Posted by Building on my recent series exploring common nutrient inadequacies among the general public, today my gaze turns to potassium & fibre.
I’ve chosen to group them together because, as is often the case, it is a very similar core group of foods that are high in both of them.
If you are a client or regular reader, you will hopefully start to observe very clear trends relating to the fact that the same core families of foods keep reemerging as the candidates most likely to help you, or anyone else, resolve the imbalances in their diet.
With that said, let’s get right into the good stuff.
Potassium & Fibre – The Heavy Hitters
There are 6 key families of foods you need to have on your radar to ensure adequacy in your fibre & potassium intake.
Leafy Greens – Such as spinach, chard, beet greens and KALE.
Legumes – Such as lentils, lima beans and white beans.
Starchy Veg – Especially squash/sweet potato but skin-on classic potatoes work too.
Other Veg – Particularly various types of tomatoes and mushrooms (crimini, oyster, white button especially).
Fruit – Especially banana as well as oranges and kiwi (Kiwi may also help with constipation).
Healthy Fats – Including avocado as well as hemp, chia, flax, pistachios and almonds.
Why Should You Care?
Adequate fibre and potassium intake are fundamental for good health not least of which for the fact that the foods that contain them also inevitably contain several other beneficial compounds and nutrients.
Fibre intake, for example, is a big risk reducer for colorectal cancer and high cholesterol risk, whereas potassium is probably the most important nutrient for blood pressure regulation.
And that is, to be perfectly honestly only the tip of the iceberg.
If you need professional support to make these foods a bigger part of your daily routine – you know who to call.
Until then,
Andy De Santis RD MPH