Children’s Dietitians

The Department of Dietetics and Nutrition How much potassium

Queen’s Medical Centre Campus
Derby Road
Nottingham
is in the foods
NG7 2UH
I eat?
Feedback Information For
We appreciate and encourage feedback. If you need advice or Children with Kidney Disease
are concerned about any aspect of care or treatment please
speak to a member of staff or contact the Patient Advice and
Liaison Service (PALS): Department of
Freephone (City Hospital Campus): 0800 052 1195
Dietetics and Nutrition
Freephone (QMC Campus): 0800 183 0204
From a mobile or abroad: 0115 924 9924 ext 65412 or 62301

Minicom: 0800 183 0204

E-mail: pals@nuh.nhs.uk
Letter: NUH NHS Trust, c/o PALS, Freepost NEA 14614, This document can be provided in different languages and
Nottingham NG7 1BR
formats. For more information please contact:
www.nuh.nhs.uk
Nottingham Children’s Hospital
If you require a full list of references for this leaflet please email Queen’s Medical Centre Campus
patientinformation@nuh.nhs.uk or phone 0115 924 9924
D Floor, East Block
ext. 67754.
The Trust endeavours to ensure that the information given here Children’s Dietitian: Ruth Prigg/Emma Kelly
is accurate and impartial. Contact number: (0115) 924 9924 Ext: 62066
Department of Dietetics and Nutrition © June 2013. All rights reserved. Nottingham
University Hospitals NHS Trust. Review June 2016. Ref: xxxx/v1/0411/CR.
Notes
Notes Contents
Why is a potassium restriction needed? ……… 4

The main principles of a low potassium diet … 5

Vegetables …………………………………….. 6-7

Fruit ……………………………………………… 8-9

Meat and Fish ……………………………….. 10-11

Carbohydrates ………………………………. 12-13

Dairy …………………………………………….. 14

Drinks …………………………………………… 15

Snacks ……………………………………… 16-17

Why is a potassium restriction needed?
More than 3 mmol - high
You have been advised to restrict the
potassium in your diet, as you have Twix (2 finger bar) (56g) 3.4
increased levels of potassium in your blood.
Plain Chocolate (50g) small bar 3.8
High blood potassium levels can be
dangerous and can be harmful to the heart. Lion/Picnic bar 4.2
White chocolate (50g) small bar 4.4
The foods are colour coded as traffic lights. This
system indicates the amount of potassium in the Mars Bar (65g) 4.5
foods you eat. Bounty bar (57g ) regular bar 4.6
Milk chocolate (50g) small bar 5.7
 Foods lower in potassium: can have daily Chocolate Muffin 6.3
 Foods moderate in potassium: have twice a week Liquorice allsorts (56g bag) 8.6
 Foods highest in pottasium: have once a week

4 19
Confectionary
The main principles of a low potassium
Less than 1 mmol - low diet:
Polo tube / marshmallows (40g) trace
 Encourage fruit and vegetables but limit to 2
Turkish delight (no chocolate) (15g) trace servings of each a day (try to pick from the
Fruit pastilles (tube) 0.03 green section).
Refreshers/Love hearts 0.05  Boil all vegetables rather than using a steamer,
Fruit gums (tube)(40g) / Boiled sweets (tube) 0.08 microwave or pressure cooker and discard all
vegetable water. Do not use the water in soups
Chewy sweets (tube) 0.10 or gravy.

 All potatoes must be peeled and cut into small

pieces before cooking and boiled until cooked,
throwing away the cooking water.

1 - 3 mmol - moderate  Limit milk to half a pint a day.

