Foods With More Potassium Than a Banana

Here is the honest headline: a banana is middle-of-the-pack for potassium. One medium banana carries about 422 mg — useful, but nowhere near the top. A baked potato with the skin more than doubles it (~950 mg). A sweet potato beats it, a cup of broccoli edges past it, and beans, leafy greens, avocado and salmon all beat or rival it gram for gram. The banana earned its reputation mostly because it comes in a convenient peel — not because it is the richest source on the shelf.

For context: adults need roughly 3,400 mg/day (men) and 2,600 mg/day (women), and the FDA Daily Value printed on labels is 4,700 mg. That would take eight to eleven bananas. Spreading potassium across potatoes, beans, greens, dairy and fish is far more realistic than relying on one fruit.

Foods that beat a banana, ranked

Ranked by potassium in a real-world serving (not per 100 g), calculated from USDA data. Each food links to its full potassium breakdown. "Beats" means more potassium than a medium banana per serving; "rivals" means it matches a banana closely per serving and meets or exceeds it gram-for-gram. See the full potassium hub →

1. Potato (1 medium (173 g)) — 952 mg (2.3× a banana) beats a banana
2. Sweet potato (1 medium (130 g)) — 618 mg (1.5× a banana) beats a banana
3. Broccoli (1 cup chopped (156 g)) — 457 mg (1.1× a banana) beats a banana
4. Lentils (1/2 cup cooked (99 g)) — 365 mg (0.9× a banana) rivals a banana
5. Greek yogurt (1 cup (245 g)) — 345 mg (0.8× a banana) rivals a banana
6. Avocado (1/2 medium (68 g)) — 330 mg (0.8× a banana) rivals a banana
7. Edamame (1/2 cup (75 g)) — 327 mg (0.8× a banana) rivals a banana
8. Salmon (3 oz cooked (85 g)) — 326 mg (0.8× a banana) rivals a banana
9. Black beans (1/2 cup cooked (86 g)) — 305 mg (0.7× a banana) rivals a banana
10. Kidney beans (1/2 cup (89 g)) — 247 mg (0.6× a banana) rivals a banana
11. Orange (1 medium (131 g)) — 237 mg (0.6× a banana) rivals a banana
12. Watermelon (1 cup diced (152 g)) — 170 mg (0.4× a banana) rivals a banana
13. Spinach (1 cup raw (30 g)) — 167 mg (0.4× a banana) rivals a banana

Baseline: 1 medium banana ≈ 422 mg potassium (USDA, 118 g). Per-serving values are the per-100 g USDA figure scaled to each food's common portion.

Why the "banana = potassium" myth persists

Bananas became shorthand for potassium for reasons that have little to do with the actual numbers. They are portable, pre-portioned, cheap, and need no cooking — the perfect prop for a cramping athlete or a recovery ad. Marketing did the rest. But the potassium math is unflattering: the potato, the sweet potato, the bowl of beans, the side of greens and the fillet of salmon all carry as much or more, they just do not photograph as neatly or fit in a gym bag.

One nuance that trips people up is cooked vs. raw, especially spinach. A raw cup of spinach is mostly air — about 30 g — so it looks modest at ~167 mg. Cook that same spinach down and a cup now holds many more leaves, pushing it well past a banana (often 800 mg+). The potassium per 100 g barely changes; cooking simply lets you eat far more of it in one sitting. The same logic favors a baked potato over a small raw one, and a full cup of cooked lentils over a token spoonful.

Potassium also rarely works alone. The well-studied DASH eating pattern pairs potassium-rich foods with lower sodium, and the two minerals push blood pressure in opposite directions. Practically, that means the win is not just "eat a banana" — it is choosing whole potatoes, beans, greens and fish instead of salty processed options. (General information on dietary patterns, not a treatment claim — see your clinician for blood-pressure care.)

One honest caveat: when more potassium is the wrong goal

For most people with healthy kidneys, getting potassium from whole food is genuinely hard to overdo — the kidneys clear what you do not need. But there is a real exception worth stating plainly. People with chronic kidney disease, or anyone on potassium-sparing diuretics or certain blood-pressure medications, may be told to limit potassium, because their body cannot excrete it normally and high blood levels can become dangerous. If that is you, the "eat more of the top of this list" framing is exactly backwards — follow the targets your clinician or renal dietitian gives you. This page is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

The takeaway

A banana is a fine snack, but it is not a potassium powerhouse. If you are actually trying to raise your intake, reach for a baked potato, a bowl of beans or lentils, cooked greens, avocado, or salmon first — and use the banana as the convenient bonus it is. Browse every food's full potassium profile in the potassium hub, or filter and compare foods by any nutrient in Explore.