Many people do not really know just how important potassium is to their overall health and body function. Potassium is one of the three most abundant minerals in the human body and it is responsible for regulating blood pressure and maintaining fluid levels - it also helps the body to heal quickly from minor cuts and injuries. By eating enough potassium rich foods, it is pretty easy to meet your body's daily requirement of potassium but many people do not know which foods contain high amounts of potassium. There are many potassium rich foods that people eat daily. However, there are many more people that eat unhealthy foods and therefore are actually potassium deficient. In order to eat potassium rich foods, you have to know what is included. Here are a few good examples of potassium rich foods.

Apricots contain about 1,380 mg of potassium, and an average of 160 calories per serving. Bran wheat has about 1,160 mg of potassium and about 200 calories per serving. Tomato puree used commonly in chili averages out to about 1,150 mg of potassium which is equal to almost 34% of the recommended daily values based on a 2,000 calorie diet and has about 70 calories per serving. A handful of raisins is worth 270 calories and 1,020 mg of potassium. A handful of the average unsalted nuts contains about 600 mg of potassium and about 600 calories. Veal is worth 420 mg of potassium per serving and averages about 230 calories.

Most natural plant type foods are normally very high in potassium compared to processed goods. Processed foods are generally always lower in the amounts of potassium they contain, and also very high in sodium. The best food sources for potassium have to have high content as well as low amounts of sodium. It is well known by famous chefs that cooking any foods rich in potassium will deplete the levels drastically. A great and easy way of getting potassium from natural foods is to eat the skin from your vegetables and fruits as much as possible.

The recommended daily average of potassium is 3,500 mg daily for a healthy adult. However, your physician may require you to take in more or less potassium based on your existing physical and medical condition. However, before making a major change in your diet, you should definitely consult a physician if you are on any medications as the changes in your diet could make a difference in the way your medications work.