Milky way 1.2  Limit milk based desserts, eg. Yogurts/

Crème egg 1.5 ice-cream/custards.
Chocolate covered animal biscuits (small  Avoid salt substitutes because they contain
1.5
bag) potassium e.g. LoSalt, Ruthmol or Solo.
Toffees (50g) 1.7
Kit Kat (2 finger bar)/Blue Riband 1.9
Crunchie 2.5
Smarties (tube) 2.6
White chocolate buttons x 1 bag 3.0

18 5
Vegetables
Less than 2.5 mmol - low
1-3 mmol - moderate
Beansprouts (60g) 0.7
Flapjack (50g) 2.6
Cucumber (30g) 1.2
Apple crumble (117g, white flour) 2.7
Swede (boiled, 60g) 1.3
Tomato sauce (20g) 1.4 Twiglet (small bag) 2.9

Onions (boiled) / Pickled onions (60g) 1.6 Hot cross bun 2.9

Chick peas (canned, 60g) 1.7 Danish Pastry 3.0

Gherkins (4 pickled, 60g) 1.7

Marrow (60g) 1.7
Pesto (Green, 40g – 1/4 jar ) 1.8
Green pepper (60g) 1.8
More than 3 mmol - high
Runner beans (boiled, 60g) 2.0
Scone (Plain, 48g) 3.3
Frozen mixed veg (boiled, 60g) 2.0
Peanut Butter (20g, thickly spread on 1 slice) 3.5
Onions (raw)/ Leeks (boiled, 60g) 2.3
Spring greens (boiled, 60g) 2.4 Eccles cakes (45g) 4.9

Carrots (boiled, 60g) 2.5 Mixed nuts (30g) 5.3

Fruit cake (slice) 5.9
2.5 - 4 mmol - moderate Bombay mix (30g) 5.9
Cabbage (boiled, 60g) 2.6 Christmas pudding (100g) 8.7
Peas (frozen/mushy, 60g) 2.7 Chocolate Fudge Cake (98g) 8.9
Green beans (60g) 2.7 Potato crisps (30g) 10.1
Houmous (60g) 2.9 Bread and butter pudding (122g) 11.6

6 17
Snacks
2.5 - 4 mmol - moderate
Less than 1 mmol - low
Beetroot (pickled, 60g) 2.9
Jelly made with water 0.10
Onions fried (60g) 2.9
Prawn crackers (30g) 0.10
Broad beans (boiled, 60g) 3.0
Jam Tart (34g) 0.60
Broccoli/ Courgette (boiled 60g) 3.2
Ginger nut biscuit x 2 0.70
Cauliflower (boiled, 60g) 3.3
Treacle tart (slice) 0.80
Lettuce/Sweetcorn (60g) 3.3
Jaffa cake x 2 0.9
Radishes (60g) 3.7
Jam swiss roll (30g slice) 1.0
Aubergine (fried, 90g) 3.9
Plain digestive biscuit x 2 1.6
Spring onions (60g) 4.0

1-3 mmol - moderate More than 4.0 mmol - high

Lemon meringue pie x 1 slice 1.4 Tofu (steamed/fried, 90g) 4.1

Asparagus (boiled, 3 spears, 75g) 4.2
Sweet pancakes (crepe 43g) 1.9
Squash (Baked-60g) 4.2
Iced madeira/lemon drizzle (40g) 2.0
Brussel sprouts (boiled, 60g) 4.7
Iced bun 2.1 Canned tomatoes (95g)/Tomatoes (90g) 5.1
Apple pie (100g) 2.2 Spinach (baby, raw, 60g) 5.2
Jam Doughnuts (75g) 2.2 Parsnips (boiled, 60g) 5.3
Tortilla Chips (30g) 2.2 Mushrooms (raw, 60g) 5.8
Chocolate éclair 2.3 Butter/kidney beans (canned, 60g) 6.2
Chocolate digestive x2 2.3 Sweet potato (boiled, 90g) 6.9
Corn snacks 2.5 Tomato puree (30g) 9.6
16 7
Fruit Drinks
Less than 2.5 mmol - low
Less than 1.5 mmol - low
Mandarins (canned in juice) 1.6
Squash/cordial (200ml) (Less than <10%
0.3
Raspberries 10 (40g) 1.7 fruit juice from concentrate)
Clementines/Satsumas (60g– one) 2.0 Ovaltine (23g) with water 0.9

