What is the importance of potassium? Potassium levels are closely connected with heart health.
According to WebMD:
“Potassium plays a role in every heartbeat. A hundred thousand times a day, it helps trigger your heart to squeeze blood through your body.
It also helps your muscles to move, your nerves to work, and your kidneys to filter blood.”
So, the importance of potassium cannot be overestimated.
Why do American diets tend to be low in potassium? Diets are low in potassium because fruits and vegetables are the best consistent sources of potassium, and people aren't eating enough fruits and vegetables. For example, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that only 1 out of 10 people are getting enough vegetables in their diet.
So, how do you make sure you and your family are getting enough potassium in your diet? Eat more fruits and vegetables, and other rich sources of potassium, such as nuts, beans, dairy products, and whole grains. Find vegetables and fruits you enjoy, and eat lots of them! For example, I love avocado and broccoli. And my son likes avocado and broccoli as well. Thus, we eat broccoli almost every day, and avocado whenever it's in season.
It is true that the greater the variety of vegetables and fruits you eat, the more healthy your diet will be. However, eating two super healthy vegetables every day is better than NO vegetables! Especially since eating vegetables and fruits every day is the best way to make sure you are getting enough potassium in your diet.
Food Sources of Potassium
The best way to get enough potassium is to eat fruits and vegetables. However, most foods contain at least some potassium:
potatoes, including sweet potatoes (see below for recipe for home made French fries)
dried fruit (raisins, apricots, prunes, and dates)
nuts
dairy products
whole grains
meat and fish
The above foods are all sources of potassium. However, calorie for calorie, vegetables and fruits are, by far, the best sources of potassium. For example, 1 banana has about 422 mg of potassium which is over 10% of the US Recommended amount of 3500 mg, (banana has 100 calories) while 1 cup diced cantaloupe has 417 mg (about 60 calories).
in the bananas and cantaloupe to ground beef, which is a good source of potassium, but is much higher in calories and fat. Of course, lean ground beef can be an important part of a balanced diet. However, ground beef doesn't have the other nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables (fiber, vitamin c, vitamin a, etc). This is another example of how important variety is in our diet.
Tomatoes and avocados are also rich in potassium in addition to being excellent sources of lots of other vitamins and minerals. For example, a 1/2 cup of canned tomatoes provides about 250 mg potassium, and an avocado has a whopping 945 mg.
Cow's milk is an excellent source of potassium as well. For example, 1 cup serving of nonfat milk contains 382 mg potassium. However, cheese is not such a good source of potassium (1 ounce cheddar only has 20 mg potassium).
This drives home the importance of adding vegetables and fruits to your and your kids' menu, especially if they eat a lot of macaroni and cheese.
Besides being rich in potassium, there are many reasons why vegetables and fruits are important. For more information and ideas on how to encourage your family to eat more fruits and vegetables, click here.
Excessive potassium in the blood can be caused by dehydration, or excessive diuretic use. Dehydration causes loss of water in blood which increases the concentration of potassium in the blood.
Diuretics, especially what are known as potassium-sparing diuretics, are often used for high blood pressure or excessive fluid retention. For example, in conditions such as congestive heart failure or pre-eclampsia of pregnancy. However, these types of diuretics are safe, when used as directed by a doctor. When diuretics can become dangerous, however, is when someone takes large amounts of diuretics to lose weight. This is more common in eating disordered individuals.
So the point is, excessive potassium is not generally a concern in healthy individuals who are following their doctor's orders.
Here are some fun activities you can use to teach your children about the importance of fruits and vegetables for good health.
Not low fat, but still delicious and made from fresh potatoes which are high in Vitamin C and potassium. If you keep the skin on, you also increase the fiber and iron.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time25 minutesmins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: frugal, kid friendly recipes
Servings: 4Servings
Calories: 292kcal
Author: Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC
Ingredients
1CupAvocado oilAmount will depend on size of pan, amount of potatoes made
4LargePotatoesOne potato per person; Russett are best; wash and scrub thoroughly
1tspGarlic SaltLawry's is the one we use because it doesn't have any artificial ingredients
Instructions
Add oil to large non-stick pan
Heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
While oil is heating, cut potatoes into wedges. Cut potato in 1/2, and then in 1/2 again, and then 1/2 until wedges are about 3/8' square size.
When oil is ready, add potatoes carefully to pan using a pair of tongs
Cook potatoes until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Drain on a paper towel covered plate for at least five minutes. Pat french fries with paper towels to remove excess oil.
