Kidney Disease: Reducing Potassium in Foods
Kidney Disease: Reducing Potassium in Food
By controlling the amount of potassium you eat, you can keep a safe level in your blood. Cooking helps remove potassium from starchy vegetables, such as potatoes. To reduce potassium, boil the vegetables in a large amount of unsalted water. Drain and discard the water before serving. The tips on this sheet can help.
To cook potatoes
Follow the steps below to reduce the potassium content of white potatoes:
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Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch pieces.
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Place the potatoes in a large amount of unsalted water. Allow to stand for at least 2 hours.
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Drain, rinse, and drain the potatoes again.
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Cook in a large amount of unsalted water.
Watch out for hidden sources of potassium
The potassium content of a food may change depending on how the food is preserved. Most food labels do not include potassium, so keep these tips in mind:
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Dried fruits are high in potassium. Canned fruits are lower.
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Other foods with high levels of potassium include salt substitutes, lite salts, milk, coffee, and some vegetable juices and powdered drink mixes.
Updated:
June 04, 2019
Reviewed By:
Walead Latif MD,Marianne Fraser MSN RN