Foods high in potassium: ranked by France's official Ciqual table
According to the 2025 Ciqual table from ANSES, France's food safety agency, the top three everyday foods highest in potassium: “Tomato, dried” (3,430 mg per 100 g), “Pumpkin (phoenix variety), crisps (Martinique)” (2,580 mg) and “Carrot, dehydrated” (2,540 mg).
What it does
Potassium plays a central role in nerve transmission, muscle contraction and heart function. It also takes part in insulin secretion, carbohydrate and protein metabolism and acid-base balance. A true deficiency (hypokalemia) mainly shows up as heart rhythm problems, cramps and fatigue; it usually comes from digestive losses, such as diarrhea or vomiting, or from very low-calorie diets. Over the long term, EFSA links adequate intakes to lower blood pressure and a lower risk of stroke.
The ranking: the 25 everyday foods highest in potassium
| Rank | Food | Group | mg / 100 g | % NRV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomato, dried | Vegetables | 3,430 | 172 % |
| 2 | Pumpkin (phoenix variety), crisps (Martinique) | Vegetables | 2,580 | 129 % |
| 3 | Carrot, dehydrated | Vegetables | 2,540 | 127 % |
| 4 | Haricot bean, dried | Legumes | 1,800 | 90 % |
| 5 | Soybean, seed, whole | Nuts and seeds | 1,800 | 90 % |
| 6 | Milk powder, skimmed | Milk | 1,750 | 88 % |
| 7 | Potato flakes, dehydrated, with milk or cream | Potatoes and other tubers | 1,650 | 82 % |
| 8 | Onion, dried | Vegetables | 1,620 | 81 % |
| 9 | Goji berry, dried | Fruits | 1,600 | 80 % |
| 10 | Shiitake mushroom, dried | Vegetables | 1,530 | 76 % |
| 11 | Banana, flesh without skin, dried | Fruits | 1,490 | 74 % |
| 12 | Apricot, pitted, dried | Fruits | 1,400 | 70 % |
| 13 | Red kidney bean, dried | Legumes | 1,360 | 68 % |
| 14 | Cod, salted, dried | Fish products | 1,300 | 65 % |
| 15 | Potato, crisps, plain or flavoured, standard | Potatoes and other tubers | 1,300 | 65 % |
| 16 | Hemp, seed, hulled | Nuts and seeds | 1,200 | 60 % |
| 17 | Egg white, powder | Eggs | 1,130 | 56 % |
| 18 | Broad bean, dried | Legumes | 1,060 | 53 % |
| 19 | Pistachio nut, grilled, no added salt | Nuts and seeds | 1,010 | 50 % |
| 20 | Lupin, seed, dried | Legumes | 1,010 | 50 % |
| 21 | Beans, mung, mature, seeds, dried | Legumes | 983 | 49 % |
| 22 | Raisin | Fruits | 960 | 48 % |
| 23 | Wheat, wholewheat, pre-cooked, raw | Pasta, rice and grains | 950 | 48 % |
| 24 | Peach, flesh and skin, pitted, dried | Fruits | 945 | 47 % |
| 25 | Lentil, green, dried | Legumes | 940 | 47 % |
Outside the ranking, the absolute record-holders in the table are foods eaten in very small amounts: “Kombu or Japanese kelp (Saccharina japonica), dried or dehydrated” (10,400 mg/100 g), “Dulse (Palmaria palmata), dried or dehydrated” (7,020 mg/100 g), “Sea thong (Himanthalia elongata), dried or dehydrated” (6,770 mg/100 g).
How much you need
The EU nutrient reference value (NRV) is 2,000 mg a day (Regulation 1169/2011). EFSA (2016) and France's ANSES aim higher: 3,500 mg a day for adults and 4,000 mg while breastfeeding. That figure rests on trials showing a benefit for blood pressure and on observational studies where lower intakes are linked to more strokes. In the US, the 2019 adequate intakes are 3,400 mg for men and 2,600 mg for women. If you have kidney disease, check with your doctor before raising your intake, and never take potassium supplements without medical advice.
