By: PLEZi Nutrition Team Read Time: 3 minutes

With a million other things on your to-do list every day, potassium probably isn’t something you’re thinking about very much… if at all. But did you know, many kids don’t consume the recommended amount of potassium? Here’s why potassium is important and some ideas for ways to get more into your kids’ daily routine.

Potassium is a mineral and electrolyte that helps muscles contract, regulates fluid and mineral balance of our cells, and helps maintain normal blood pressure by limiting the effect of sodium. Eating potassium-rich foods can support kids’ growing bodies. And guess what?! Bananas aren’t the only way to get their fill of this nutrient (especially considering they would need almost five of them to get the recommended daily amount!).

What are the best sources of potassium, and how do I know how much potassium my kids are getting?

You can’t go wrong with introducing fruits and vegetables as a way for you and your family to get your recommended daily potassium intake. Kiwi, melon, sweet potatoes, squash, beans, and certain fish are great sources of this nutrient – scroll on to see how much potassium is in these and other foods.

How much potassium do kids need?

The National Academy Institute of Medicine recommends the amount of total potassium for kids by age and sex:

Girls

  • 1–3 years old: 2,000 mg/day
  • 4–8 years old: 2,300 mg/day
  • 9-13 years old: 2,500 mg/day
  • 14-18 years old: 3,000 mg/day

Boys

  • 1–3 years old: 2,000 mg/day
  • 4–8 years old: 2,300 mg/day
  • 9-13 years old: 2,300 mg/day
  • 14-18 years old: 2,300 mg/day

Here’s a quick breakdown of how your kids could get their recommended amount of potassium in a day: 

A 7 year old girl should get 2,000 mg/day, which could look like:

  • 1 cup of kiwi
  • 1 cup of mandarin oranges
  • 1 cup of cantaloupe 
  • ½ cup of red bell pepper
  • ½ cup of cooked spinach
  • 3 oz of pork

A 12 year old boy should get 2,300 mg/day, which he could do by having the following:

  • 1 medium banana 
  • 1 cup of apricots 
  • ½ cup of  avocado 
  • ½ cup of cooked butternut squash
  • ½ cup of cooked onions 
  • 1 oz of pistachios 
  • 3 oz of salmon

SOURCES OF POTASSIUM

Fruits 

  • Banana (1 medium; 451 mg)
  • Mandarin oranges (1 cup ; 324 mg)
  • Apricots (1 cup; 401 mg)
  • Cherries ( cup; 306 mg)
  • Peach (1 cup; 293 mg)
  • Guava (1 cup; 688 mg)
  • Kiwi (1 cup; 562 mg)
  • Honeydew melon (1 cup; 388 mg
  • Cantaloupe (1 cup; 473 mg)
  • Avocado (½ cup; 364 mg)

Vegetables

  • Lima beans* (½ cup; 485 mg)
  • Spinach* (½ cup; 420 mg)
  • Portabella mushrooms* (1 cup; 549 mg)
  • Artichoke* (1 cup; 480 mg
  • Butternut squash* (½ cup; 291 mg)
  • Red bell pepper (½ cup; 157 mg)
  • Cauliflower (½ cup; 160 mg)
  • Onions* (½ cup; 180 mg)

*cooked

Protein Foods

  • Tempeh (½ cup; 342 mg) 
  • Pistachios (1 oz; 286 mg)
  • Salmon (3 oz; 280-535 mg)
  • Tilapia (3 oz; 323 mg)
  • Haddock (3 oz; 298 mg)
  • Pork (3 oz; 303 mg)

If you’re looking for potassium in frozen, canned, or other packaged products, you can read the Nutrition Facts label to see how much potassium is within the product. We know just how important potassium is and how challenging it can be for our kids to get enough, which is why we included potassium in every bottle of PLEZi.

What else do you want to know about potassium? Send us a note here, or you can always reach us on Instagram @plezinutrition.

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