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Draft: not yet reviewed by a clinician

Use this page to prepare questions for your care team. It does not replace their advice. Your own targets and doses come from your nephrologist, diabetes team and renal dietitian.

Food lists

In short

These lists sort common foods by how much potassium, phosphorus and sodium they have at the serving shown. They are a starting point: a food on the "avoid" list can be fine for someone whose blood potassium is normal, and a food on the "eat" list can be wrong for someone on a fluid limit. Star fruit is never allowed at any stage of kidney disease (NKF; de Oliveira 2015). Values are approximate USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) figures (FDC); when a food has a label, the label wins.

How the foods are sorted

Low Medium High
Potassium per serving (AKF) 150 mg or less 151–250 mg 251 mg or more (NKF: 200 mg or more)
Phosphorus per serving (AKF) 100 mg or less 101–199 mg 200 mg or more, or any "phos" ingredient
Sodium per serving (FDA) 140 mg or less ("low sodium") 460 mg or more (20 % DV)

(AKF potassium guide; AKF phosphorus guide; NKF; NKF; FDA.) Bold marks a value over a "high" line.

The lists

Low in all three at the serving shown.

Category Food Serving K mg P mg Na mg Carb g Protein g
Fruit Applesauce, unsweetened ½ cup 90 6 2 14 0.2
Fruit Blueberries ½ cup 57 9 1 11 0.5
Fruit Strawberries ½ cup halves 116 18 1 6 0.5
Fruit Raspberries ½ cup 93 18 1 7 0.7
Fruit Apple, small, with skin 1 small 159 16 2 21 0.4
Fruit Grapes ½ cup (~15) 144 15 2 14 0.5
Fruit Pineapple, fresh ½ cup chunks 90 7 1 11 0.4
Fruit Pears, canned in juice ½ cup 119 15 5 16 0.4
Fruit Watermelon ½ cup diced 85 8 1 6 0.5
Fruit Plum 1 medium 104 11 0 8 0.5
Fruit Tangerine / clementine 1 small 126 15 2 10 0.6
Vegetables Cauliflower, cooked ½ cup 88 20 9 3 1.1
Vegetables Cabbage, cooked ½ cup 147 25 6 4 1.0
Vegetables Green beans, cooked (fresh/frozen) ½ cup 91 18 1 5 1.2
Vegetables Cucumber ½ cup slices 76 12 1 2 0.3
Vegetables Lettuce, iceberg or romaine 1 cup shredded 102–116 14 4–7 2 0.6
Vegetables Onion, raw ½ cup chopped 117 23 3 8 0.9
Vegetables Bell pepper, green ½ cup chopped 130 15 2 4 0.6
Vegetables Eggplant, cooked ½ cup 61 7 0 4 0.4
