Contrary to what marketers may want us to believe, electrolyte drinks are not the best source of electrolytes — food is.
Today I’m going to explain why that is, explore what foods have the most sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphate, and share when it does make sense to leverage electrolyte drinks.
For the bottom line up front, you’ll want to shoot for these ranges daily:
- 4–6 grams of sodium from salty foods and the salt shaker
- 3.5–5 grams of potassium from meat, fish, and vegetables
- 400–600 mg of magnesium from nuts and leafy greens
- 1 gram of calcium from dairy, cruciferous vegetables, and fish with bones
- 700 mg of phosphate (but most people consume twice this RDA)
If you need a quick refresher on why we want to optimize our electrolyte intake before we dive in, check out this article. The TLDR: Getting enough of these charged minerals keeps your energy going, blood flowing, cells communicating, nerve impulses firing, bones building, muscles contracting, and much more. Essentially, we feel a heck of a lot better when we have enough of them.
With that, let’s start with why food is the best vehicle for electrolytes.
Why Prioritize Electrolytes Through Diet
There are several reasons to get your nutrients (including electrolytes) from whole foods. Electrolyte drinks have their place, but the food you eat should be the foundation.
First, it’s hard to overdo any single nutrient in food form (foods rarely contain toxic doses of vitamins and minerals). You can chomp away on electrolyte-rich foods without fear, but adding electrolyte drinks or pills requires care and planning.
Second, whole foods teem with beneficial compounds that are difficult to get elsewhere. Kale, for instance, contains molecules like sulforaphane (studied for anti-cancer effects), zeaxanthin and lutein (eye and brain health), and healthy portions of electrolytes. You’ll be hard-pressed to find an electrolyte drink that also provides sulforaphane, zeaxanthin, and lutein. It’s easier to just eat the kale.
Finally, many food-based nutrients are best consumed together (not in isolation). For example, vitamin D, magnesium, and calcium (all of which you’d get in a salmon and kale salad) work together to promote bone health. There are countless other examples.
Let’s now talk about stocking your diet with electrolytes. There are seven electrolytes total, and the only ones we’ll skip in this list are chloride (I’ll explain why shortly) and bicarbonate (which our bodies make — pretty cool, right?).
Sodium (Salt)
Salt and sodium are often used interchangeably, but it’s important to clarify up front that they’re not the same. Salt is composed of about 40% sodium and 60% chloride, and dietary recommendations are based on sodium, not salt. Sodium helps maintain fluid balance and drives the sodium-potassium pump, a molecule in every human cell necessary for cellular communication. Aim for the science-backed sodium range of 4–6 grams daily to support these functions, and consider getting more to replace sweat losses (learn about sweat sodium losses here). I won’t cover chloride here because it always appears with (and functions similarly to) sodium; if you’re getting enough sodium, you’re likely getting enough chloride.
- Salt (2300 mg per 6g or a teaspoon)
- Cured meats and cheeses (up to 2500 mg per 3.5 ounces)
- Sauerkraut (about 1000 mg per cup)
- Pickles (785 mg per medium pickle)
- Shellfish like oysters and mussels (up to 500 mg per 3.5 ounces)
- Salmon (100 mg per 6 ounces)
- Whole milk (105 mg per 8 ounces)
Keep in mind that most processed foods (soups, sauces, cured meat, dressings, etc.) are high in sodium, so you may get enough sodium already if that’s how you primarily eat. If you’re opting for healthier whole foods like uncured meat, fruits, and vegetables (which tend to be low in sodium), don’t be shy with the salt shaker and electrolyte drinks like LMNT.
Potassium
Similar to sodium, potassium supports fluid balance and cellular communication. These functions keep your blood flowing and nervous system functioning so you can type a diplomatic email to your boss while maintaining a reasonable blood pressure. The science suggests that 3.5–5 grams of daily potassium is best for reducing the risk of high blood pressure, among other benefits.
