Weekly Training Article | Potassium Rich Foods | 9/26/11-10/2/11

By Sharon Williams

What is potassium? Potassium is taught in chemistry as being represented by the letter K, and actually comes from potash. Potassium is found naturally as an ionic salt, meaning it is found in seawater that has dissolved and is a major part of many different minerals. Potassium is required for all live cells and is found in every plant and animal on earth. Found in much higher concentrations in plants, it is recommended that people eat a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables to get the required amounts for a balanced nutrition.

Potassium rich foods can be found at your local grocery store, and some are much tastier than others. Foods rich in potassium are thought of as the nasty leafy greens or vegetables no one eats. However, there are quite a few foods high in potassium that are great to eat and easy to prepare. Here are a few examples of foods that are tasty and easy to make.

One ounce of raw avocado is worth about 180mg of potassium, while 1 cup of banana is worth 594mg. One cup of cooked beets or brussel sprouts are worth an average of 515mg of potassium, and the same serving of cantaloupe is worth almost 500mg. Since the recommended daily allowance of potassium for a healthy adult is 3500mg, it can be hard to eat as much as you need. Therefore some foods can be used as snacks and also during meals. These include lima beans, which at one cup is worth almost 1,000mg. One whole nectarine is worth almost 300mg, and a cup of orange juice is worth almost 500mg. A cup of prune juice is worth about 700mg, and a cup of dried prunes is worth almost 830mg. A cup of cooked spinach is worth almost 840mg, and a simple cup of plain yogurt is worth almost 600mg. Eating only a few of these foods can help you maintain proper healthy amounts of potassium.

Source: physicalfitnessarticles.net