Vegetables Radishes ½ cup slices 135 12 23 2 0.4
Vegetables Kale, raw 1 cup chopped 73 12 11 1 0.6
Vegetables Turnips, cooked ½ cup 138 20 12 4 0.6
Grains White rice, cooked ½ cup 28 34 1 22 2.1
Grains White bread 1 slice 36 28 142 14 2.6
Grains Sourdough / French bread 1 oz slice 37 34 193 17 3.4
Grains Pasta, white, cooked ½ cup 27 36 1 19 3.6
Grains Cream of Wheat, cooked ½ cup 20 19 8 13 1.8
Grains Grits, cooked ½ cup 35 26 3 19 2.2
Grains Puffed rice 1 cup 16 14 0 13 0.9
Grains Corn flakes 1 cup 30 9 160 25 1.7
Grains Rice cakes, plain 2 52 65 5 15 1.5
Grains Couscous, cooked ½ cup 46 17 4 18 3.0
Grains Corn tortilla 1 (6 in) 45 75 11 11 1.4
Grains English muffin ½ 37 38 132 13 2.2
Protein Chicken breast, roasted, skinless 3 oz 218 194 63 0 26
Protein Turkey breast, roasted (not deli) 3 oz 212 196 84 0 26
Protein Egg, whole 1 large 63 86 62 1 6.3
Protein Egg whites 2 large 108 10 110 1 7.2
Protein Cod, baked 3 oz 207 117 66 0 19
Protein Tuna, canned light in water, no salt 3 oz 201 139 42 0 22
Protein Tofu, firm ¼ block (~3 oz) 120 98 10 2 7.3
Dairy & fats Almond milk, unsweetened 1 cup 176 24 189 3 1.0
Dairy & fats Cream cheese 1 tbsp 19 16 46 1 0.9
Dairy & fats Sour cream 2 tbsp 30 18 7 1 0.6
Dairy & fats Half-and-half 1 tbsp 20 14 9 1 0.5
Dairy & fats Sherbet, orange ½ cup 71 30 34 22 0.8
Dairy & fats Butter, unsalted 1 tsp 1 1 0 0 0
Dairy & fats Olive or canola oil 1 tbsp 0 0 0 0 0
Dairy & fats Mayonnaise 1 tbsp 3 3 88 0 0.1
Drinks Water (add lemon or cucumber) 1 cup 2 0 7 0 0
Drinks Coffee, brewed 8 oz 116 7 5 0 0.3
Drinks Tea, black, brewed 8 oz 88 2 7 1 0
Drinks Lemon-lime soda, diet 12 oz 7 0 21 0 0.4
Drinks Cranberry juice cocktail (hypo use) ½ cup 18 1 2 17 0
Drinks Apple juice (hypo use) ½ cup 125 9 5 14 0.1
Snacks Pretzels, unsalted 1 oz 41 32 71 22 2.6
Snacks Popcorn, air-popped, unsalted 2 cups 53 57 1 12 2.1
Snacks Graham crackers 2 squares 24 26 72 11 0.9
Snacks Saltines, unsalted tops 6 23 19 138 13 1.7
Snacks Vanilla wafers 5 19 16 61 14 0.9
Snacks Hard candy (hypo use) 3 pieces 1 0 7 18 0
Snacks Glucose tablets (hypo first choice) 4 tablets 0 0 0 16 0
Seasoning Garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, paprika, oregano, cumin, cinnamon 1 tsp 11–52 2–13 0–4 1–2 ≤ 0.5
Seasoning Lemon juice / vinegar 1 tbsp 11–16 1 0–1 0–1 0

