5 Electrolyte-Packed Foods, According to Dietitians

What Are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are a bunch of charged minerals together with sodium, phosphate, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chloride. For your physique to operate correctly, it wants each fluids and electrolytes.

According to Rhyan Geiger, RDN, a Phoenix-based dietitian, “Electrolytes assist your mind talk with nerves and muscle groups to fireplace off alerts for on a regular basis actions, from blinking to lifting weights.”

These important minerals play a big position in muscle contraction. “Without calcium and magnesium, your coronary heart can’t contract and loosen up accurately,” says Geiger.

Electrolytes additionally help hydration, regulate fluid stability and keep correct pH ranges in your blood and cells. Electrolytes are misplaced via sweat and urine. You could expertise extra lack of electrolytes attributable to sickness or prolonged durations of strenuous train.

5 Foods That Are Packed with Electrolytes, According to Dietitians 

1. Spinach

Spinach is a nutrient-rich meals stuffed with electrolyte minerals. A 1-cup serving of spinach offers round 167 milligrams of potassium, 24 milligrams of magnesium and 30 milligrams of calcium.

“Leafy greens like spinach are additionally wealthy in antioxidants which will assist scale back cognitive decline, help in wound therapeutic, and decrease the danger of age-related macular degeneration, although extra analysis is required,” says Kelsey Costa, M.S., RDN, a registered dietitian and founding father of Dietitian Insights.

Krista Wale, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for Dietitian Insights, shares, “Spinach will be effortlessly added to salads, smoothies, omelets, stir-fries and soups, making it an ideal addition to any meal to extend your electrolyte consumption.”

Eating spinach uncooked or steamed is the easiest way to get essentially the most vitamins from these electrolyte-packed greens. Try our scrumptious ​​Sesame Shrimp Stir-Fry with Spinach or this Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts.

2. Bananas

Bananas are full of electrolytes. Taylor Janulewicz, RDN, proprietor of My Cancer Dietitian, suggests together with bananas in your weight-reduction plan for a pre-workout enhance. “They present potassium, which is essential for muscle operate,” she provides. One small banana (about 100 grams) has 358 milligrams of potassium.

Bananas are additionally a superb supply of fiber, offering 3 grams per serving. Fiber is essential for supporting digestive well being and promotes wholesome blood sugar ranges. Try these scrumptious Banana Bread Overnight Oats for a breakfast that can hold you full and glad all morning.

3. Avocados

Avocados are a flexible and electrolyte-rich meals. “Usually bananas are thought of the principle supply of potassium,” Geiger tells EatingWell, however avocados present a powerful 728 milligrams of potassium per fruit.

“Avocados not solely have electrolytes however are additionally a superb supply of wholesome monounsaturated fat for coronary heart well being and fiber for intestine well being,” says Geiger.

We love avocados unfold on toast (like on this Salsa-Topped Avocado Toast), in a wrap (like this Cucumber Avocado Wrap) or in a smoothie. Or attempt our electrolyte-packed Spinach-Avocado Smoothie that packs 1,295 milligrams of potassium, 238 milligrams of sodium and 554 milligrams of calcium.

4. Dried Figs

Dried figs are wealthy within the electrolytes calcium and potassium. A ½-cup serving (about 100 grams) of dried figs has 162 milligrams of calcium and 680 milligrams of potassium.They’re additionally wealthy in antioxidants and help sturdy bones.

“Dried figs are simple to snack on and in addition enhance day by day fiber consumption by 4 grams per ¼-cup serving,” provides Geiger. They additionally make a fantastic addition to salads and oatmeal, plus they’re a good way so as to add pure sweetness and extra fiber to yogurt, like in our Fig & Honey Yogurt.

5. Watermelon

Watermelon isn’t simply refreshing and scrumptious, it’s additionally a superb supply of potassium and magnesium, two electrolytes which are key to muscle and nerve operate. One cup of watermelon offers 170 milligrams of potassium and 15 milligrams of magnesium.

You can get pleasure from watermelon contemporary, as juice (do that Watermelon Mint Mocktail) or frozen for a popsicle-like snack or dessert. It additionally makes a tasty addition to summer time salads like on this Watermelon, Cucumber & Feta Salad.

The Bottom Line

Electrolytes are important minerals the physique wants for a lot of features together with muscle contraction, sustaining fluid and pH balance, and nerve signaling. Electrolytes are discovered naturally in lots of meals, like avocados, watermelon, spinach and extra. Contrary to what you might have heard, most individuals can meet their electrolyte wants via a balanced weight-reduction plan that features a wide range of fruit and veggies.