Beyond the Fruit Bowl: What Has Higher Potassium Than a Banana?

October 23, 2025 •

4 min read

While bananas are famously known for their high potassium content, many other foods surprisingly pack an even bigger nutritional punch. It's time to uncover what has higher potassium than a banana to effectively diversify your diet and support your overall well-being. A medium banana contains around 422 to 451 mg of potassium, depending on the source.

Quick Summary

This guide reveals numerous foods, from vegetables and legumes to fish and dairy, that contain more potassium per serving than the average banana. Learn about these superior sources to help maintain fluid balance, support nerve function, and regulate blood pressure.

Key Points

Potatoes Offer Maximum Potassium: A medium-baked potato with the skin provides significantly more potassium than a medium banana.
Leafy Greens are Powerhouses: Cooked greens like spinach, beet greens, and Swiss chard contain very high levels of concentrated potassium per cup.
Avocado and Legumes are Rich Sources: A whole avocado and cooked white beans both supply more potassium per serving than a banana, along with other essential nutrients.
Consider Concentrated Options: Dried fruits like apricots and concentrated tomato paste are potent potassium sources, but be mindful of their sugar and calorie density.
Balanced Intake is Key: For heart health, especially with a high-sodium diet, increasing potassium intake from a variety of whole food sources is highly beneficial.

The Importance of Potassium in Your Diet

Potassium is a vital mineral and electrolyte that plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health. It helps regulate fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle contractions, including those of the heart. A diet rich in potassium is associated with several health benefits, such as supporting healthy blood pressure, protecting against stroke, and potentially reducing the risk of kidney stones and osteoporosis. Given that many Western diets are high in sodium and low in potassium, focusing on increasing your intake of potassium-rich foods is a smart dietary move. The average adult should aim for a potassium intake of 2,600 mg (women) to 3,400 mg (men) daily, with some sources recommending up to 4,700 mg for optimal health.

Vegetables That Top the Banana

Numerous vegetables offer more potassium per serving than a banana. Their versatility makes them an excellent addition to almost any meal. Cooking leafy greens often concentrates their potassium content, making them an especially potent source.

Here are some of the vegetables with a higher potassium content:

Baked Potatoes: A single medium-baked potato with the skin on contains a staggering 926 mg of potassium, which is more than double the amount in a banana. The skin is where a significant portion of the nutrient is stored, so consuming it is recommended for maximum benefit.
Beet Greens: These leafy tops of beets are packed with nutrients. Just one cooked cup of beet greens can provide up to 1,309 mg of potassium. They are also rich in vitamins A, C, and K.
Cooked Spinach: A cooked cup of spinach offers approximately 839 mg of potassium, alongside iron, calcium, and vitamin K. It's a powerful and nutritious addition to sauces, scrambles, and casseroles.
Acorn Squash: This winter squash is a nutritional powerhouse. A cooked cup of acorn squash provides about 896 mg of potassium, along with fiber and vitamin C.
Sweet Potatoes: A large baked sweet potato can contain around 855 mg of potassium. These are also great sources of fiber and vitamins A and C.

Legumes, Dairy, and Seafood

Beyond fruits and vegetables, several other food groups are excellent potassium sources. Incorporating these into your diet can help you reach your daily goals without relying solely on produce.

Legumes: Beans and lentils are not only rich in fiber and protein but also potassium. A single cooked cup of lentils can contain 731 mg of potassium. Similarly, cooked white beans can offer over 1,000 mg per cup, making them one of the most potent sources available.
Dairy: Certain dairy products can be surprisingly high in potassium. For instance, a cup of low-fat plain yogurt contains about 573 mg of potassium, making it a great breakfast or snack option.
Seafood: Fatty fish like salmon are celebrated for their omega-3 content but also provide a generous amount of potassium. A half-fillet serving of salmon can contain 970 mg of potassium. Other fish, such as clams and tuna, are also good sources.

Hydration and Concentrated Sources

Certain drinks and concentrated food products can provide a quick and significant boost of potassium, but it's important to consume them in moderation due to sugar content.

