How can I get 4700 mg of potassium a day?: A Comprehensive Dietary Guide

October 12, 2025 •

5 min read

While many Americans consume only about half the recommended amount, the daily value for potassium is set at 4,700 mg for adults and children over four years old. Reaching this target is achievable through strategic dietary choices, focusing on a variety of nutrient-dense, whole-food options.

Quick Summary

Meeting the 4700 mg daily potassium goal involves consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Strategic meal planning with high-potassium foods supports heart health, muscle function, and fluid balance throughout the body.

Key Points

High-Potassium Foundations: Focus meals around vegetables, fruits, and legumes, which are excellent potassium sources.
Prioritize Specific Foods: Incorporate powerhouses like baked potatoes (with skin), beet greens, spinach, and white beans for a concentrated boost.
Strategic Snacking: Choose snacks like dried apricots, avocados, or yogurt with fruit to increase your daily intake effortlessly.
Balance Sodium: The benefits of a high-potassium diet are most significant when paired with lower sodium consumption, as found in unprocessed foods.
Cook with Care: Opt for cooking methods like roasting, baking, or steaming to preserve potassium content, as boiling can cause minerals to leach into the water.
Consult Professionals: Always consult a doctor or dietitian before considering supplements, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions like kidney disease.
Diversify Your Diet: Include a variety of nuts, low-fat dairy, and lean fish to get a wider range of nutrients and consistently meet your potassium goal.

The Power of Potassium: Why 4700 mg Matters

Potassium is an essential mineral and electrolyte, playing a crucial role in almost all bodily functions, including proper heart and kidney function, muscle contractions, and nerve transmission. The adequate intake (AI) for potassium is 4,700 mg for adults, a benchmark established to support overall wellness. A diet high in potassium and low in sodium is linked to significant health benefits, primarily through its positive effects on cardiovascular health.

One of potassium's most vital functions is regulating blood pressure. The mineral helps to relax the walls of your blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure. It also works in conjunction with your kidneys to flush out excess sodium, another key factor in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. People with higher dietary potassium intake have a lower risk of stroke and heart disease. Furthermore, adequate potassium intake can aid in bone health and may help prevent the formation of painful kidney stones by reducing the amount of calcium your body loses through urine.

Your Roadmap to 4700 mg: Top Food Sources

To reach a target of 4,700 mg of potassium daily, focus on incorporating a wide range of unprocessed, potassium-rich foods into your diet. This approach is not only safer than supplements but also provides a broader spectrum of essential nutrients.

High-Potassium Vegetables

Baked Potato (with skin): A medium-sized baked potato with the skin on is one of the most potent sources, offering over 900 mg.
Beet Greens: A single cooked cup contains a substantial amount of potassium, over 1,300 mg.
Cooked Spinach: A cup of cooked spinach provides around 840 mg.
Sweet Potato: A medium baked sweet potato with the skin provides over 540 mg.
Acorn Squash: One cup of cooked acorn squash offers close to 900 mg.

High-Potassium Fruits

Avocado: Half a cup of avocado contains over 360 mg.
Dried Apricots: Just a quarter cup of dried apricots can give you nearly 400 mg.
Banana: A medium banana provides about 422 mg.
Cantaloupe: A cup of cantaloupe chunks has over 470 mg.
Oranges and Orange Juice: A cup of 100% orange juice offers nearly 500 mg.

High-Potassium Legumes and Dairy

White Beans: Half a cup of cooked white beans is a strong source, with over 500 mg.
Lentils: A half-cup of cooked lentils provides around 365 mg.
Soybeans: One cup of cooked soybeans adds nearly 890 mg to a meal.
Plain Nonfat Yogurt: A cup of this dairy product has about 579 mg.

Other Excellent Sources

Salmon: A 3-ounce serving of cooked Atlantic salmon offers over 530 mg.
Tomato Products: Tomato puree and paste are highly concentrated sources. A quarter cup of tomato paste, for example, has 670 mg.
Nuts and Seeds: Nuts like cashews and almonds contribute a healthy dose of potassium.

