“25 Best Low Potassium Breakfast Foods [According to a Dietitian]” was written by Amy Shults, RDN, CDN, CDCES & edited/reviewed by Aly Bouzek, MS, RDN.
Sometimes, individuals are prescribed a low potassium diet in which they need to eat low potassium breakfast foods. This is the case for those with chronic kidney disease or for those who have elevated potassium levels, known as hyperkalemia.
A low potassium diet can be a tricky diet to navigate. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place to learn more about potassium and how to include low potassium foods in your meals.
Table of Contents:
- What is Potassium?
- Other Nutrients to Consider
- 25 Low Potassium Breakfast Foods
- Putting it All Together: 8 Ideas for Complete Low Potassium Breakfast Foods
- Avoid (or Limit) High Potassium Foods
- Low Potassium Breakfast Foods Wrap-Up
What is Potassium?
Potassium is an important nutrient to have in your diet. Potassium helps with nerve, muscle, and heart function, and also helps to maintain fluid levels within our cells. Most of us can get all of our potassium needs through our diet (or supplementation if needed).
But what if you are prescribed a low potassium diet? Does that mean you should avoid potassium altogether? No.
Low potassium is not the same as no potassium.
Low Potassium Diet
Talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian to learn how much potassium is right for you on a low potassium diet. There are different potassium amounts that people can safely consume, so be sure to determine the safe amount for your diet.
A low potassium diet is often considered to be 3000 mg or less daily. (1) Generally, foods that have 200 mg or less per serving are considered to be low in potassium.
Nutrition Facts label on foods will have potassium listed. Use the table below to further determine if a food is low, medium, high, or very high in potassium.
| % Daily Value | Potassium (mg) | |
| Low potassium | 3% | 100mg or less |
| Medium potassium | 3-6% | 101-200mg |
| High potassium | 6-9% | 201-300mg |
| Very high potassium | 9% | 300mg or more |
Now, take a look at an example food label below. We have marked the potassium section for ease of reference. Notice how the percent Daily Value is 6%. Looking at the table above, that could mean this food either has medium or high amounts of potassium.
A closer look, shows that there are 240mg of potassium in each serving of this food. This puts a serving size of this food in the “high potassium” category.
Other Nutrients to Consider
If you have chronic kidney disease, you may need to also limit your intake of sodium, phosphorus, protein as well as fluids. There is no need to avoid these nutrients completely – it is just about getting the right balance.
Again, speak with your doctor, healthcare team, or a registered dietitian if you have questions and need further guidance about which foods (and how much) are safe for you to consume.
25 Low Potassium Breakfast Foods
Finding foods that are low in potassium can seem daunting, especially when it comes to breakfast. Here are plenty of breakfast food ideas to get your day started:
4 Low Potassium Proteins
1. Eggs – Eggs are a breakfast staple that are low in potassium. Get creative with how you prepare your eggs to switch it up. From hard boiled to sunny side up to eggs in a cup, there is no shortage in how to serve them and enjoy them.
2. Certain types of cheeses – Most unprocessed cheeses are low in potassium if sticking to 1-2 ounces at a meal. However, some cheeses are high in phosphorus and sodium, which is a concern for some people with kidney disease.
Cream cheese, goat cheese, ricotta, and parmesan are all good, kidney-friendly options.
3. Peanut butter – Peanut butter is low in potassium, when you keep the serving size to less than 2 tablespoons. Spread it on your toast or mix it in with your oatmeal.
4. Tofu – Tofu may not be a typical breakfast food, but a tofu scramble can be a great way to start your day with some plant-based protein.
7 Low Potassium Grains
1. Bagels – Who doesn’t love a bagel for breakfast? Skip the lox, but smearing cream cheese, peanut butter or butter on top is all fair game.
2. English muffins – English muffins are a versatile breakfast food. Feel free to add butter, jelly, peanut butter, or use it to make a breakfast sandwich.
3. Certain cereals – The potassium content of different cereals can vary greatly. The following make great low potassium breakfast foods:
- Rice Chex
- Rice Krispies
- Corn flakes
- Corn Chex
- Special K
- Honey Bunches of Oats
- Shredded wheat
- Kix
4. Oatmeal – Oatmeal, whether it was an instant packet or made on the stovetop, is low in potassium. Avoid oatmeals with dried fruits such as raisins as these are high in potassium.
5. Cream of Wheat – Farina, better known as Cream of Wheat, is another great breakfast option. Make it with rice, almond, or oat milk rather than regular milk (cows milk is high in potassium).
6. Grits – Why not start your day with some comforting grits? Again, you do have to watch out for how much potassium is added to it with the choice of milk. While milk is high in potassium, butter is not, so this is a great way to add richness and additional calories if needed.