Traditionally I have not been a big fish eater. This is partly because my mom didn't serve it much when I was growing up. Thus, I never really learned how to cook it. Not only that but I didn't even taste much fish until I became more nutrition conscious in college. Since then, I've discovered that fish is super easy to prepare. Not only can fish be prepared quickly, which removes one hurdle to the “fast” food culture. But you don't even have to thaw it out before cooking it (though it is perfectly okay to do so).
As the result of how beneficial fish can be to your overall health, I decided to provide a brief summary of 5 reasons why you should eat more fish. (Post contains affiliate links).
Eating more fish will increase your immune system.
Fish is high in the minerals zinc, calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, magnesium, and potassium. All of these nutrients are absolutely essential for a strong immune system.
A strong immune system is important for reducing risk of contagious diseases caused by viruses and bacteria. For example, flu, the common cold, strep throat and tonsillitis. A strong immune system also reduces the effects of damage caused by environmental toxins. This in turn reduces risk of non-contagious diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and degenerative diseases such as MS.
Fatty Fish is High in Omega-3 fats
Omega-3 fats are healthy in many ways. For example, omega-3s reduce inflammation which combats pro-inflammatory compounds, such as those found in the environment. By consuming adequate amounts of omega-3 fats in your diet through a higher consumption of fish, you will reduce your risk of:
When you eat more fish, you are more likely to eat less red meat. And ounce for ounce, fish is lower in calories than red meat.
For example, 3.5 ounces of salmon (one of the highest calorie fishes) has about 180 calories (references vary and it depends on which type of salmon as there are at least 5 varieties). This is about 50 calories per ounce. Compare this to 4 ounces of 15% lean ground beef, which contains 243 calories, which is 60 calories per ounce.
So, comparing equal amount of salmon to ground beef, you have 4 ounces of salmon 200 calories versus 4 ounces ground beef 243. This may not sound like much, but it adds up over time!
And this is just salmon. Cod, which is very low in fat, contains only 82 calories for a 3.5 ounce serving. Yellowfin Tuna 109, and Halibut 116 calories. So, fish is an excellent way to maintain a high quality protein intake and reduce calories as well.
Protein is essential for a strong immune system. It is also important for healthy muscle, proper functioning of enzymes and hormones, and for maintaining healthy skin. Protein is necessary for DNA/RNA synthesis as well as healthy bones. I could go on. However, I have written previously about the importance of protein. Click here to read more about why protein is so important for good health.
Regardless of how much fat is in a particular fish, all fish is low in saturated fat. In regard to the amount of saturated fat in fish versus red meat, let's compare salmon.
3 ounces Atlantic Salmon provides 11 grams of total fat, only 2 grams of which is saturated fat. In contrast, 3 ounces 15% lean ground beef provides 12.5 grams of total fat, 5 grams of which are saturated.
And then there are lower fat fishes. For example, cod only has .5 grams of total fat and NO saturated fat. (Note that cod is not as high in vitamin D but still provides 10% of the US RDA in one 3 ounce serving.) The reason why vitamin D is higher in salmon is because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is found in higher amounts in fatty tissue.
Fish is an excellent source of vitamin D and Selenium.
Believe it or not, 1-3 ounce serving of salmon will provide 100% of the US RDA of vitamin D for most people. Most people today are not getting enough vitamin D in their diet. Thus, eating more fish will help you to meet your needs for this important vitamin.
Selenium is an important mineral that acts as an antioxidant in your body. Antioxidants fight against free radicals, which are responsible for cancer and contribute to heart disease. Selenium is also important for thyroid health. One 3 ounce serving of salmon will provide nearly 50% of the US RDA for Selenium. Thus eating more fish will help you meet your nutritional needs for selenium.
Do you have concerns about eating fish?
It is true that you must be conscious of which fish you are eating, what the source of fish is as well as the amount of fish that is generally safe to eat. For example, contaminants including mercury, PCBs, PBDEs, dioxins, and chlorinated pesticides can all end up in the fish we eat.
Below are tables providing general guidelines to help you determine which fish are the safest to eat.
Scroll to the very bottom for the reference list I used as well as a link for some tasty fish recipes.
As a Registered Dietitian who has a love for new recipes, I am excited to share with you some irresistible, healthy appetizer recipes I have found. Below are some hand-picked recipes from my favorite recipe websites. These recipes are sure to please! (None of the recipe sites are affiliates).
