Best Foods for Potassium per 100g (USDA): Ranked per 100g and per Serving
Quick answer
Which foods are highest in potassium?
Per 100g, the leaders in Calorique's USDA-matched dataset are Pistachios (1025mg), Wheat Germ (892mg) and Flaxseed (813mg); the top whole-meal foods are White Beans (Cannellini, Cooked) (561mg), Spinach (558mg raw) and Avocado (485mg).
Per USDA serving, a cup of cooked white beans delivers 1004mg (21% DV), a cup of cooked lima beans 955mg and a medium baked sweet potato 542mg. The FDA Daily Value is 4,700mg.
Ranking 1: potassium per USDA serving
Serving weights are USDA household measures for each record (a cup of cooked beans, a cup of cubed avocado, an ounce of nuts). % DV is the share of the FDA 4,700mg Daily Value; 20% DV or more per serving is high under the FDA label guide. Foods whose dataset calories differ from the matched USDA record by more than 10% were excluded rather than mixed.
| # | Food | USDA serving | Potassium /serving | % DV | kcal /serving | Potassium /100g | FDC ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prunes (Dried Plums) | 1 cup, pitted (174g) | 1274mg | 27% | 418 | 732mg | 168162 |
| 2 | Adzuki Beans (Cooked) | 1 cup (230g) | 1224mg | 26% | 294 | 532mg | 173728 |
| 3 | Raisins | 1 cup (not packed) (145g) | 1079mg | 23% | 434 | 744mg | 168165 |
| 4 | Wheat Germ | 1 cup (115g) | 1026mg | 22% | 414 | 892mg | 168892 |
| 5 | White Beans (Cannellini, Cooked) | 1 cup (179g) | 1004mg | 21% | 249 | 561mg | 175203 |
| 6 | Lima Beans (Cooked) | 1 cup (188g) | 955mg | 20% | 216 | 508mg | 174253 |
| 7 | Soybeans (Cooked) | 1 cup (172g) | 886mg | 19% | 298 | 515mg | 174271 |
| 8 | Pinto Beans (Cooked) | 1 cup (171g) | 746mg | 16% | 245 | 436mg | 175200 |
| 9 | Lentils (Cooked) | 1 cup (198g) | 731mg | 16% | 230 | 369mg | 172421 |
| 10 | Avocado | 1 cup, cubes (150g) | 728mg | 15% | 240 | 485mg | 171705 |
| 11 | Plantain | 1 cup, sliced (148g) | 721mg | 15% | 181 | 487mg | 169130 |
| 12 | Kidney Beans (Cooked) | 1 cup (177g) | 717mg | 15% | 225 | 405mg | 173740 |
| 13 | Split Peas (Cooked) | 1 cup (196g) | 710mg | 15% | 231 | 362mg | 172429 |
| 14 | Navy Beans (Cooked) | 1 cup (182g) | 708mg | 15% | 255 | 389mg | 173746 |
| 15 | Cranberry Beans (Borlotti) | 1 cup (177g) | 685mg | 15% | 241 | 387mg | 173736 |
| 16 | Tempeh | 1 cup (166g) | 684mg | 15% | 320 | 412mg | 174272 |
| 17 | Edamame | 1 cup (155g) | 676mg | 14% | 189 | 436mg | 168411 |
| 18 | Black Beans (Cooked) | 1 cup (172g) | 611mg | 13% | 227 | 355mg | 173735 |
| 19 | Coconut Water | 1 cup (240g) | 600mg | 13% | 46 | 250mg | 170174 |
| 20 | Cassava | 1 cup (206g) | 558mg | 12% | 330 | 271mg | 169985 |
| 21 | Garlic | 1 cup (136g) | 545mg | 12% | 203 | 401mg | 169230 |
| 22 | Sweet Potato | 1 medium (2" dia, 5" long, raw) (114g) | 542mg | 12% | 98 | 475mg | 168483 |
| 23 | Mung Beans (Cooked) | 1 cup (202g) | 537mg | 11% | 212 | 266mg | 174257 |
| 24 | Chickpeas (Cooked) | 1 cup (164g) | 477mg | 10% | 269 | 291mg | 173757 |
| 25 | Black-Eyed Peas (Cooked) | 1 cup (171g) | 475mg | 10% | 198 | 278mg | 173759 |
Ranking 2: potassium per 100g
The per-100g view is dominated by nuts, seeds and dried fruit because removing water concentrates minerals. It is the right table for comparing foods on equal weight and the wrong one for deciding what to eat, which is why the serving column is repeated here.
