Before pregnancy you probably never thought about potassium unless you were sitting in chemistry class. During pregnancy you may hear about it again: this mineral element and electrolyte is vital to all living cells, is necessary for heart and kidney function and helps regulate blood pressure. The USDA suggests that pregnant women get 4.7 grams of potassium a day, 5.1 g. if you’re breastfeeding, and about half of all Americans and Europeans don’t get enough. All fruits, vegetables and meats contain some amount of potassium and most prenatals don’t contain any. The upper intake of potassium is very high (about 1,500 grams for an average woman), so don’t hold back when it comes to adding potassium-rich foods to your diet.
Potassium-Rich Foods
| Dried apricots | 1511 mg. per cup |
| Yams | 1,224 mg. per cup |
| Sweet potatoes | 448 mg. a cup |
| Banana | 400 mg. per banana |
| Cantaloupe or honeydew melon | 400 mg. per cup |
| Citrus fruits | between 231 and Between 230- 330 mg. of potassium per large fruit |
| Almonds | 200 mg. per ounce |
For a potassium-rich recipes, try:
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