What food has the same amount of potassium as a banana?

November 22, 2025 •

4 min read

While a medium banana contains a respectable 422 mg of potassium, many other common foods actually rival or even surpass its nutritional contribution. This might be surprising to those who automatically reach for a banana to boost their potassium intake. Exploring these alternatives can add variety to your diet and ensure you're getting enough of this essential mineral.

Quick Summary

This article explores various fruits, vegetables, legumes, and dairy products that offer a similar or higher potassium content than a medium banana, providing excellent dietary alternatives.

Key Points

Sweet Potatoes Are a Top Source: A medium baked sweet potato provides around 855 mg of potassium, significantly more than a banana.
Legumes Offer High Potassium: A single cup of cooked white beans contains over 1,000 mg of potassium, making them a superior source.
Avocados Are Nutrient-Dense: An average-sized avocado is packed with about 975 mg of potassium, along with healthy fats.
Cooked Greens Concentrate Nutrients: Cooking greens like spinach and Swiss chard increases their potassium content per cup compared to raw.
Dried Fruits are Potent: Dried apricots offer a highly concentrated source of potassium, providing 755 mg in just a half-cup.
Animal Products Contribute: Foods like salmon and yogurt are also valuable sources of dietary potassium.
Dietary Diversity is Key: Relying on a variety of foods for potassium is better than focusing on just one source like a banana.

Potassium-Rich Foods Beyond the Banana

Bananas have long been the poster child for potassium, but relying on them as your sole source can limit your dietary variety. The good news is that many other readily available foods are packed with this crucial mineral, which is vital for heart, muscle, and nerve function. By incorporating some of these options into your meals, you can maintain healthy potassium levels with more diverse and exciting flavors.

Sweet Potatoes and Other Starchy Vegetables

Starchy root vegetables are a fantastic and often overlooked source of potassium. A single medium-sized baked potato, for instance, can contain over 900 mg of potassium, more than double that of a typical banana. A medium baked sweet potato also provides a substantial amount, offering approximately 855 mg. Cooked spinach and Swiss chard are also potent sources, delivering around 839 mg and 961 mg per cooked cup, respectively.

Potatoes: Whether baked, mashed, or roasted, potatoes offer a significant potassium boost. Leaving the skin on provides even more nutrients.
Sweet Potatoes: A versatile and flavorful alternative, sweet potatoes can be used in both sweet and savory dishes.
Spinach: A cup of cooked spinach in a stir-fry or soup is an easy way to increase your intake.
Squash: Winter squash varieties like acorn and butternut are particularly high in potassium.

Nutrient-Dense Legumes

Legumes are another dietary powerhouse, providing both protein and potassium. Certain beans offer dramatically more potassium than a banana in a single cup serving.

White Beans: A cooked cup contains over 1,000 mg of potassium, making them a top contender.
Lentils: One cooked cup of lentils delivers an impressive 731 mg of potassium.
Black Beans: These versatile beans provide a solid 611 mg per cooked cup.

Fruits and Juices

While bananas are a fruit, they are not the only, or even the most, potassium-dense fruit available. Concentrated fruit products are especially high in this mineral.

Dried Apricots: A half-cup of dried apricots contains a massive 755 mg of potassium.
Avocado: This creamy fruit is an excellent source, with one avocado containing an average of 975 mg.
Tomato Products: Concentrated tomato products, like paste or juice, offer more potassium than fresh tomatoes. One cup of canned tomato juice contains around 527 mg.

Comparison of Potassium-Rich Foods


Food	Serving Size	Potassium (mg)	Notes
White Beans (cooked)	1 cup	1004 mg	Excellent in soups, salads, and stews.
Baked Potato (with skin)	1 medium	926 mg	A classic side dish that is highly nutritious.
Avocado	1 medium	975 mg	Perfect for toast, guacamole, or salads.
Sweet Potato (baked)	1 large	855 mg	A fiber-rich and flavorful potato alternative.
Spinach (cooked)	1 cup	839 mg	Great for adding to sauces, omelets, and casseroles.
Lentils (cooked)	1 cup	731 mg	A staple in vegetarian and vegan cooking.
Dried Apricots	½ cup	755 mg	A concentrated source, also high in fiber.
Plain Low-Fat Yogurt	1 cup	573 mg	Enjoy with fruit or use in savory dips.
Banana	1 medium	~422-451 mg	The popular, but not singular, source of potassium.

Animal Proteins and Dairy

Potassium isn't limited to plant-based foods. Several animal products also contribute to your daily intake.

Salmon: A half fillet of salmon contains approximately 970 mg of potassium and is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Plain Low-Fat Yogurt: A single cup can provide around 573 mg, depending on the brand and preparation.
Fish: Other fish like tuna, halibut, and cod are also decent sources of potassium.

What to Keep in Mind

While diversifying your potassium sources is great, it's important to consider other dietary factors. Processed foods, often high in sodium, can disrupt the body's sodium-potassium balance, which is crucial for regulating blood pressure. Opting for whole, unprocessed foods is the best strategy for maintaining a healthy intake of both minerals. Most healthy adults need between 2,600 and 3,400 mg of potassium daily, depending on their sex and other factors. This can easily be achieved by incorporating a mix of the foods mentioned.

If you have kidney disease or are taking certain medications, speak with a healthcare provider before significantly altering your potassium intake, as an overabundance can be harmful.

Conclusion

Ultimately, while a banana is a good source of potassium, it is far from the only one. A wide variety of delicious and nutritious foods, from starchy vegetables and legumes to fatty fish and dairy, offer comparable or even higher amounts. By incorporating a mix of these options into your diet, you can enjoy a wider range of flavors while ensuring you meet your body's vital mineral needs. Expanding your nutritional horizons beyond the banana can lead to a more balanced and healthy eating plan.

For more detailed nutritional data and recommendations, consult resources from authoritative health organizations like the National Institutes of Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

A medium banana contains approximately 422-451 mg of potassium, which is a good amount but significantly less than many other foods like baked potatoes, white beans, and avocado.

Yes, a single large baked sweet potato contains roughly 855 mg of potassium, making it a more potassium-dense option than a medium banana.

Excellent potassium-rich fruit alternatives include avocado, dried apricots, cantaloupe, and pomegranate. Dried fruits, in particular, have a concentrated potassium content.

Absolutely. Excellent sources include legumes like white beans and lentils, dairy products such as plain yogurt, and certain fish like salmon.

Potassium is a vital electrolyte that helps regulate fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle contractions. It also plays a key role in managing blood pressure by counteracting the effects of sodium.

For most healthy people, it is difficult to get too much potassium from food alone. However, individuals with kidney disease or those on certain medications should monitor their intake and consult a doctor, as too much potassium can be harmful.

Simple ways include adding white beans to a soup, using avocado on toast, including cooked spinach in an omelet, or snacking on dried apricots.