Lowering potassium in vegetables

[Bassetmommer]

Does anyone leach their vegetables to lower the potassium (K) Since I mostly eat vegetables, I have been experimenting with the process of soaking my veggies for 2 -3 hours, changing the water a couple of times and then cook them. Sometimes I boil them, sometimes I roast. It does not change the taste.

I have found so much conflicting information on what vegetables are high in K and what is not. One site said green beans but I have not seen that elsewhere. So I check the potassium level elsewhere and then I keep a running diary of my K intake for the day keeping it below 2000mg, which is less than half of a "normal" American diet.

I have to wait to see if my K in my labs improve. They aren't high, remaining from 4.7 to 4.9 but I am trying to prevent them from going over 5.

sciencedirect.com/science/a...

kidney.org/atoz/content/pot...

foodandhealth.com/potassium...

idahonephrology.com/kidney-...

[Bet117 NKF Ambassador]

Like you, I live on vegetables!

I wash my cabbage thoroughly and then let it soak a bit to make sure that I have it very clean. I then steam it in the microwave for 60 minutes with some water and let it sit 15 minutes after as I like it soft and well done.

I let my fresh zucchini, onions, peppers, eggplant and cauliflower soak and then do the same as the cabbage.

I read the same info on vitamin K as you did. It is portion control and a roll of the dice.

They recommend green beans but I need the protein, so I do eat chick peas and hummus.

My fresh frozen are washed and microwaved.

Haven't roasted, if you have a recipe, please share!

Your PM is on the way.

Crazy busy here..but you have been close in thought.

Later..

Xx B

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador]

I too have to watch my potassium and at level 3. I have tried leaching sweet potatoes only. Wonder how long you can keep them refrigerated? Wonder if canned ones are already leached? Even at keeping under 2000 mg per day my K levels are still in high range also.

[Hidden in reply to orangecity41]

From my reading, sweet potatoes are already low in potassium. I do leach potatoes so that I can have them one a month or so. I'm not on a full vegetable diet so I don't worry about the potassium in veggies as we do need some of it. I pay more attention to portion control and a varied meat minus the red meat and other "bad" items. Also, my RD warned me off all canned veggies due to sodium used in most cases as a preservative. Frozen is slightly better and of course, fresh is best. I've learned to try different veggies as they come in season but neither my mother, grandmother or anyone else has been able to convince me that there is any benefit to eating lima beans, Brussel sprouts, artichokes, peas or green beans. Of course, that's just my opinion and I could be wrong.

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Be careful......Sweet potatoes are NOT low in potassium. One 5 inch potato has 483 mg of potassium. One white medium potato has 640. One cup mashed sweet potato has 754 mg of potassium. I checked a variety of sites for the information. This is why it is tricky when eating veggies because you never know what is loaded unless you look. I use the USDA as my authority.

sweet potato:

ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/...

white potato:

ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/...

another good site:

nutritiondata.self.com/fact...

[Hidden in reply to Bassetmommer]

Thanks for confirming my statement. Of the potatoes you mentioned sweet potatoes are the lowest. As I further stated I am cautious about portion control. When I have my monthly allotment of sweet potatoes I have 3 or 4 sweet potato fries. I bake them. A 5 inch sweet potato could last me three or four months.

[FlowerPreciousLover in reply to Bassetmommer]

Bassetmommer, I like to read H. U. files and just found these two sources. Thank you for sharing them. I've signed up for the "self.com/fact" site.

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador in reply to orangecity41]

I have not leached potatoes. I just avoid them. But I will need to do something for Thanksgiving. I do butternut squash this way: I peel and cubed set in room temp water for at minimum 2-3 hours changing the water every hour. Then I rinse them and I roast them for one dish. But boiling them will lower the potassium even more...but they still have a significant amount. So go lightly. Refrigerated should last at least two days if you change the water often.

Canned is still high. You need to dumb the liquid from the can, and rinse the potatoes. One cup still has over 400 mg of K.

ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/...

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador in reply to Bassetmommer]

Thanks for info. My renal diet advises me to avoid regular potatoes and sweet potatoes so I limit them.

[Bet117 NKF Ambassador in reply to Bassetmommer]

Agreed. I don't touch anything in a can.

[Bunkin]

If I’m having mashed potatoes I boil them twice. I read the other day that just soaking them doesn’t do that much good anyway. Who knows. So many conflicting things out there

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador in reply to Bunkin]

Isn't that true? There is so much conflicting information on everything about diet. Wish something like eating was not so convoluted.

[curleytop1]

Hello Bassetmommer, I am glad you have brought up the subject of leaching and for all the comments everyone has made about their diets. I agree that there is so much conflicting advice about what to eat and what to avoid, and also how to treat it, making it very difficult for anybody, except perhaps a renal dietician, to give reliable advice that anyone can follow. Even on the subject of fresh vegetables, if one grows them oneself then they can be guaranteed fresh, but if they have to be purchased then they could easily be 10 days old before they are bought (losing vitamin C all the time, but NOT potassium). I use mostly frozen vegetables and suitable fruits for cooking as their freshness is more reliable and there is no wastage (living alone, I found myself regularly throwing half my fresh vegetable or fruit purchases into the compost bin because of the small quantities we are allowed of each food). In the UK we can buy tins of single vegetables and some fruits canned in water, and without any salt in the veg., which can be useful in some recipes.

Having spent the first few months after diagnosis leaching my small amounts of potatoes and root vegetables etc, I now choose alternatives to vegetables for which leaching is recommended as the leaching process, while lowering the quantity of potassium present, must also reduce the nutrient levels at the same time. Also, I always substitute a portion of cooked white rice rather than any potato or other high potassium veg. I hope other contributors to this post will tell us about their eating regimes as we might all learn something we have not tried before - Curleytop1.

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

thanks Curleytop. I do not usually consume potatoes. But here in the US, we are about to have our Thanksgiving which includes very high potassium foods. Since the meal is for my family, I will leach the potatoes and squash so we can all enjoy them.