Keto Foods With the Most Potassium: 10 Low-Carb Sources (UK)
Which keto foods have the most potassium? Seeds, nuts and leafy greens top the list. UK food data gives 820mg per 100g for pumpkin seeds, 733mg for almonds and 682mg for raw baby spinach, which has only 0.2g of carbs. Avocado, chicken breast, kale, broccoli, mushrooms, salmon and courgette follow. The NHS says adults need 3,500mg of potassium a day, keto or not.
At a glance
- 3,500mgpotassium a day for adults aged 19 to 64 (NHS)
- 3,700mg or lessa day from supplements is unlikely to have obvious harmful effects (NHS)
- 583mgpotassium per 100g of avocado, with 1.8g of carbs (CoFID)
- 504mgpotassium in a 5g scoop of our Keto Electrolytes (label)
On this page
Which keto foods have the most potassium, and can you get enough without bananas, potatoes and beans? This guide lists 10 low-carb foods and their potassium per 100g from the UK's official food composition data, the NHS daily amount, an example day, and what the NHS says about potassium supplements.
Which keto foods have the most potassium?
If you're searching for keto foods high in potassium, the table below gives the potassium and carbs per 100g for each one.
These figures come from CoFID, the UK's food composition data. Seeds and nuts have the most potassium per 100g, but baby spinach, avocado and mushrooms give you a lot for very few carbs:
| Food | Potassium | Carbs |
|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin seeds | 820mg | 15.2g |
| Almonds, whole | 733mg | 5.3g |
| Baby spinach, raw | 682mg | 0.2g |
| Avocado (Hass) | 583mg | 1.8g |
| Chicken breast, grilled | 460mg | 0g |
| Curly kale, raw | 450mg | 1.4g |
| Broccoli, raw | 397mg | 3.2g |
| Mushrooms, white, raw | 378mg | 0.3g |
| Salmon, farmed, raw | 357mg | 0g |
| Courgette, raw | 341mg | 2.3g |
CoFID 2021 food codes 14-842, 14-896, 13-521, 14-386, 18-323, 13-234, 13-502, 13-505, 16-356 and 13-627. Chicken breast is grilled without skin. Carbohydrate excludes fibre, as on UK labels.
Pumpkin seeds have the most potassium, but also the most carbs on the list, so a 30g handful gives about 246mg for 4.6g of carbs. Almonds give about 220mg for 1.6g of carbs in the same amount.
The figures change with cooking because CoFID weighs food as eaten. Broccoli has 397mg per 100g raw, 373mg steamed and 212mg boiled in unsalted water. White mushrooms have 378mg raw and 216mg stewed in unsalted water.
Other keto foods with similar amounts include hazelnuts (730mg and 6.0g of carbs per 100g), grilled lean rump steak (430mg) and boiled Brussels sprouts (404mg and 4.2g of carbs). Mackerel has 335mg per 100g raw.
How much potassium do you need on keto?
The NHS says adults aged 19 to 64 need 3,500mg of potassium a day. It doesn't give a different amount for keto or other low-carb diets, so that's the figure to aim for. The Department of Health and Social Care advises that you should be able to get all the potassium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
You'll also see potassium on food and supplement labels as a percentage of the NRV (nutrient reference value). For potassium, the NRV used on UK labels is 2,000mg. It's a labelling figure, not a personal target.
Why potassium comes up on keto
The NHS says potassium is found in most types of food. Its list of good sources includes bananas, some vegetables (such as broccoli, parsnips and Brussels sprouts), beans and pulses, nuts and seeds, fish, beef, chicken and turkey. It also says potatoes are a source of potassium.
Several of those are hard to fit into a ketogenic diet, which usually means 20–50g of carbs a day, according to the British Dietetic Association. Per 100g, CoFID lists:
- Bananas: 330mg of potassium and 20.3g of carbs.
- Boiled potatoes: 365mg of potassium and 17.5g of carbs.
- Boiled red kidney beans: 366mg of potassium and 15.1g of carbs.
- Boiled parsnips: 319mg of potassium and 14.7g of carbs.
The rest of the NHS list fits keto well: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, nuts and seeds, fish, beef, chicken and turkey. Weight for weight, avocado has more potassium than banana (583mg against 330mg per 100g) for 1.8g of carbs instead of 20.3g. If bananas, potatoes and beans used to give you much of your potassium, it's worth knowing which low-carb foods can take their place. For more on fruit, see our guide to carbs in lemons.
Getting 3,500mg from keto foods
Here's how a day's worth could add up, using CoFID figures:
| Food | Potassium | Carbs |
|---|---|---|
| 100g baby spinach | 682mg | 0.2g |
| 100g avocado | 583mg | 1.8g |
| 150g salmon (raw weight) | 536mg | 0g |
| 150g grilled chicken breast | 690mg | 0g |
| 100g white mushrooms | 378mg | 0.3g |
| 100g steamed broccoli | 373mg | 3.5g |
| 30g almonds | 220mg | 1.6g |
| 30g pumpkin seeds | 246mg | 4.6g |
| Total | About 3,708mg | 12.0g |
Worked out from CoFID 2021 per-100g figures (steamed broccoli 13-504). Rounded to the nearest mg and 0.1g.
That's a little over the NHS amount for about 12g of carbs, from a salad, two main portions of protein, a side of vegetables and a handful of nuts and seeds. Other everyday keto foods add smaller amounts: CoFID lists 145mg per 100g for eggs and 75mg for Cheddar. Our guide to net carbs on UK food labels explains why UK carb figures don't need fibre taking off.
Do you need a potassium supplement on keto?