10 Irresistible Valentine's Day Appetizers
The key to delicious AND healthy is to find recipes that contain a fruit or vegetable. Also, recipes that contain nuts and lean meats, as well as poultry and fish, are good choices because they are sources of protein.
Taste of Home has simple, delicious, and oftentimes healthy recipes. Plus, they utilize everyday ingredients you're more likely to already have in your kitchen pantry. I receive regular emails from Taste of Home. I pick and choose recipes, depending on my needs and my mood. Though I haven't tried this recipe, I can imagine it in my mouth, and I have no doubt that I would like it.
Of course, you don't have to use the same cheese that is in the recipe.
For example, I might switch out the blue cheese for feta cheese because I like feta cheese much more. Plus, feta cheese is likely to be less expensive. Not only that, but feta cheese can be used in other recipes you like.
For example, one of my favorite salad recipes includes black olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice dressings (with some basil, garlic and parsley) mixed with feta cheese.* YUMMY!
*By the way, you don't really need a recipe for this salad. Just mix equal amounts cucumbers and tomatoes, and add black olives to taste. For the dressing, just mix about 1/4 cup olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 to 1 garlic clove, 1 teaspoon fresh or dried parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon dried (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh) basil, stir and mix with the vegetables. Add 4 ounces of feta cheese (plain or herbed or tomato basil are all delicious), mix again. Chill and serve.
One of the things I like the most about this “Greek Salad” recipe is that it has no lettuce, and thus doesn't wilt. So, it can keep in the refrigerator for several days and it will still taste good.
You also don't need to use the exact nut mentioned. Personally, I prefer pecans, which is what the recipe calls for. However, you can use walnuts or even remove the nuts completely, if you are concerned about allergies.
I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. If you like marinated artichoke hearts, you're going to love this one! And it's ridiculously simple!
This one calls for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese which is one of my absolute favorites! (Can you tell I love cheese)?! However, if you are concerned about the cost, or you can't find this type of cheese in your local store, you can always use basic Parmesan or Romano cheese.
It is true that cheese is high in saturated fat and calories. 🙁
However, when you use strong flavored cheeses, such as blue cheese, feta cheese, and hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, Asiago, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Romano Pecorino (another one of my favorites), a little goes a long way. For example, it usually only takes about 1/2 as much to give the cheesy flavor usually sought after when using cheese in a recipe.
As the saying goes, if you are able to tolerate dairy, then you can have your cheese and eat it too–or was that cake–oh well, you know what I mean! 😉
By the way, if you have a problem with dairy products or are casein-intolerant, you can use a casein free cheese such as the one here.
This is another recipe from AllRecipes.com. I find so many good recipes on this site! Anyway, what I like about this recipe, health-wise, is that it is made with dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants and is lower in sugar than milk chocolate.
What I also like about this recipe is that it is simple and only requires 4 ingredients. It is also kid-friendly. Get the full recipe here.
This recipe is from Cooking Light.com, one of my all-time favorite recipe sites. One of the things I like about Cooking Light is that the recipes are lightened–but not enough to ruin the taste–usually. Also, Cooking Light employees Registered Dietitians and has tons of sound nutrition advice to offer. The only thing I don't like about Cooking Light.com's recipes is that oftentimes they call for odd or uncommon ingredients such as cherry extract (see Recipe 5 below). These types of ingredients are often hard to find. However, it is a great way to learn about new ingredients you may not have heard of before, which is a big plus!
Also from CookingLight.com. Ladies, this is a perfect romantic dessert that you can share with your hubbies!
I bet they will just love these! (And you can be confident that you're not offering a dessert that's too high fat and calories). The only downside of this recipe is that it calls for cherry extract. I did a quick search on Amazon because I've never actually purchased cherry extract before. The good new is that Amazon has cherry extract for sale at a reasonable price.
We use Amazon.com all of the time in our house. It is so convenient, prices are often lower than our local stores, and if you have Amazon Prime, you get two-day FREE shipping with most orders!
So, from the convenience of your own home, you can order what you need, save money, time AND energy!
Of course, you can always check your local grocery store as well. But I think this recipe just might be worth the extra effort (and possibly cost) for a unique dessert for two for Valentine's Day. What do you think???? =)
By the way, you can also double, triple, or quadruple the recipe for a larger group, if you prefer! And forego the cherries, if no fresh cherries are available in your area, and you don't want to use maraschino cherries.