Salt-free blends (Mrs. Dash-type) are fine if the label does not list potassium chloride.

Medium in one nutrient, or fine only at this portion. Rule of thumb: no more than one or two of these per meal, at the serving shown.

Category Food Serving K mg P mg Na mg Carb g Protein g Watch
Fruit Apple, medium 1 (3 in) 195 20 2 25 0.5 K; eat a small one
Fruit Cherries, sweet ½ cup 171 16 0 12 0.8 K
Fruit Peaches, canned in juice ½ cup 160 21 5 14 0.8 K; fine as a hypo fruit
Fruit Peach, fresh, small 1 247 26 0 12 1.2 K; a medium is ~285
Fruit Pear, fresh, small 1 172 18 2 22 0.5 K
Fruit Grapefruit ½ 166 22 0 13 0.9 K; avoid with finerenone or tacrolimus (see below)
Fruit Kiwi 1 215 24 2 10 0.8 K; two = high
Fruit Cantaloupe / honeydew ½ cup diced 194–208 9–12 12–15 6–8 0.5–0.7 K; a full cup is 388–417
Fruit Mandarin oranges, canned in juice ½ cup 166 12 6 12 0.8 K; the one "orange" that fits
Fruit Mango ½ cup 139 12 1 12 0.7 whole fruit ~560 mg K
Vegetables Carrots, raw ½ cup chopped 205 22 44 6 0.6 K
Vegetables Broccoli, cooked ½ cup 228 52 32 6 1.9 K; raw is 139
Vegetables Asparagus, cooked ½ cup 202 49 13 4 2.2 K
Vegetables Brussels sprouts, cooked ½ cup 247 44 16 6 2.0 K, at the line
Vegetables Corn, cooked ½ cup 162 57 1 16 2.5 counts as a starch
Vegetables Green peas, cooked ½ cup 217 94 2 12 4.3 K, P, carb
Vegetables Zucchini, cooked ½ cup 238 33 3 2 1.0 K (shrinks when cooked)
Vegetables Mushrooms, cooked ½ cup 278 68 2 4 1.7 eat raw (111) or ¼ cup
Vegetables Tomato, fresh 2 medium slices (¼ in) 95 10 2 2 0.4 a whole tomato is 292
Vegetables Potato, boiled, unleached ½ cup 256 31 4 16 1.3 leached/double-boiled ≈ 130
Grains Brown rice, cooked ½ cup 87 104 4 26 2.8 P (plant, poorly absorbed)
Grains Whole-wheat bread 1 slice 81 68 146 14 4.0 two slices = medium P
Grains Oatmeal, cooked ½ cup 73 83 1 14 2.7 plain, not flavored packets
Grains Whole-wheat pasta, cooked ½ cup 56 74 2 18 3.5 —
Grains Cheerios 1 cup 177 100 139 20 3.5 ¾ cup is the portion
Grains Flour tortilla, refrigerated dough 1 (6 in, 48 g) 60 99 353 24 3.9 Na, P; brands vary 4-fold
Grains Bagel, whole 1 medium 112 104 443 55 11 half is the portion
Grains Pancake, from mix 1 (4 in) 66 127 239 14 2.0 phosphate leavening
Dairy Milk, 1 % ½ cup 183 116 54 6 4.1 on cereal, not as a drink
Dairy Yogurt, plain low-fat ½ cup 287 176 86 9 6.4 keep to ¼ cup
Dairy Cheddar / mozzarella 1 oz 22–24 130–131 176–183 1 6.9 one ounce a day
Dairy Swiss cheese 1 oz 20 163 53 0 7.6 P
Dairy Cottage cheese, 2 % ½ cup 141 170 348 5 12 Na, P
Dairy Ice cream, vanilla ½ cup 131 69 53 16 2.3 sherbet is the swap
Dairy Rice milk, unsweetened, enriched 1 cup 65 134 94 22 0.7 a starch serving; check for added phosphate
Protein Tilapia / salmon / sirloin / pork loin / pork tenderloin 3 oz 303–358 173–227 48–54 0 19–26 one 3-oz portion is the day's meat
Protein Ground beef, 90 % lean 3 oz 283 172 58 0 22 skip cheese and bun salt
Protein Chicken thigh, skinless 3 oz 229 196 90 0 21 breast is lower
Protein Tuna, fresh yellowfin 3 oz 448 283 46 0 25 keep to 2 oz
Protein Peanut butter 1 tbsp 89 54 68 4 3.6 2 tbsp is medium K
Protein Almonds / walnuts 1 oz 125–208 98–136 0–1 4–6 4.3–6.0 a small handful
Protein Kidney beans / lentils / edamame ¼ cup 166–183 66–89 1–164 4–10 3.3–4.6 ½ cup is "avoid"
Protein Hummus 2 tbsp 94 54 128 5 2.3 a dip, not a meal
Drinks & extras Beer 12 oz 96 50 14 13 1.6 with food; carb and P
Drinks & extras Wine, red 5 oz 187 34 6 4 0.1 with food (delayed lows)
Drinks & extras Ketchup 1 tbsp 48 4 154 5 0.2 Na
Drinks & extras Barbecue sauce 2 tbsp 79 7 349 14 0.3 Na, carb
Drinks & extras Salsa 2 tbsp 99 12 256 2 0.5 Na
Drinks & extras Honey / jam 1 tbsp 11–15 1–4 1–6 14–17 0.1 hypo use only
Drinks & extras Pretzels, salted 1 oz 63 36 352 23 2.8 buy unsalted
Drinks & extras Angel food cake 1 slice 26 91 210 16 1.7 the renal cake of choice
Drinks & extras Dark chocolate, 70–85 % ½ oz 100 43 3 6 1.1 the honest treat portion

"Avoid" means do not eat a normal serving without checking with your dietitian. Some of these come back when labs allow (someone at G3b with normal potassium may be allowed a banana a week), and the sugary drinks come back only as measured treatment for a low (Treating a low).

