Potassium – A guide to lowering the potassium in your multi-cultural diet

Tomatoes are high in potassium so limit the amount included in the base sauce to 60 g (2 oz) per person serving.

Ginger, garlic, onion and green chillies are fine to include. Please refer to the spice guide on page 10, to decide on a lower potassium spice blend. If possible try to avoid or use less turmeric, coriander powder, chilli powder as they are very high in potassium.

Choose the main vegetable ingredients from the low potassium vegetable list and limit or avoid using vegetables from the high potassium vegetables list.

• Boiling vegetables before adding them to the curry sauce will lower the potassium content of your meal which will enable you to add some of the higher potassium content vegetables
• Do not use a microwave or pressure cooker to do this and
  always throw away the water they have been boiled in
• Canned vegetables are lower in potassium but higher in salt
  so try not to rely on them too often

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are especially high in potassium.

• Pre-boiling the potatoes before adding them to curries will lower the potassium content
• Limit your portion size to 100 g (4 oz) per day

If you need to add flours to thicken your curry sauce try corn flour, plain flour or rice flour. The lentil flours including besan and soya flour are high in potassium

Try to avoid curries, rices or naan breads that contain nuts, dried fruit or coconut, as they will be higher in potassium.

Serve curry with rice, chapattis or plain naan bread.

These are often high in potassium and so are best taken sparingly e.g. 1 teaspoon.

Protein foods include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, pulses and meat substitutes e.g. Quorn and tofu. They can be high in potassium but are a valuable food source as they provide protein, vitamins and minerals. For this reason many are not restricted, however you may need guidance on portion sizes

• Amount in ml of milk per day (as recommended by the dietitian), This can be any type of freshUHT milk,
• Up to (as recommended by the dietitian) ml soya milk or other plant based milk (e.g oat, rice) per day
• Milk powder can be used as an alternative to milk, when following the manufacturers guidelines
• Avoid Coffee Mate, you can use Coffee Compliment
• Avoid all tinned milk (condensed or evaporated)
• Avoid coconut milk

You can include (as recommended by the dietitian) per 125g carton each week

Fresh cream can be used in small amounts, double cream and water can be used as a substitute for milk

All types can be eaten in small amounts, watch out for salt substitutes in the ingredients

Limit milky puddings to twice per week, ice-cream can be eaten

Fats such as margarine, butter, ghee, cooking oil can be used in small amounts, We recommend the use of monounsaturated fats in small amounts e.g. olive oil, rapeseed oil and olive-based spreads

Ash gourd
Aubergine
Baby sweetcorn
Broccoli
Bottle gourd
Cabbage
Carrots
Fenugreek leaves
Leeks
Marrow
Mixed vegetables (frozen)
Onions
Peas (frozen)
Pepper, green
Pepper, red
Petit pois
Ridge gourd
Runner beans
Sugar snap peas
Swede
Tinda
Canned okra
Canned kantola
Canned karela
Canned mushrooms
Canned peas

Asparagus
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Courgette
Curly kale
Drumstick leaves + pods
Fennel
Kantola
Karela
Mushrooms
Mustard leaves
Okra
Parsnips
Potatoes
Radish
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Canned spinach
Spinach puree
Tomato puree

Black gram
Chick peas
Mung beans
Red split lentils

Black eye beans
Butter beans
Green and brown lentils
Pigeon peas
Red kidney beans
Soya beans

Bay leaf
Black pepper
Cardamom
(ground)
Cinnamon (ground)
Cloves (dried)
Coriander leaves
(fresh)
Fenugreek seeds
Garlic (fresh)
Ginger (fresh /
dried)
Green chilli
Lemon
Mint (fresh)
Mustard seeds
Nutmeg (ground)
Rose water
SaffronTamarind pulp
Vinegar
White pepper

Anise seeds
Cayenne pepper
Cumin seeds
Curry powder
Garam masala
Garlic powder
Mint (dried)
Parsley (fresh)
Poppy seeds
Red chilli

Amchoor powder
Chilli powder
Coconut powder
Coriander powder
Fennel seeds
Groundnuts
Molasses
Paprika
Parsley (dried)
Turmeric powder

Breads – All types e.g. wholemeal, white, granary, soda bread, pitta breads, bagels, croissants and English muffins

Other starchy foods – Chapatis, plain naan, paratha, corn or tortilla wraps, crumpets, pikelets, scotch pancakes, Yorkshire puddings, dumplings, cream crackers and crispbreads, cous cous, pasta, rice and noodles

Breakfast cereals – Porridge made with water or milk from allowance
Cornflakes, Rice Krispies, Cheerios, Sugar Puffs, Weetabix, Shredded Wheat, Shreddies, Frosties, Start, Special K, Ricicles, Honey Smacks, Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, Puffed Wheat and Grape Nuts

Breads – Avoid bread containing nuts, dried fruit, sweet potato and coconut

Other starchy foods – Try to avoid or use less as it is high in potassium
Tinned spaghetti in tomato sauce and tinned ravioli in tomato sauce

Breakfast cereals – Containing nuts or dried fruit e.g. muesli, Fruit and Fibre, Weetabix Minis, Sultana Bran, All Bran, Raisin Splits and Jordans Crunch
Ready Brek

