The Leafy Green That Contains More Potassium Than A Banana

Potassium is an electrolyte with a lot of positive benefits. It counterbalances salt, helping to prevent high blood pressure. As an electrolyte, it helps your body keep its fluids in balance. And it's great for muscle cramps. There's a reason people hand you a banana when you're feeling sluggish or your muscles are cramping up — it has potassium and is quick and easy to eat. However, when it comes to being a good source of this vital mineral, bananas are only middle-of-the-road. If you really want a big blast of the electrolyte, eat more beet greens.

Yes, it's difficult to grab a bunch of beet greens out of your bag while on a long, sweaty bike ride. Bananas certainly have the advantage when it comes to ease of eating. But while beet greens may not come in their own wrapper, a cup of beet greens has 1,308 milligrams of Potassium, a better than 50% increase over a cup of bananas, which has 805 milligrams. So stop composting those greens and eat them instead.

Sweet, earthy beet greens aren't the only food with more potassium per cup than bananas. If you want a sweet treat, you can opt for red bean paste. Many Japanese baked goods, mochis, and more are filled with the tasty paste made from Adzuki beans. A cup of these has 1,223 milligrams of potassium and also includes 17 grams of protein! The next time you have taiyaki, the filled Japanese pastry shaped like a fish, try it with the traditional red bean.

If you want to mix up your greens, Swiss chard has 960 milligrams of potassium per cup. Start your day off with a green goddess smoothie with Swiss chard, strawberries, and bananas, and you'll be well along your way to your daily requirement of 3,400 milligrams for men and 2,600 milligrams for women. Growing swiss chard at home is easy, and the colorful stalks add a fun look to any garden.