Coconut Water: A cup of coconut water can provide a substantial amount of potassium, around 497 mg, making it a popular rehydration drink.
Dried Fruits: Drying fruit concentrates its nutrients, including potassium. A half-cup of dried apricots, for example, offers 755 mg of potassium. Remember that this also concentrates sugars and calories.
Tomato Paste: This concentrated tomato product is a powerhouse of potassium, providing 670 mg per quarter-cup. It can be easily added to sauces and soups.

Comparison: Potassium Content in Food vs. Banana

To help visualize the difference, the table below compares the potassium content of several high-potassium foods against a medium banana. Figures are approximate and can vary based on specific product and preparation method.


Food Item	Serving Size	Potassium (mg)	Comparison to Medium Banana (422mg)
Cooked Beet Greens	1 cup	1,309	More than 3x
Baked Potato (with skin)	1 medium	926	More than 2x
Avocado	1 medium	975	More than 2x
Cooked Lentils	1 cup	731	Approx. 1.7x
Dried Apricots	½ cup	755	Approx. 1.8x
Cooked Spinach	1 cup	839	Approx. 2x
Plain Low-Fat Yogurt	1 cup	573	Approx. 1.4x
Baked Sweet Potato	1 medium	542	Approx. 1.3x
Atlantic Salmon	3 oz	429	Nearly equal
Medium Banana	1 medium	422	Baseline

Optimizing Your Nutrition for Potassium Intake

To make the most of your potassium-rich diet, consider a few strategic changes. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods, as processing often strips away essential minerals. When preparing vegetables like potatoes, cooking methods like baking or roasting can help retain more potassium compared to boiling, which leaches the mineral into the water. Incorporate a variety of these foods into your meals to ensure a consistent intake. For example, add spinach to omelets, use white beans in soups, or top your salads with avocado slices. Maintaining a balanced intake of potassium is particularly important for managing blood pressure, especially for those with high sodium diets. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, which is high in potassium-rich fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy, is a great example of a diet that optimizes this mineral.

Conclusion

While the banana has long been the poster child for potassium, it is far from the only—or most potent—source. A diverse range of foods, including leafy greens, potatoes, legumes, and even fish, can provide a more substantial amount of this essential mineral per serving. By exploring these alternatives, you can add variety to your diet while actively supporting vital bodily functions, including heart health and blood pressure regulation. Remember to consider cooking methods and balance your overall intake to reap the full benefits of these nutrient-dense foods. For those managing specific health conditions, such as kidney disease, it is always wise to consult a healthcare professional about appropriate potassium intake levels.

An excellent resource for further reading on potassium and other nutrients can be found at the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/.

Frequently Asked Questions

A diet high in potassium helps lower blood pressure, counteracts the effects of sodium, and is linked to a lower risk of stroke and heart disease. It also supports proper nerve and muscle function, helps maintain bone health, and can aid in preventing kidney stones.

The Adequate Intake (AI) for potassium is 3,400 mg for adult men and 2,600 mg for adult women. However, some health organizations suggest aiming for 4,700 mg for optimal health benefits.

Symptoms of low potassium can be mild or severe and include fatigue, muscle weakness or cramps, constipation, heart palpitations, and tingling or numbness.

Yes, cooking can affect potassium levels. Boiling can cause some minerals to leach into the water, while other methods like baking or roasting, especially for vegetables like potatoes, help retain the potassium.

Most healthy individuals can get enough potassium from a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Supplements are generally not recommended unless a healthcare provider advises them, particularly for those with kidney issues.

While unlikely for most healthy people, it is possible to have too much potassium (hyperkalemia), especially for those with kidney problems or taking certain medications. High potassium levels can cause irregular heartbeat and other symptoms, so it is important to consult a healthcare professional.

Try adding cooked spinach or beans to pasta dishes, snacking on dried apricots or a handful of nuts, using tomato paste in soups, or enjoying a baked sweet potato as a side dish.