How much potassium is in brown rice?
Brown rice has 168 mg of potassium per 1 cup cooked (195 g) — about 4% of the 4,700 mg Daily Value. That's 86 mg per 100 g, roughly 0.4× a medium banana (~422 mg).
USDA FoodData Central · long-grain, cooked · FDC 169704
Potassium by portion
| Portion | Potassium | % DV | Sodium | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup cooked (195 g) | 168 mg | 4% | 8 mg | 240 |
| 100 g | 86 mg | 2% | 4 mg | 123 |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 24 mg | 1% | 1 mg | 35 |
% DV against the FDA Daily Value of 4,700 mg of potassium. Whole foods are naturally potassium-rich and low in sodium — the ratio heart guidelines (like DASH) favor. Values from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 169704, SR Legacy). long-grain, cooked.
Brown rice is a whole-grain carbohydrate, and potassium is not one of the reasons to eat it. A cooked cup (195 g) carries about 168 mg of potassium, which is roughly 4% of the 4,700 mg Daily Value and about 0.4× the potassium of a medium banana (~422 mg). On a per-100 g basis that’s just 86 mg. To match a single banana you’d be eating close to two and a half cups of rice — so brown rice sits firmly in the low-potassium column, a side dish that contributes a little rather than a source you’d count on.
A minor contributor, not a potassium food
It’s worth being plain about where brown rice lands, because the foods people actually rely on for potassium are in a different league entirely. A baked potato clears 900 mg, a cup of cooked spinach pushes past 800, a banana sits at 422, and a cup of black beans lands around 600. Brown rice’s 168 mg is a fraction of any of them. That doesn’t make it a bad food — it’s a perfectly good steady-energy base — it just means the potassium is incidental. Brown rice does edge out white rice here, since the bran and germ it keeps carry a bit more of the mineral than the milled white grain, but both are low enough that the difference is small in absolute terms. If you’re building a meal to raise potassium, the rice is the canvas; the potassium comes from what you put on it.
Why the mineral matters, and how to actually get it
Potassium is the blood-pressure mineral — it works against sodium to help relax blood-vessel walls, which is why potassium-forward, lower-sodium eating patterns like DASH are tied to healthier blood pressure, and why most people (who land well under 4,700 mg) are told to get more. Brown rice helps that effort mainly by being naturally very low in sodium (about 4 mg per 100 g unless you salt the cooking water), so it doesn’t work against you — but it also doesn’t move the potassium needle on its own. The reliable play is to pair it: brown rice under a pile of beans, spinach, or roasted vegetables turns a low-potassium base into a potassium-rich plate. (For context, not alarm: people with kidney disease are sometimes advised to limit potassium, so treat this as reference data, not medical advice.)
For a genuinely potassium-rich pairing on the same lane, see potassium in black beans.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much potassium is in a cup of brown rice?
About 168 mg of potassium in a 1-cup cooked serving (195 g), based on 86 mg per 100 g (USDA FDC 169704). It's a minor amount — brown rice is a carbohydrate staple, not a potassium source.
What percent of the daily value for potassium is that?
About 4% of the FDA Daily Value of 4,700 mg per cooked cup. It's a small contribution; most of your potassium will come from fruit, vegetables, beans, and dairy, with rice adding only a little on the side.
How does brown rice's potassium compare to a banana?
It's far lower. A cup of brown rice has about 168 mg, roughly 0.4× the potassium of a medium banana (~422 mg). You'd need around two and a half cups of rice to match one banana, which is why rice doesn't register as a potassium food.
Does brown rice have more potassium than white rice?
A bit. Brown rice keeps the bran and germ, so it carries somewhat more potassium per cup than white rice, which has those layers milled away. But both are low-potassium foods — the difference is small in absolute terms.
Why does potassium matter?
Potassium helps counterbalance sodium and relax blood-vessel walls, which is why potassium-rich, lower-sodium eating patterns like DASH are linked to healthier blood pressure. Most people fall short of the 4,700 mg target. This is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-18, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 169704 (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data, not a Labelgrade (that score is for branded packaged products). High-potassium diets aren't for everyone — people with kidney disease are often told to limit it; this is reference data, not medical advice. See our methodology.