Leaching Potassium: A Step-by-Step Guide

While following a low-potassium diet, avoiding certain high-potassium foods, such as potatoes, can be difficult. Taking steps to lower potassium content is essential to still enjoy your favorite foods, especially while on dialysis. Leaching potatoes and other root vegetables can reduce the potassium content by 50-75%. Although leaching lowers potassium content, you must limit the amount of leached high-potassium vegetables in your diet.

Leaching Directions

1. Wash and peel the vegetables.
2. Cut the vegetable into 1/8-inch pieces.
3. Place the vegetable pieces in a pot and fill it with room-temperature water. Use double the amount of water compared to the vegetable.
4. Soak vegetables for 3-4 hours.
5. Remove the water and replace it with fresh water.
6. Bring the water with vegetables to a boil.
7. Drain off the water and add fresh room temperature water to the vegetables.
8. Bring the water to a boil and cook vegetables until soft and tender.

Use this method on tuberous root vegetables, such as Potatoes, Sweet potatoes, Yams, etc.

Talk to your renal dietitian about how often you should consume leached vegetables.