Why Food Serving K mg P mg Na mg Carb g Protein g
Toxin Star fruit (carambola), any form 1 medium 121 11 2 6 0.9
High K Banana 1 medium 422 26 1 27 1.3
High K Orange 1 medium 237 18 0 15 1.2
High K Orange juice 1 cup 496 42 2 26 1.7
High K Potato, baked with skin 1 medium 926 121 17 37 4.3
High K French fries 1 medium order 677 146 246 48 4.0
High K Sweet potato, baked 1 medium 542 62 41 24 2.3
High K Tomato, whole 1 medium 292 30 6 5 1.1
High K + Na Tomato sauce, canned ½ cup 364 33 581 7 1.5
High K + Na Tomato or vegetable (V8-type) juice 1 cup 449–527 46 410–614 9 2
High K Raisins / prunes / dried apricots / dates ¼ cup, 5 prunes, 3 dates 307–501 23–45 1–11 20–54 1–1.4
High K Avocado ½ fruit 487 52 7 9 2.0
High K Spinach or Swiss chard, cooked ½ cup 419–480 29–50 63–157 3–4 1.6–2.7
High K Kidney, black beans or lentils ½ cup 305–365 120–178 1–2 20 7.6–8.9
High K + Na Baked beans / refried beans, canned ½ cup 284–380 94–110 436–440 16–27 6
High K Cantaloupe / honeydew 1 cup diced 388–416 19–23 25–31 13–16 0.9–1.3
High K Winter squash (acorn), baked ½ cup 448 46 4 15 1.1
High K Artichoke, cooked 1 medium 343 88 72 14 3.5
High K Pomegranate 1 fruit 666 102 8 53 4.7
High K Coconut water ("electrolytes") 1 cup 600 48 252 9 1.7
High K Potato chips 1 oz 335 43 148 15 1.8
High K + P Milk, 1 % 1 cup 366 232 107 12 8.2
High K + P Yogurt, plain low-fat 6-oz pot 398 245 119 12 8.9
High K + P Chocolate milk / milkshake 1 cup / 12 oz 308–763 190–429 165–378 30–72 7.5–10
High K + P Raisin Bran / granola with raisins 1 cup / ½ cup 310–329 200–263 16–225 33–47 4.5–8.3
KCl Salt substitutes (NoSalt, Nu-Salt, Lite Salt) ¼ tsp 350–640 0 0–290 0 0
P additive Cola, regular or diet (phosphoric acid) 12 oz 18–25 33–36 (measured 27–68) 11–14 0–38 0
P additive + Na American cheese, processed / cheese spread 1 oz 37–94 182–242 420–474 1–3 4.6–5.1
P additive + Na Hot dog / bacon / bologna 1 frank, 3 slices, 2 slices 78–211 45–123 424–608 0–3 5.5–8.7
High Na Pepperoni / dry salami (salt-cured, no phosphate additive) 1 oz / 3 slices 77–98 44–52 443–474 0 5.4–5.7
P additive + Na Deli ham / deli turkey 2 oz 212–264 142–144 512–539 0–1 8.4–9.6
High P Beef or chicken liver 3 oz 190–299 246–422 57–67 0–4 23–25
High P Sardines, canned 3 oz 337 416 261 0 21
High P Sunflower or pumpkin seeds 1 oz 223–241 327–333 73–186 4–7 5.5–8.5
P additive + Na Boxed macaroni and cheese 1 cup 151 442 869 44 13
P additive + Na Instant pudding ½ cup 239 338 403 27 4.5
P additive + Na Refrigerated biscuit / cornbread from mix 1 78–80 228–235 359–511 25–33 3.5–4.0
P additive + Na Chicken nuggets / double cheeseburger 6 pieces / 1 241–399 261–298 570–1,062 14–47 15–26
P additive "Enhanced", "self-basting", "injected" meat and poultry 3 oz — — +200–400 0 —
High Na Canned soups (chicken noodle, tomato) 1 cup prepared 60–697 38–47 468–844 8–19 2–3
High Na Ramen noodles 1 packet 154 98 1,577 51 8.6
High Na Soy or teriyaki sauce 1 tbsp 40–70 27–28 690–879 1–3 1.1–1.3
High Na Bouillon cube 1 14 8 864 1 0.6
High Na Pickles / olives / sauerkraut 1 spear / 10 / ½ cup 11–121 1–14 283–469 1–3 0.2–0.6
High Na Table salt / baking soda 1 tsp 0 0 2,326 / 1,259 0 0
High Na Frozen pot pie or entrée 1 — — 1,390 70 26
Sugar (T1D) Fruit punch, sweet tea, energy drinks, sports drinks 12 oz 8–115 0–60 11–270 26–44 0–1

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice change the blood level of some medicines: the labels for finerenone (Kerendia) and tacrolimus (Prograf) say to avoid them (Kerendia label; Prograf label). Ask your pharmacist about your own medicines.

On dialysis

On hemodialysis the high-potassium list stays off (2,000–3,000 mg a day); on peritoneal dialysis potassium is often more liberal and your dietitian may allow some foods back; on either, protein portions rise to 4–6 oz and phosphate binders go with meals (KDOQI 2020; DaVita).

What to do

  • Pick most fruit and vegetables from the "Eat" list, in ½-cup portions.
  • Have no more than one or two "Limit" foods per meal.
  • Ask your dietitian which "Avoid" foods you can have back, given your own labs.
  • Never eat star fruit, in any form.
  • Look up any food in the app: it shows the same numbers and a green, yellow or red rating.

Ask your care team

  1. Which "Avoid" foods are fine for me with my current labs?
  2. How many "Limit" foods can I have a day?
  3. Can you give me a list of my favorite foods that fit?

Get help now if…

  • For urgent symptoms (very high potassium, a low you cannot treat), see Get help now.

Sources

Not yet reviewed by a clinician. Facts and sources last checked 2026-10-05.