Sample Meal Plan for a High-Potassium Day

Breakfast: A smoothie made with 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt (579 mg), 1 sliced medium banana (422 mg), and a handful of spinach (approx. 200 mg raw). Total: ~1,201 mg

Lunch: A large salad with 1 cup of canned white beans (approx. 1000 mg), 1 cup of chopped tomato (290 mg), and half an avocado (364 mg), drizzled with olive oil. Total: ~1,654 mg

Dinner: Baked sweet potato (medium, with skin) stuffed with lentil and vegetable stew (1/2 cup cooked lentils, 365 mg, plus mixed high-potassium vegetables like onions and carrots). Serve alongside a 3-ounce portion of wild Atlantic salmon (534 mg). Total: ~1,441 mg

Snack: A quarter cup of dried apricots (378 mg). Total: ~378 mg

Daily Total: ~4,674 mg This meal plan demonstrates how a combination of whole foods throughout the day can easily meet and even exceed the 4,700 mg target. Adjusting portion sizes can help hit the exact goal. For more detailed information on nutrient values, you can explore resources like the NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements.

Comparison of Potassium-Rich Foods

To make informed choices, understanding the potassium density of various foods can be helpful. Here is a table comparing several options:


Food (Serving Size)	Potassium (mg)	Notes
Baked Potato (1 medium, with skin)	941	One of the highest single-serving sources.
Beet Greens (1 cup, cooked)	1,309	Extremely high concentration for a leafy green.
Cooked White Beans (½ cup)	594	An excellent source to add to salads and soups.
Dried Apricots (¼ cup)	399	A convenient and potent snack option.
Plain Nonfat Yogurt (1 cup)	579	Versatile for use in smoothies or as a snack.
Baked Sweet Potato (1 medium, with skin)	542	Another fantastic and versatile source.
Atlantic Salmon (3 oz, cooked)	534	A good option for meat and fish eaters.
Banana (1 medium)	422	A classic source, but many others provide more.

Culinary Tips to Maximize Potassium Intake

Meeting a high potassium goal is not just about choosing the right foods, but also preparing them in a way that maximizes retention. Boiling can cause some minerals to leach into the water. Instead, opt for roasting, baking, or steaming. When you bake a potato or sweet potato, for instance, leaving the skin on provides a significant portion of the mineral content.

Meal Prep: Roast large batches of vegetables like sweet potatoes, acorn squash, or broccoli to use in meals throughout the week.
Smoothie Boost: Add a cup of cooked spinach or a tablespoon of pumpkin puree to your morning smoothie for a virtually undetectable potassium boost.
Bulk up with Beans: Substitute meat in chili or tacos with cooked white or kidney beans.
Snack Smarter: Keep dried apricots, prunes, or an avocado on hand for quick, potassium-rich snacks.
Soups and Sauces: Make your own tomato sauce or puree from fresh tomatoes to add a concentrated dose of potassium to pasta dishes and stews.

Considerations and Conclusion

While a 4,700 mg daily intake is a recommended target for most healthy adults, it's crucial to approach this goal with dietary modifications rather than supplements, unless advised by a healthcare provider. For individuals with certain medical conditions, especially kidney disease, excessively high potassium levels (hyperkalemia) can be dangerous. Therefore, always consult a doctor or registered dietitian to determine the right intake for your specific needs.

Ultimately, the most effective and safest way to achieve your potassium goals is through a balanced, whole-food diet. By focusing on incorporating the high-potassium foods detailed in this guide—from nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits to lean proteins and legumes—you can easily and healthfully meet your daily requirement and support long-term well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions

Among the highest-potassium foods are baked potatoes (with skin), beet greens, cooked Swiss chard, and white beans. A single serving of any of these can provide a significant portion of the daily 4,700 mg goal.

For healthy individuals, the kidneys effectively regulate blood potassium levels. However, excessive intake, particularly from supplements, can be harmful for those with kidney disease, potentially leading to a dangerous condition called hyperkalemia.

While a banana is a well-known source, it is not the best. A medium baked potato (with skin) contains more than double the amount of potassium found in a medium banana.

Most health professionals recommend obtaining potassium from whole foods rather than supplements, as a balanced diet provides numerous other health benefits. You should only take supplements if prescribed by a doctor.

Focus on eating more fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes, which are naturally high in potassium and low in sodium. This helps your body excrete excess sodium and maintain a healthier balance.

Boiling can cause potassium to leach out into the cooking water. To preserve the mineral, it's better to bake, roast, or steam your vegetables.

Most processed foods are high in sodium and low in potassium. While some products like certain salt substitutes contain potassium chloride, relying on whole foods is a healthier and more effective strategy.