Top 10 Foods Lowest in Potassium For People with Kidney Disease

Written by Daisy Whitbread, MScN

Essential electrolytes like potassium are typically regulated in your body by your kidneys. For those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) you may have to limit consumption of potassium and other electrolytes. The list below serves as a suggestion of low potassium foods for your diet. Since other electrolytes should also be watched, the amounts of sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium are also listed.

Foods low in potassium include most refined fats and oils, grains like cornmeal, white rice, and white pasta, cheeses like soft goat cheese, and blueberries, leeks, and napa cabbage. Boiling vegetables in water and discarding the water they are cooked in can help reduce their potassium and electrolyte content. Further, you can also leech more minerals out by soaking vegetables in water prior to consumption. Below are the top 10 foods lowest in potassium.

---

#1: Refined Oils (Flaxseed Oil)

Potassium in 100g	1 tbsp (14g)
0mg (0% DV)	0mg (0% DV)

1 tbsp of cold pressed flaxseed oil contains 0mg of sodium, 0.1mg phosphorus, 0mg magnesium, and 0.1mg calcium.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#2: Cornmeal (Grits)*

Potassium in 100g	1 cup (233g)
22mg (1% DV)	51.3mg (2% DV)

1 cup of cornmeal contains 5mg of sodium, 33mg phosphorus, 12mg magnesium, and 2mg calcium.
*Amount of Potassium and other minerals will depend on the water used for cooking.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#3: Soft Goat Cheese

Potassium in 100g	1 oz (28g)
26mg (1% DV)	7.4mg (0% DV)

1 oz of soft goat cheee contains 130mg of sodium, 73mg phosphorus, 5mg magnesium, and 40mg calcium.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#4: White Rice

Potassium in 100g	1 cup (186g)
26mg (1% DV)	48.4mg (2% DV)

1 cup of rice contains 0mg of sodium, 61mg phosphorus, 15mg magnesium, and 2mg calcium.
*Amount of Potassium and other minerals will depend on the water used for cooking.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#5: Pasta

Potassium in 100g	1 cup spaghetti (124g)
44mg (1% DV)	54.6mg (1% DV)

1 cup of spaghetti contains 1mg of sodium, 72mg phosphorus, 22mg magnesium, and 9mg calcium.
*Amount of Potassium and other minerals will depend on the water used for cooking.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#6: Feta Cheese

Potassium in 100g	1 cup, crumbled (150g)	1 cubic inch (17g)
62mg (2% DV)	93mg (3% DV)	10.5mg (0% DV)

1 cup of crumbled Feta contains 1376mg of sodium, 506mg phosphorus, 29mg magnesium, and 740mg calcium.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#7: Unsweetened Almond Milk

Potassium in 100g	1 cup (262g)
67mg (2% DV)	175.5mg (5% DV)

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk contains 186mg of sodium, 26mg phosphorus, 18mg magnesium, and 516mg calcium. Check labels and try choose varieties without added calcium.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#8: Raw Blueberries

Potassium in 100g	1 cup (148g)	50 berries (68g)
77mg (2% DV)	114mg (3% DV)	52.4mg (1% DV)

1 cup of raw blueberries contains 2mg of sodium, 18mg phosphorus, 9mg magnesium, and 9mg calcium.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#9: Leeks (Boiled and Drained)

Potassium in 100g	1/4 cup chopped (26g)	1 leek (124g)
87mg (2% DV)	22.6mg (1% DV)	107.9mg (2% DV)

1/4 cup of Boiled and Drained Leeks contains 3mg of sodium, 4mg phosphorus, 4mg magnesium, and 8mg calcium. Boiling and draining the water of vegetables will help reduce the potassium and mineral content.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#10: Napa Cabbage (Boiled and Drained)

Potassium in 100g	1 cup (109g)
87mg (2% DV)	94.8mg (2% DV)

1 cup of boiled and drained Napa cabbage contains 12mg of sodium, 21mg phosphorus, 9mg magnesium, and 32mg calcium. Boiling and draining the water of vegetables will help reduce the potassium and mineral content.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.