According to an assessment of America’s eating habits, consuming more potassium is something we definitely need to improve upon. (Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2011) This all-important essential mineral plays a fundamental role in nerve and muscle function, ph balance, and can counter the adverse effects of eating too much sodium. The typical American diet contains twice as much sodium as potassium while most health experts recommend consuming five times more potassium than sodium. Yep – we are way… off!

Many Americans do not achieve optimal levels of dietary potassium. Here are my top strategies for boosting your intake of this critical nutrient.

• Include beans in your diet each day.
• Consume plain non-fat or low-fat yogurt in your diet each day.
• Use tomato sauce or paste (low sodium) regularly in your recipes and dishes.
• Snack on nuts and seeds regularly (especially almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds).
• Include dark leafy greens in your diet each day (cooked or raw).
• Enjoy potassium-rich fruits, especially cantaloupe, peaches, pears, oranges, kiwi, apricots, and prunes.
• Include fish (not fried!) in your diet regularly.
• Eat more avocados. I strive to eat some avocado each day. ¼ to ½ is a prudent portion.
• Use black strap molasses as your sweetener of choice.

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