Okay, so these aren't all appetizers per se. But, let's face it, Valentine's Day is meant to be romantic. So, if you are feeling romantic and want to bless your other half, this salad will fit the bill just fine. This recipe also came from MyRecipes.com.
By the way, one of the REALLY COOL things about MyRecipes.com is that you can add your own ingredients and then do a search and to find recipes that match the ingredients you want to use.
I love simple, easy recipes, especially when they are healthy too! And this is exactly what I was looking for when I started searching for these 10 irresistible appetizers for Valentine's Day.
This delicious Tuscan Steak Salad recipe is just that too–simple, easy, and healthy!
All you need is strip steak (or another steak you prefer), a little fresh garlic and rosemary, Balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and Parmesan cheese. (Some of the other cheeses I mentioned above will work too)! Oh, and of course, your favorite salad greens.
One of the areas I often adjust when following recipes for salads is the type of salad greens I use. For example, I prefer baby spring greens. This recipe calls for Italian-Blend salad greens. And they might be just fine for you. However, pretty much any kind of greens will work for a recipe like this. So, even if your family prefers iceberg lettuce (hopefully not, because it's not high in nutrients), then you can even use that.
If you make separate salads for everyone, you can put different types of greens on each plate as well.
The point I'm trying to make is this: Salad recipes can easily be adjusted for amounts of ingredients without sacrificing taste. So, like I said before–be creative!!!
I just adore salmon! Unfortunately, my hubby doesn't like it at all. So when we do serve fish, we usually serve a couple different kinds. Hubby prefers halibut. However, he also likes cod, which is significantly less expensive, so we usually cook both cod and salmon.
And the good news is that Nathan, our son, also likes fish! (In fact he likes octopus and squid, clams, crab, and pretty much any seafood he can get his hands on)! Did I mention that he's a picky eater?
Back to the recipe. This is a super simple recipe, and also only requires a few ingredients: spinach (fresh preferred but not absolutely necessary because it will be cooked), grape or cherry tomatoes (or cut-up Roma, or or even canned tomatoes will work), fresh garlic (again you can substitute garlic powder or jarred minced garlic, if you don't have fresh available), a little oil, salt and pepper, and voila!
Unfortunately, wild-caught salmon is significantly more expensive as well. So you will have to decide based on your budget and family needs. We buy our salmon at Costco. And one thing is for sure, it is WAY cheaper than going to a restaurant to eat it!
These look so delicious! And they utilize already made biscuit dough, which can be found in the refrigerator section of your grocery store. This makes them low-stress, since the pastry part of appetizers tends to be the most difficult. I don't make a habit of recommending this sort of thing because I prefer homemade and natural over processed foods due to all of the additives in processed food.
However, if you know me, you know that I like to be balanced when it comes to diet. I'm not an “all or nothing” kind of girl. So, I think that for the special occasion of Valentine's Day, having the shortcut will make creating the appetizers much more fun and much less time consuming.
Did I mention that there are only five ingredients?
This is TOTAL Kid and Family Project waiting to happen! And I think you might be a little bit surprised to find out that a heart shaped pizza is way easier to make than you think!
I just checked out this website and discovered that all you have to do is buy a round Boboli shell and cut the circle with kitchen shears to create the heart shaped pizza. SO EASY!!!
And then you and your kids can pick your favorite ingredients and have a blast!
This would be a great way to use up some of the leftovers from the other recipes on this list as well. For example, the cheeses, tomatoes, and artichokes (artichokes are yummy on pizza)! Also, spinach and garlic are tasty on pizza as well. The garlic, in particular, will add a lot of flavor to the sauce you choose (which can be marinara or white or no sauce at all).
I just HAD to include a Mexican dish to this list because besides Italian/Mediterranean food, my favorite is Mexican food. I did a quick search and came up with this adorable and original idea. And I think this is an awesome way to end my list of 10 Irresistible Valentine's Day Appetizers.
The only thing that will be truly challenging about making this recipe is finding the 4 inch springform pans that the Chicken Enchilada Hearts recipe calls for. However, I was able to find some on Amazon. And the really cool thing is that once you buy them, you can use them again and again!
So, there you are: 10 Irresistible Valentine's Day Appetizers. I hope you enjoy them and that they inspire you to try some new and unique recipes of your own!
Whatever you do this Valentine's day, whether it's eating out or staying in, I hope that you have an awesome time. And I also hope that you will let me know what you think by emailing me at: debbiesuerd@homeschoolingdietititianmom.com or commenting below.
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