Not usually. The Department of Health and Social Care's advice is that you should be able to get all the potassium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet, and that applies on keto too. If you do take a supplement, the NHS says:
- Do not take too much, as this could be harmful.
- Taking 3,700mg or less of potassium supplements a day is unlikely to have obvious harmful effects.
- Taking too much potassium can cause stomach pain, feeling sick and diarrhoea.
- Older people may be more at risk of harm from potassium because their kidneys may be less able to remove potassium from the blood. Older people should not take potassium supplements unless advised to by a doctor.
Check the label for how many mg of potassium each dose gives, and count everything you take, including electrolyte drinks, towards the 3,700mg. For the NHS amounts for magnesium, see our magnesium on keto guide.
Potassium, kidneys and medicines
The NHS says people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) can develop high potassium levels in their blood, called hyperkalaemia, because their kidneys do not work properly. It says: "If you have CKD, it's important to avoid taking potassium supplements and some medicines used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure because they can make your potassium levels too high. Talk to a GP about the medicines you take if you're worried."
Speak to your GP, diabetes nurse or a registered dietitian before you make big changes to your diet. This is especially important if you have diabetes and take insulin or other medicines that can cause hypos, or take SGLT2 inhibitors, as your medication may need to change. The same goes if you're pregnant, breastfeeding or have a history of eating disorders.
Our Keto Electrolytes
Our Keto Electrolytes Powder comes in three flavours: lemon, forest fruits and passionfruit papaya. According to the labels, a 5g scoop has 504mg of potassium (25.2% of the NRV), plus magnesium, sodium and vitamin C, with 0.1–0.15g of carbs. The labels' directions are one scoop (5g) or two (10g) in 500ml to 1 litre of cold liquid, so two scoops give 1,008mg of potassium.
It's a food supplement, so count it towards the NHS figure of 3,700mg or less a day from supplements. The NHS advice above for older people and people with CKD applies to it too. Each scoop also has 1.02g of salt. The NHS says adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day, including the salt already in food. Free delivery on orders over £30.
Key takeaways
- Keto doesn't change the target. The NHS amount for adults is 3,500mg of potassium a day.
- Seeds, nuts and greens lead. Pumpkin seeds have 820mg per 100g, almonds 733mg and baby spinach 682mg.
- Food first. Greens, avocado, fish, chicken, mushrooms, nuts and seeds can add up to about 3,700mg for around 12g of carbs.
- Keep supplements to 3,700mg or less. That's the NHS figure, counting everything you take. Older people and people with CKD should follow the NHS advice above.
Frequently asked questions
How much potassium do you need on keto?
The NHS says adults aged 19 to 64 need 3,500mg of potassium a day. There's no separate figure for keto or other low-carb diets. The Department of Health and Social Care says you should be able to get all the potassium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
Which keto foods have the most potassium?
Seeds, nuts and leafy greens. CoFID lists 820mg of potassium per 100g for pumpkin seeds, 733mg for almonds and 682mg for raw baby spinach, which has only 0.2g of carbs. Avocado has 583mg, and salmon, mushrooms and courgette each have 341–378mg per 100g.
Do avocados have more potassium than bananas?
Weight for weight, yes. CoFID lists 583mg of potassium per 100g for Hass avocado flesh and 330mg for banana flesh. The avocado has 1.8g of carbs per 100g against 20.3g for the banana, so it's much easier to fit into a keto diet of 20–50g of carbs a day.
Can you take too much potassium?
Yes. The NHS says taking too much potassium can cause stomach pain, feeling sick and diarrhoea, and that 3,700mg or less a day from supplements is unlikely to have obvious harmful effects. Older people should not take potassium supplements unless advised to by a doctor, and people with chronic kidney disease should avoid them.
How much potassium is in Groovy Keto Electrolytes?
According to the labels, a 5g scoop of our Keto Electrolytes Powder has 504mg of potassium, or 25.2% of the NRV. It comes in lemon, forest fruits and passionfruit papaya. Count it towards the NHS figure of 3,700mg or less a day from supplements, and note each scoop has 1.02g of salt.
Sources
- NHS. Vitamins and minerals: others (potassium section).
- NHS. Chronic kidney disease: treatment (high potassium levels section).
- NHS. 5 A Day: what counts? (potatoes).
- NHS. Salt in your diet.
- Public Health England / Food Standards Agency. Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID) 2021: sheets 1.3 Proximates and 1.4 Inorganics, food codes 14-842 (pumpkin seeds), 14-896 (almonds, whole kernels), 13-521 (spinach, baby, raw), 14-386 (avocado, Hass), 18-323 (chicken breast, grilled without skin), 13-234 (curly kale, raw), 13-502, 13-504 and 13-503 (broccoli, raw, steamed and boiled), 13-505 and 13-506 (mushrooms, white, raw and stewed), 16-356 (salmon, farmed, raw), 13-627 (courgette, raw), 14-874 (hazelnuts), 18-474 (beef, rump steak, grilled, lean), 13-630 (Brussels sprouts, boiled), 16-393 (mackerel, raw), 14-318 (bananas), 13-490 (potatoes, boiled), 13-659 (red kidney beans, boiled), 13-631 (parsnip, boiled), 12-937 (eggs, whole, raw) and 12-346 (Cheddar).
- Retained Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers: Annex XIII (reference intakes) and Annex I (definitions of carbohydrate and fibre), via legislation.gov.uk.
- British Dietetic Association. Low carb diets food fact sheet.
- Groovy Keto product labels: Keto Electrolytes Powder (lemon), (forest fruits) and (passionfruit papaya), checked 30 October 2026.