Apple (small) 2.1 Lemonade (330ml) 1.3

Tea (200ml) black 1.4
Cherries 10 (40g) 2.2
Grapefruit (120g, canned in juice) 2.2 1.5-3 mmol - moderate
Pear (small) 2.3 Coffee (2g) instant black 1.9
Blackberries 12 (60g) 2.5 Pineapple juice (150ml) 2.0

2.5 - 4mmol - moderate Grape juice (150ml) 2.1

Apricot (40g) 2.8 Drinking Chocolate (18g - with water) 2.3
Pineapple (1 slice, no skin - 80g) 3.2 Fanta/tango(330ml) 2.3
Plum (55g) 3.4
Peach (canned in syrup-120g) 3.4 More than 3 mmol - high
Strawberries 5 (80g) 3.5 Apple Juice (150ml) 3.4
Orange (medium) 3.5 Fresh Orange Juice (150ml) 6.3
Grapes 10 (65g) 3.6 Tomato juice (160ml) 9.4
Mango – small bowl (80g) 3.7 Milkshake-Take away (250ml) 10.9
Raisins/sultanas – small box (15g) 3.8 Horlicks made with milk (200ml) 10.9
Grapefruit (1/2) (80g) 4.0

8 15
 Dairy
Milk is an important source of calcium in your More than 4.0 mmol - high
child’s diet however it is high in potassium. Total Kiwi (60g) 4.5
milk intake should be limited to 300ml/day
Watermelon (200g) 5.1
Less than 1 mmol - low
Nectarine/Peach 5.7
Double cream (tablespoon 30g) 0.5
Honeydew (1 slice - 150g) 5.8
Single cream (tablespoon 15g) 0.5
Galia melon (1 slice - 150g) 5.8
Rhubarb (Fresh ,stewed no sugar) (100g) 5.9
1 - 4 mmol - moderate Figs (25g) (ready to eat) 6.2
Crème fraiche (60g) 1.2 Canteloupe melon (1 slice - 150g) 8.0
Petit filous (60g) 2.7 Bananas (small ) 8.5
Soya yoghurt (120g) 2.8 Avocado (½ - 75g) 8.6
Custard (120ml) 4.0 Dates (dried) (50g) 9.0
Yoghurt (fruit) per 100g 4.3
Yoghurt (plain) per 100g 4.3
Rice pudding (140g) 4.6

More than 5 - high

Ice cream (120g) 5.0
Condensed milk 9.2
Evaporated milk per 100ml 12
14 9
Meat and Fish Carbohydrates
Less than 8mmol - low Less than 5 mmol - low
Bacon (1 rasher) 1.9 Rice Noodles (140g cooked) 0.1
Gammon slice– Boiled (45g) 2.9 White long grain rice (100g cooked) 0.4
Fish fingers x 2 3.5 White pasta (140g cooked) 1.4
Beef (minced) stewed (100g) 4.2 Egg Noodles (90g cooked) 1.5
Beef stew (90g) 6.2 Brown rice (100g cooked) 2.5
Roast chicken (80g) 6.7 Couscous (140g cooked) 4.3

Haddock in breadcrumbs 7.0

Roast Lamb (90g) 7.6 5-10 mmol - moderate
Potato croquettes x 3 6.0
8-14 mmol - moderate
Mashed potato (120g) 10
Roast turkey (70g) 8.0
Chicken nuggets (90g) 8.0
Lamb chop (60g) 8.0 More than 10 mmol - high

Steak (Rump 5oz) 9.2 Potato waffles x 2 10.8

Vegetable Chilli (170g ) 10 New potatoes x 4 (130g)

12.5
Also fried to make chips.
Salmon steak (100g) 10.5
Oven Chips (100g) 16.3
Lasagne (225g) 12.5
Jacket potato (medium) no skin (160g) 14.7
Pork chop (120g) 13.1
Roast potatoes x 4 14.5
More than 14 mmol - high Chips frozen and fried (100g) 18.4
Mackerel (160g) 16.0 Jacket potato (medium) with skin (160g) 24.5

10 11