Best sources, food group by food group
| Food group | Food | mg / 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Meat | Pork, ham escalope, cooked | 512 |
| Turkey, meat, roasted/baked | 483 | |
| Liver, calf, cooked | 450 | |
| Fish and seafood | Cod, salted, dried | 1,300 |
| Squid, boiled/cooked in water | 637 | |
| Octopus, common, cooked | 630 | |
| Eggs and dairy | Milk powder, skimmed | 1,750 |
| Egg white, powder | 1,130 | |
| Spanish-style tortilla with onions (omelette with potatoes and onions), prepacked | 450 | |
| Legumes, grains, tubers | Haricot bean, dried | 1,800 |
| Potato flakes, dehydrated, with milk or cream | 1,650 | |
| Red kidney bean, dried | 1,360 | |
| Fruits and vegetables | Tomato, dried | 3,430 |
| Pumpkin (phoenix variety), crisps (Martinique) | 2,580 | |
| Carrot, dehydrated | 2,540 | |
| Nuts and seeds | Soybean, seed, whole | 1,800 |
| Hemp, seed, hulled | 1,200 | |
| Pistachio nut, grilled, no added salt | 1,010 |
Practical tips
- Bananas aren't the champions. In the Ciqual table, they provide 320 mg per 100 g (3.5 oz), less than avocado (430 mg) or oven-baked potato (535 mg). Dried fruit goes much further: 1,400 mg for dried apricots.
- Steam or bake rather than boil. According to the Ciqual table, steamed broccoli keeps 340 mg per 100 g versus 90 mg boiled; baked potato 535 mg versus 363 mg boiled.
- Legumes, nuts and more. Cooked white beans provide 260 mg per 100 g and cooked lentils 215 mg; roasted pistachios reach 1,010 mg (Ciqual). ANSES also lists vegetables, dairy and chocolate among the main sources.
How this ranking is built
Values per 100 g of the food as described (raw, cooked, drained…), as published by ANSES, France's food safety agency, in the 2025 Ciqual table (3484 foods; potassium content known for 2604 of them). The everyday ranking leaves out spices, herbs, seaweed and condiments, supplements and foods for special medical purposes, baby foods, alcohol, and raw meat or fish (the cooked version is kept). To keep the examples varied, only one food per main name is kept (the richest). Values listed as “traces” count as zero; values below the quantification limit are not ranked. % NRV compares the content per 100 g with the EU nutrient reference value (2,000 mg per day, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011), the one used on food labels: a benchmark, not your personal requirement.
Frequently asked questions
Which food has the most potassium?
Top of the everyday foods in the 2025 Ciqual table from ANSES: “Tomato, dried”, with 3,430 mg per 100 g, ahead of “Pumpkin (phoenix variety), crisps (Martinique)” (2,580 mg) and “Carrot, dehydrated” (2,540 mg).
How much potassium do I need per day?
EFSA recommends 3,500 mg a day for adults and 4,000 mg while breastfeeding. In the US, the adequate intake is 3,400 mg for men and 2,600 mg for women. The EU label NRV is 2,000 mg. If you have kidney disease, your doctor sets the target.
Are bananas the best source of potassium?
No. At 320 mg per 100 g in the Ciqual table, bananas trail avocado (430 mg), baked potato (535 mg), pistachios (1,010 mg) and above all dried fruit, such as dried apricots (1,400 mg). They're a handy source, just not the best one.
Sources
- Anses. Table de composition nutritionnelle des aliments Ciqual 2025. doi:10.5281/zenodo.17550133
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). Dietary reference values for potassium. EFSA Journal. 2016. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4592
- Anses. Les références nutritionnelles en vitamines et minéraux. 2025. anses.fr
- Règlement (UE) n° 1169/2011 du Parlement européen et du Conseil du 25 octobre 2011 concernant l'information des consommateurs sur les denrées alimentaires, annexe XIII. Journal officiel de l'Union européenne. 2011. eur-lex.europa.eu
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. National Academies Press. 2019. doi:10.17226/25353
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