7. Corn tortillas – A breakfast wrap can be a fun way to switch up your morning meal. Flour tortillas are generally high in phosphorus and sodium, so ones made from corn are more kidney-friendly.
5 Low Potassium Fruits
1. Berries – All berries, including blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, are low in potassium. They are a great way to add fiber to your breakfast.
2. Grapefruit – Adding half a grapefruit to your breakfast is a great way to zest up your morning. Note that grapefruit interacts with some cholesterol-lowering drugs so talk to your dietitian, doctor, or pharmacist to see if you should be having grapefruit or not.
3. Grapes – Have up to one cup of grapes to make your meal out of low potassium breakfast foods.
4. Apples – Apples may not be the first fruit that comes to mind when thinking about breakfast, but both apples and applesauce can be a great way to add fruit to your meal without adding too much potassium. Stick with a small to medium apple or a cup or less of applesauce.
5. Pineapple – Keep pineapple to a cup or less to keep it low in potassium. This tropical fruit is high in vitamin C as well as manganese. Feel free to get fresh, frozen, or canned. Many grocery stores also have fresh pre-cut pineapple to make things easy.
6 Low Potassium Vegetables
1. Asparagus – Eggs and asparagus is a great breakfast idea to start the day off with some protein and vegetables.
2. Bean sprouts – Bean sprouts are a nutritious way to add some texture to an omelet or a breakfast wrap. Mung bean sprouts and alfalfa sprouts are two popular types.
3. Bell peppers – Add a sliced half of a bell pepper to an egg dish in the morning to get lots of vitamin C without adding too much potassium. Feel free to use green, yellow, orange, or red.
4. Carrots – Carrots are another great vegetable to cook into an egg dish, or you can enjoy them fresh on their own.
5. Mushrooms – While mushrooms technically are not a vegetable, they normally go in the vegetable category when we talk about nutrition. They are a great source of various vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and contribute lots of flavor to low potassium breakfast foods.
6. Onions – Onions, including green onions, are another great vegetable to add to egg dishes in the morning.
3 Low Potassium Beverages
1. Tea – Tea is much lower in potassium compared to coffee. Since there are so many different flavors of tea, you will never get bored of this hot (or iced!) beverage.
2. Certain juices – Apple, cranberry, grape, and pineapple juice are all low in potassium. If you are watching your blood sugar levels, be aware the fruit juice is high in carbohydrates and sugar.
3. Rice, almond, and oat milks – Regular milk is unfortunately high in potassium, but there are some low potassium milk alternatives including rice, almond, and oat milk. These are great to pour on your cereal or drink alongside your breakfast.
Putting It All Together: 8 Ideas for Complete Low Potassium Breakfast Foods
Here are some complete breakfast meal ideas that are low in potassium:
- Two-egg omelet made with carrots, mushrooms, and feta cheese with grapes on the side
- Breakfast burrito on a corn tortilla with scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, and bean sprouts with a glass of grape juice
- Frittata made with asparagus, ricotta, and green onions with a slice of buttered toast and a cup of herbal tea
- Oatmeal made with rice milk, with berries and applesauce mixed in for sweetness
- Two slices of toast with 1 Tbsp of peanut butter, and a pineapple fruit cup
- Tofu scramble made with onions, garlic, red bell pepper, and broccoli served with a half of a grapefruit
- Egg and cheese sandwich on an English muffin with a cup of mixed berries on the side
- Cream of Wheat made with almond milk and butter alongside two sunny side up eggs and a cup of black tea
Avoid (or Limit) High Potassium Foods
When following a low potassium diet, it is important to know what foods are classified as low potassium. It’s equally important to know what foods are high in potassium as well.
Limit or avoid the foods below when preparing low potassium breakfast foods or when following a low potassium diet. Note: this is not an exhaustive list of high potassium foods.
- Fruits: Bananas, oranges, prunes, apricots, dried fruit
- Vegetables: Squash, pumpkin, avocado, broccoli, white potatoes
- Additional foods: Chocolate, cow’s milk, yogurt, bran, granola
Low Potassium Breakfast Foods Wrap-Up
Portion Size Matters. Don’t forget about portion sizes! If you eat a large portion of a low potassium food, the amount of potassium may no longer be low.
Luckily, the reverse is also true. If you want to eat a food high in potassium, simply decrease the portion size and avoid having other high potassium foods that day. All foods can fit!
While at first it may seem challenging to find suitable options for a low potassium diet, there is a wide array of delicious and nutritious breakfast foods that are low in potassium. Remember, balance is key, and with some creativity, breakfast can remain a delightful part of your day.