| # | Food | Category | Potassium /100g | % DV /100g | kcal /100g | In USDA serving | FDC ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pistachios | Nuts & Seeds | 1025mg | 22% | 562 | 291mg per 1 oz (49 kernels) | 170184 |
| 2 | Wheat Germ | Grains | 892mg | 19% | 360 | 1026mg per 1 cup | 168892 |
| 3 | Flaxseed | Nuts & Seeds | 813mg | 17% | 534 | 84mg per 1 tbsp, whole | 169414 |
| 4 | Pumpkin Seeds | Nuts & Seeds | 809mg | 17% | 559 | 229mg per 1 oz | 170556 |
| 5 | Raisins | Fruits | 744mg | 16% | 299 | 1079mg per 1 cup (not packed) | 168165 |
| 6 | Almonds | Nuts & Seeds | 733mg | 16% | 579 | 208mg per 1 oz (23 whole kernels) | 170567 |
| 7 | Prunes (Dried Plums) | Fruits | 732mg | 16% | 240 | 1274mg per 1 cup, pitted | 168162 |
| 8 | Peanuts | Nuts & Seeds | 705mg | 15% | 567 | 200mg per 1 oz | 172430 |
| 9 | Dates (Medjool) | Fruits | 696mg | 15% | 277 | , | 168191 |
| 10 | Hazelnuts (Filberts) | Nuts & Seeds | 680mg | 14% | 628 | 193mg per 1 oz (21 whole kernels) | 170581 |
| 11 | Sunflower Seeds | Nuts & Seeds | 645mg | 14% | 584 | , | 170562 |
| 12 | White Beans (Cannellini, Cooked) | Legumes | 561mg | 12% | 139 | 1004mg per 1 cup | 175203 |
| 13 | Spinach | Vegetables | 558mg | 12% | 23 | 167mg per 1 cup | 168462 |
| 14 | Adzuki Beans (Cooked) | Legumes | 532mg | 11% | 128 | 1224mg per 1 cup | 173728 |
| 15 | Halibut | Proteins | 528mg | 11% | 111 | 449mg per 3 oz | 174201 |
| 16 | Soybeans (Cooked) | Legumes | 515mg | 11% | 173 | 886mg per 1 cup | 174271 |
| 17 | Lima Beans (Cooked) | Legumes | 508mg | 11% | 115 | 955mg per 1 cup | 174253 |
| 18 | Plantain | Fruits | 487mg | 10% | 122 | 721mg per 1 cup, sliced | 169130 |
| 19 | Avocado | Fruits | 485mg | 10% | 160 | 728mg per 1 cup, cubes | 171705 |
| 20 | Sweet Potato | Vegetables | 475mg | 10% | 86 | 542mg per 1 medium (2" dia, 5" long, raw) | 168483 |
| 21 | Walnuts | Nuts & Seeds | 441mg | 9% | 654 | 125mg per 1 oz (14 halves) | 170187 |
| 22 | Pinto Beans (Cooked) | Legumes | 436mg | 9% | 143 | 746mg per 1 cup | 175200 |
| 23 | Edamame | Proteins | 436mg | 9% | 122 | 676mg per 1 cup | 168411 |
| 24 | Pork Tenderloin | Proteins | 421mg | 9% | 143 | 358mg per 3 oz | 168250 |
| 25 | Fennel | Vegetables | 414mg | 9% | 31 | 360mg per 1 cup, sliced | 169385 |
| 26 | Tempeh | Proteins | 412mg | 9% | 193 | 684mg per 1 cup | 174272 |
| 27 | Pecans | Nuts & Seeds | 410mg | 9% | 691 | 116mg per 1 oz (19 halves) | 170182 |
| 28 | Chia Seeds | Nuts & Seeds | 407mg | 9% | 486 | 115mg per 1 oz | 170554 |
| 29 | Kidney Beans (Cooked) | Legumes | 405mg | 9% | 127 | 717mg per 1 cup | 173740 |
| 30 | Garlic | Vegetables | 401mg | 9% | 149 | 545mg per 1 cup | 169230 |
How to use the two rankings
Beans and lentils are the most efficient source. Every cooked legume cup in Ranking 1 lands between 475 and 1,224mg potassium for 200-300 calories, and the same cup also covers roughly 30-70% of the fiber Daily Value (see the fiber ranking).