1 medium apple
1 medium pear
2 medium clementines
2 small tangerines
5 slices fresh lemon
2 small satsumas
1 small orange
5 passion fruit
1 medium peach
1 slice fresh pineapple
9 fresh strawberries
25 fresh raspberries
1 medium slice watermelon
20 blackberries
12 raw cherries
½ fresh grapefruit
1 small guava
1 small Sharon fruit
15 grapes
1 medium kiwi fruit
1 small nectarine
2 small plums
150 g punnet of blueberries

7 slices tinned peaches
4 halves tinned pears

4 tablespoons of:
fruit cocktail
fruit pie filling
mandarins
plums
strawberries
lychees
mango

3 tablespoons of:
gooseberries
guavas
papaya
rhubarb

Stewed fruit
4 tablespoons of: apple
blackberries
gooseberries
3 tablespoons of:
plums
rhubarb

300 ml unsweetened pineapple juice
300 ml unsweetened grape juice
200 ml unsweetened cranberry juice
150 ml apple juice
100 ml orange juice
80 ml pomegranate juice
80 ml passion fruit juice
80 ml tomato juice

The following fruits are very high in potassium and can be included, however the portion size is small.

1 small apricot
½ small banana
2 small slices of mango
½ naseberry (sapodilla)
¼ avocado
½ slice papaya
1 small slice galia melon (100 g)
1 medium slice cantaloupe
or honeydew melon (75 g)
1 dried apricot
2 raw dates
1 dried date
1 small dried fig
1½ tbsp canned prunes
1 tsp raisins

The following nuts and seeds are equivalent to one portion.

10 almonds
7 brazil nuts
20 cashew nuts
3 chestnuts
20 g peanut butter
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp tahini
20 g hazelnuts
18 macadamia nuts
20 peanuts
5 pecan nuts
15 pistachio nuts
1 tbsp sesame seeds
6 walnut halves

Soft drinks – Fruit squashes, lemonade, 7-Up, Sprite, Tango. Mixers such as soda water, tonic water, bitter lemon, dry ginger

Alcohol – Dry white wine, sparkling wine, lager, bitter (mild), gin, brandy, vodka, whisky, rum, Baileys and Vermouth
Try to keep your alcohol intake to within the recommended limits

Hot beverages – Tea, fruit teas, green tea
Limit to 1 cup of coffee a day, Camp coffee and Chai (made with milk from daily allowance)

Nutritional supplements – Your dietitian will discuss appropriate supplements if required

Soft drinks – To include fruit juice see fruit portion information, High Juice squash, blackcurrant squash and coconut containing drinks should be avoided
Avoid juices containing mango juice, soursop, starfuit, apricot and coconut milk

Alcohol – Stout, strong ale, cider, barley wine, liqueurs, red wine, sweet white wine, sweet sherry and alcopops

Hot beverages – Horlicks, Ovaltine, Bournvita, cocoa, drinking chocolate, Bovril and Oxo

Nutritional supplements – Nourishment, Nutriment, Complan and Build Up

Cakes – Sponge cakes, including lemon drizzle cake, lemon curd finger rolls and fairy cakes, Victoria sponge with cream, jam and buttercream fillings
Madeira cake, bulla, Battenberg, treacle tart, jam tarts, jam swiss roll, doughnuts, plain scones, Danish pastries (with no dried fruit or nuts) and plain rusks

Biscuits – Plain e.g. rich tea, digestive and HobNobs, Cream filled: custard creams and jammy dodgers, Shortbread and sponge fingers

Puddings – Pavlova, sponge pudding (syrup, strawberry jam), lemon meringue pie, corn pudding, apple or plum crumble, apple pie or tinned fruit and cream

Sweets – Boiled sweets, wine gums, mints, chewing gum and marshmallows

Savoury snacks – Remember these are high in salt
Tortillas, Tuc, Ritz, Krackerwheat, popcorn, plain breadsticks, pretzels and plain rusks, Maize and wheat based crisps are lower potassium options However, it is important to read the products ingredients list to ensure the product does not contain potassium chloride
Olives in oil, Mayonnaise dips, sour cream with chives and hummus

Cakes – Avoid cakes containing dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, marzipan and coconut, Cassava pone and coconut ice (Sugar Cake)

Biscuits – Avoid all biscuits with chocolate, nuts, dried fruit and coconut e.g. macaroons, coconut tarts, marzipan, chocolate slices, peanut cookies and almond slices

Puddings – Sweet potato pudding, Milk pudding made with condensed or evaporated milk or that contains nuts, dried fruit or coconut, Remember to include stewed fruit or tinned fruit within your fruit allowance

Sweets – Chocolate (suitable options are listed with Chocolate panel below), toffee, fudge, liquorice and fruit gums Carob, sev, halva and burfi

Savoury Snacks – Avoid potato based snacks; potato crisps, Quavers, Bombay mix, Twiglets ‘Flaming hot’ Monster Munch and Frazzles, Ganthia, chevda and sugared fennel
Avoid using chocolate spread, peanut butter and marmite Dips to avoid are tomato salsa and guacamole