Potassium Intake Calculator
Daily potassium mg vs AI from foods.
What it does
Potassium hides in produce at hundreds of milligrams per serving while targets run in thousands. A potato carries 610 mg with a banana at 422 and lentils at 731 per cup, against Adequate Intakes of 3,400 mg for men and 2,600 for women. Most days land well short.
The tool above sums four lines against the AI. Enter fruit, veg, beans, and other milligrams, pick the group, and it prints total, target, gap, and percent. Defaults total 1,528 mg against 2,600: 1,072 mg short at 58.8 %.
NIH tables supply every constant. Its professional sheet sets AI rows with potato 610, banana 422, OJ 496, lentils 731, and apricots 755, while the consumer sheet confirms the 3,400/2,600 ladder. The 2019 National Academies sodium-potassium report stands behind the AIs.
Produce volume closes gaps fastest. Beans, potatoes, squash, and dried fruit stack hundreds per serving where bread and rice add little, so plate composition matters more than pills. Kidney conditions flip the goal; clinicians set personal caps there.
How to use
- Enter fruit mg (banana 422, OJ 496).
- Enter veg mg (potato 610).
- Enter beans and other mg.
- Pick the AI group.
- Read total first, then the gap.
- Close gaps with produce.
Formula
- sources
- Mg from fruit, veg, beans, other foods.
- AI
- 2300/2600/3000/3400 by age and sex.
AI and food mg follow NIH ODS professional and consumer sheets with the 2019 NASEM sodium-potassium report behind them.
Worked example
Example: 1,528 mg vs 2,600 AI
Defaults: fruit 918, veg 610, AI 2,600.
- Inputs: fruit 918 mg (banana 422 + OJ 496), veg 610 (potato), AI 2,600 (woman).
- Total: 918 + 610 = 1,528 mg.
- Gap: 2,600 minus 1,528 = 1,072 mg short.
- Share: 1,528 / 2,600 x 100 = 58.8 %.
- Tool shows 1,528 mg, 2,600 mg AI, 1,072 mg short.
Reference table
| Item | mg | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Men 19+ AI | 3,400 | Baseline |
| Women 19+ AI | 2,600 | Lower target |
| Potato 1 medium | 610 | Top veg |
| Banana 1 medium | 422 | Top fruit |
| Lentils 1 cup | 731 | Top bean |
| Apricots 1/2 cup | 755 | Top dried |
Limits
- Planning math only. Needs vary.
- Kidney disease reverses the goal.
- Food mg are averages; varieties differ.
- Supplements need clinician dosing.
Common mistakes
- Counting one food and ignoring the rest.
- Treating DV 4,700 as the AI.
- Skipping beans and potatoes.
- Megadosing supplements casually.
- Ignoring medical potassium limits.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
Fruit 422, veg 610, beans 1,338, AI 3,400?
Total 422 + 610 + 1,338 + 0 = 2,370. Gap 3,400 minus 2,370 = 1,030 mg short.
Fruit 1,177, veg 644, beans 731, other 496, AI 3,400?
Total 1,177 + 644 + 731 + 496 = 3,048. Gap 3,400 minus 3,048 = 352 mg short.
Questions
How is the gap figured?
Sum food mg against the AI. Here 1,528 vs 2,600 leaves 1,072 mg short.
What is the potassium target?
Men 3,400, women 2,600 (AI, not RDA, per 2019 NASEM report).
How much potassium per food?
Potato 610, banana 422, OJ 496, lentils 731/cup, apricots 755/half-cup.
Can I split food groups?
Yes. Enter fruit, veg, beans, and other lines separately.
DV vs AI: which matters?
Yes. Labels use 4,700 mg Daily Value while AI targets run lower; track both.
Can I overdo potassium?
Yes. Kidney disease and some drugs restrict potassium; clinicians set personal caps.
Sources
- NIH ODS: Potassium Professional Sheet (AI, foods)
- NIH ODS: Potassium Consumer Sheet (AI ladder)
- National Academies: Sodium-Potassium DRIs 2019