Dried fruit and nuts are concentrated, not generous. A cup of pitted prunes is 1274mg potassium but 418 calories; an ounce of pistachios is 291mg for 159 calories. Use them as toppings rather than as the plan.
Raw leafy greens compress when cooked. Raw spinach is 558mg per 100g but a raw cup weighs only 30g (167mg). USDA lists cooked spinach at 466mg per 100g with a 180g cup, so a cooked cup is roughly 840mg; the serving table uses the raw record because that is the dataset entry for spinach.
Banana is fine, not special. The banana calorie chart puts a medium banana at 422mg (9% DV), which is why bananas are absent from the top of both tables.
Data sources and method
- Calories, protein, carbohydrate, fat and fiber per 100g come from Calorique's food dataset, which standardizes USDA FoodData Central reference values. Potassium, household portion weights and dry-bean values are read directly from the USDA SR Legacy release; the FDC ID column links to each record.
- Percent Daily Values use the FDA reference amounts for adults (protein 50g, dietary fiber 28g, potassium 4,700mg, sodium 2,300mg) published at fda.gov. The FDA label guide treats 20% DV or more per serving as high and 5% DV or less as low.
- Rankings are generated by a script (
scripts/rank-usda-foods.py) from the dataset, not hand-typed, so the tables match the individual food pages. Generated 2026-09-17. - Potassium values are read from the USDA SR Legacy release (nutrient 306, mg per 100g) for the FDC ID shown; Calorique food pages such as white beans, avocado and sweet potato now show the same potassium figure with a % Daily Value column.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which food has the most potassium per serving?
Per USDA household serving, prunes (dried plums) lead with 1274mg in 1 cup, pitted (27% of the 4,700mg Daily Value), followed by adzuki beans (cooked) (1224mg per 1 cup) and raisins (1079mg). Among everyday foods, a cup of cooked white beans is 1004mg (21% DV) and a cup of avocado cubes is 728mg.
Is banana the best source of potassium?
No. USDA lists raw banana at 358mg potassium per 100g, or about 422mg (9% DV) for a 118g medium banana, which is a good but not exceptional amount. Cooked white beans (561mg per 100g), lima beans, adzuki beans, spinach (558mg per 100g raw), avocado (485mg) and a medium baked sweet potato (542mg) all beat a banana per 100g or per serving. Bananas rank well only because they are convenient.
How much potassium do I need per day?
The FDA Daily Value used on Nutrition Facts labels is 4,700mg of potassium per day for adults. A cup of cooked beans, a cup of cooked spinach or chard, an avocado and a sweet potato each contribute roughly 10-25% of that amount, so reaching the Daily Value from food means several potassium-rich servings across the day.
Which high-potassium foods are lowest in calories?
Ranked by potassium per calorie among the per-serving leaders: white beans (cannellini, cooked) (1004mg for 249 kcal per 1 cup), lima beans (cooked) (955mg for 216 kcal per 1 cup), pinto beans (cooked) (746mg for 245 kcal per 1 cup), navy beans (cooked) (708mg for 255 kcal per 1 cup), avocado (728mg for 240 kcal per 1 cup, cubes). Nuts, seeds and dried fruit are potassium-dense by weight but also calorie-dense, so leafy greens, beans and tubers are the better choices inside a calorie deficit. People with kidney disease or on potassium-affecting medication should follow their clinician's potassium limits rather than a ranking.
Potassium inside a calorie budget
Beans, greens and tubers give the most potassium per calorie; set your daily calories first so the servings above have a place to go.
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