient that regulates the heartbeat, digestion, muscle contractions and nerve transmission.

Reduced sodium and magnesium also maintain the potassium level in the blood stream. A dip in the potassium level in the body can lead to conditions such as diarrhea, vomiting, malnutrition and excessive sweating prevail. A person suffers from hypokalemia, if the level of potassium in blood is less. Hyperkalemia occurs if the level of potassium in the blood is high. To maintain the normal level of potassium one should have a balanced diet. Take a glance at the potassium enriched diet.

List of Potassium Enriched Food

The table below shows the potassium-enriched food . People who are suffering from hypokalemia or low potassium levels in their blood should have potassium-enriched diet. The table below shows the food, quantity served and the total quantity of potassium in each serving.

Vegetables: Here are a few vegetables that are rich in potassium content.

Potassium-enriched Food	Serving Size	Potassium Content (mg)
Baked Potato	1 Medium size	593
Fresh Spinach	1/2 Cup	440
Lima Beans	1/2 Cup	473
Baked Sweet Potato	3/4 Cup	529
Beet Greens	1/2 Cup	417
Chard	1/2 Cup	563
Cooked Peas	1/2 Cup	296
Winter Squash	1 Cup	590

Fruits: Oranges, lemon and kiwi are potassium enriched fruits. Some dried fruits are also rich in potassium.

Potassium-enriched Food	Serving Size	Potassium Content (mg)
Orange Juice	1 Cup	479
Grape Juice	1 Cup	360
Tomato Juice	1 Cup	552
Raisins	3 Tablespoons	225
Almonds	3 Tablespoons	206
Avocado	1/2 Fruit	510
Peaches	2	330
Banana	1 Medium size	338
Apricots	1/4 Cup	454
Cantaloupe	1/4 Fruit	412

Beans: All kinds of beans cooked, baked or steamed are a major sources of potassium. Here is the list.

Potassium-enriched Food	Serving Size	Potassium Content (mg)
Black Beans	1/2 Cup	531
Kidney Beans	1/2 Cup	452
Lentils	1/2 Cup	375
Soy Beans	1/2 Cup	510
Pinto Beans	1/2 Cup	541

Cereals: Cereals are a source of potassium and are rich in fiber content and various other nutrients. Whole grain cereal is one of the examples of potassium-rich food.

Potassium-enriched Food	Serving Size	Potassium Content (mg)
Shredded Wheat	1 Cup	155
Bran Flakes	1 Cup	251
Muesli	1/2 Cup	450
Wheat Bran	1/2 Cup	1160

Advantages of Potassium Enriched Diet

Potassium is not only a mineral but also an electrolyte. It helps to maintain the balance of water and electrolyte in the body. Here are a few advantages of consuming foods that are enriched with potassium.

According to some studies foods rich in potassium are the main sources of potassium. Foods rich in potassium are used to treat the symptoms of hypokalemia. Studies reveal that consuming a diet rich in potassium can reduce symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, stomach upsets and irregular heartbeat.

Consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in potassium helps to prevent bone diseases such as osteoporosis.

Recent studies show that one of the reasons for high blood pressure is a low-potassium diet. A diet having adequate potassium improves the blood pressure and also helps maintain normal blood pressure. High blood pressure can be controlled by consuming potassium-rich diet of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.

Consuming potassium-rich fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of heart attacks and other heart related diseases. However, it is not advisable to consume potassium supplements without consulting a medical practitioner.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is caused by low level of potassium in the blood stream. The kidneys function smoothly, if the level of potassium in the blood is normal.

Adding foods such as fish, fruits, and vegetables, which are high in potassium content, would help to prevent asthma in young children.

Potassium Enriched Recipes

A few recipes mentioned below are rich in potassium. They are delicious, lip smacking and can be taken as a whole meal.

Fruit Salad
This fruit salad can be served as a light breakfast or a dessert. The total potassium content of the salad is 662 mgs/serving.

Ingredients
5 kiwifruit (peeled and sliced)
2 cups honeydew (cubed)
2 cups cantaloupe (cubed)
1 medium-sized papaya (cubed)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp mint (fresh)
4 tbsp fresh orange juice

Preparation
Blend sugar, mint and orange juice in a food processor. In a salad bowl mix all the fruits together. Pour the juice over the fruits and gently mix well. Refrigerate for half an hour before serving.

Bean Salad
This salad is a rich source of potassium because it contains soybeans and other vegetables such as capsicum, wax beans, parsley and cherry tomatoes. Bean salad is not only nourishing but also filling. It can be eaten as either a side dish or a complete meal. One serving of bean salad contains 430 mgs of potassium.

Ingredients
2 cups French beans or haricot verts (diagonally cut)
2 cups of yellow beans/wax beans (diagonally cut)
1 cup green soybeans
1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
1/2 cup yellow capsicum (finely sliced)
1/2 cup onion (sliced)
1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Preparation
Cook all the beans, till they become tender. Drain the water and drop the beans into a bowl containing ice water. Leave it for exactly 2 minutes and drain the water. In a salad bowl, combine beans, capsicum, tomatoes and onion.

Whisk sugar and vinegar. Add olive oil and stir till all the ingredients blend well. To this mixture add parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add this vinegar-mixture to the beans and toss gently.

Chocolate Pudding
Chocolate pudding is a source of potassium because of milk and dry fruits. The potassium content in each serving is 540 mgs.

Ingredients
4 cups low fat milk
1/4 cup milk powder (malted)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 corn flour
1/4 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla essence
Pinch of salt
1/2 chopped almonds, raisins and dried apricots

Preparation
In a thick-bottomed pan, mix malted milk powder, sugar, corn flour and salt. Add milk to this mixture and stir well using a whisk. The ingredients should blend well with the milk. Now place the pan over a medium flame and stir continuously till it boils. Reduce the flame to simmer and cook till it becomes thick. Stir continuously.

Once it is done, remove from the flame and add chocolate chips. Stir till the whole mixture becomes smooth. Add vanilla essence.

Pour the pudding into a serving bowl and allow it to cool. Cover the mouth of the bowl with aluminum foil and keep it in the chill compartment of the tray. Add the chopped dry fruits before serving.