Bananas get all the credit, but dozens of other fruits deliver as much or more potassium per serving. A medium banana contains about 451 mg of potassium, which sounds impressive until you learn that a cup of guava packs 688 mg and a cup of kiwifruit hits 562 mg. If you’re trying to boost your potassium intake, you have plenty of options beyond the banana aisle.
Adults need between 2,600 mg (women) and 3,400 mg (men) of potassium daily, based on the current adequate intake levels set by the National Institutes of Health. Most people fall short. Mixing a variety of high-potassium fruits into your meals is one of the simplest ways to close that gap.
Tropical Fruits With the Highest Potassium
Tropical fruits tend to be potassium powerhouses. A cup of guava delivers 688 mg, making it one of the richest fruit sources available. Kiwifruit comes in at 562 mg per cup. Avocados, technically a fruit, provide about 364 mg in just half the fruit, meaning a whole avocado rivals or beats a banana.
These tropical options are versatile. Guava works well in smoothies or eaten fresh, kiwi can be sliced over yogurt, and avocado shows up in everything from toast to salads. If you eat any of these regularly, you’re already getting a solid potassium boost without touching a banana.
Dried Fruits Pack a Concentrated Punch
Removing the water from fruit concentrates everything, including potassium. Half a cup of dried dates contains 584 mg. Ten dried apricot halves deliver 407 mg. Half a cup of prunes provides 398 mg, and a quarter cup of raisins adds 272 mg.
The difference between fresh and dried is striking. Half a cup of fresh apricots has about 200 mg of potassium. The same volume of dried apricots jumps to around 750 mg. There’s also a practical factor: most people won’t sit down and eat ten fresh apricots, but ten dried apricot halves disappear quickly as a snack. That concentration makes it easy to consume more potassium than you realize, which is worth keeping in mind if you need to limit your intake for any reason.
Melons Are an Underrated Source
Melons are mostly water, so people rarely think of them as potassium-rich. But the numbers tell a different story. A cup of diced cantaloupe provides 417 mg, putting it right in banana territory. A cup of honeydew has 388 mg. Even watermelon, the lightest of the group, still contributes 170 mg per cup.
Because melons are easy to eat in large quantities (a cup of diced melon goes fast), the potassium adds up quickly. A couple of generous slices of cantaloupe at breakfast can deliver more potassium than a banana, with fewer calories and more hydration.
Citrus Fruits and Their Juices
Citrus is a moderate potassium source. One orange contains 232 mg. A grapefruit half has 156 mg. Tangerines come in at 146 mg each. These aren’t the highest numbers, but citrus is something most people eat regularly, so the cumulative effect matters.
Juices are worth a separate look. Half a cup of orange juice provides 248 mg, slightly more than a whole small orange at 237 mg. Prune juice is even more concentrated: half a cup delivers 354 mg, compared to 313 mg for five whole dried prunes. On the flip side, not all fruit juices are created equal. Half a cup of grape juice has only 27 mg, while 15 small grapes contain 144 mg. Cranberry juice cocktail is similarly low at just 46 mg per cup. If you’re choosing juice specifically for potassium, orange and prune juice are your best bets.
Common Fruits in the Middle Range
Not every fruit needs to be a potassium superstar to contribute meaningfully to your daily intake. A small apple has 148 mg, the same as half a cup of apple juice. Half a cup of canned pineapple provides 152 mg. These aren’t headline numbers, but when you’re eating several servings of fruit throughout the day, these mid-range options fill in the gaps.
The key is variety. Pairing a cup of cantaloupe at breakfast with a handful of dried apricots as an afternoon snack and a sliced kiwi after dinner gives you well over 1,000 mg of potassium from fruit alone, covering roughly a third to nearly half of your daily needs before you even count vegetables, beans, or dairy.
Low-Potassium Fruits for Those Who Need Them
Some people, particularly those with chronic kidney disease, need to limit potassium rather than increase it. For them, the highest-potassium fruits on this list are ones to moderate or avoid. Lower-potassium choices include cranberries (67 mg per cup), grapes, and apples.
Serving size matters more than the fruit itself in many cases. A large portion of a lower-potassium fruit can still deliver more potassium than a small portion of a higher-potassium one. Canned fruits can also be lower in potassium if you drain and discard the liquid, which tends to absorb potassium from the fruit during processing. For juice, apple, grape, and cranberry are the lowest-potassium options.
Quick Comparison by Serving
- Guava (1 cup): 688 mg
- Dried dates (½ cup): 584 mg
- Kiwifruit (1 cup): 562 mg
- Banana (1 medium): 451 mg
- Cantaloupe (1 cup diced): 417 mg
- Dried apricots (10 halves): 407 mg
- Prunes (½ cup): 398 mg
- Honeydew (1 cup diced): 388 mg
- Avocado (½ fruit): 364 mg
- Raisins (¼ cup): 272 mg
- Orange juice (½ cup): 248 mg
- Orange (1 fruit): 232 mg
- Watermelon (1 cup diced): 170 mg