- Cooked lentils (731 milligrams per cup)
- Avocado (690 milligrams per avocado)
- Chicken breast (664 mg per 6 ounces)
- Beef (630 mg per 6 ounces)
- Salmon (624 milligrams per 6 ounce filet)
- Potato (610 mg per medium potato)
- Cantaloupe (428 milligrams per cup)
- Banana (422 milligrams per banana)
- 1% milk (366 mg per cup)
- Tomato (292 milligrams per tomato)
- Spinach (271 milligrams per cup)
- Asparagus (271 milligrams per cup)
As you can see, a diet rich in meats and plants is the ticket for potassium. I’ll also add that lean meats and their juices, are a great source of potassium — so if you cook your meat in a stew, make sure to drink the broth as well, as this is where most of the potassium will reside. Let’s talk magnesium now.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a superhero mineral required for over 300 enzymatic reactions in your body — reactions that support bone building, immunity, brain chemical balance, cardiovascular health, and more. Magnesium-deficient folks (over 50% of Americans) are at higher risk for deficiency symptoms like weakness and muscle cramps, plus chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Aim for the evidence-based range of 400–600 mg per day to keep your body happily stocked with this mineral.
- Pumpkin seeds (190 mg per ¼ cup)
- Spinach (157 mg per cup)
- Swiss chard (151 mg per cup)
- Black beans (120 mg per cup)
- Sunflower seeds (114 mg per cup)
- Edamame (100 mg per cup)
- Beet greens (98 mg per cup)
- Summer squash (43 mg per cup)
- Brown rice (84 mg per cup)
- Soymilk (61 mg per cup)
- Baked potato (48 mg per medium potato)
- Avocado, cubed (44 mg per cup)
- Broccoli (24 mg per cup)
Dark leafy greens are fantastic sources of magnesium. Grains, nuts, and seeds are also magnesium-rich, but these foods contain a compound called phytic acid that inhibits mineral absorption. Learn more about bioavailability (how well you absorb nutrients from food) here.
Calcium
If you want strong bones, you need to get enough calcium (the RDA is about 1 gram per day, depending on age group). Calcium also supports muscle contraction (including heart contraction), cellular cross-talk, and the function of many hormones.
- Tofu (506 mg per cup)
- Yogurt (344 mg per cup)
- Mozzarella cheese (333 mg per 1.5 ounces)
- Canned sardines with bones (325 mg per 3 ounces)
- Soymilk (299 mg per cup)
- Soybeans (262 mg per cup)
- Whole milk (276 mg per cup)
- Canned salmon with bones (188 mg per 3 ounces)
- Cottage cheese (138 mg per cup)
- Bok choi (74 mg per cup)
- Broccoli (42 mg per cup)
- Kale (24 mg per cup)
Some data suggest it’s best to get your calcium through diet. Supplemental calcium is linked to increased heart disease risk, likely because consuming large doses of calcium at one sitting may calcify blood vessels, narrowing the arteries.
Phosphate
Phosphate (phosphorus) helps structure bone, DNA, and even energy itself (science nerds will recognize that adenosine triphosphate — the molecule that powers all living cells — has a phosphate backbone). For adults 19 and over, the RDA for phosphorous is 700 mg. But deficiency is rare, and most Americans consume too much phosphate (partially due to phosphate additives in processed foods), which can have a negative trickle-down effect on bone density. The few people who are at risk for phosphate deficiency include preterm newborns, those with genetic phosphate regulation disorders, and malnourished patients suffering refeeding syndrome. But the takeaway is that most folks shouldn’t go sniffing around for extra phosphate.
- Atlantic salmon (428 mg per 6 ounces)
- Chicken breast (394 mg per 6 ounces)
- 90% lean ground beef (344 mg per 6 ounces)
- Yogurt (327 mg per cup)
- Kidney beans (230 mg per cup)
- 2% milk (226 mg per cup)
- Brown rice (204 mg per cup)
- Mozzarella cheese (197 mg per 1.5 ounces)
- Oatmeal (180 mg per cup)
- Cashews (139 mg per ounce)
- Potatoes (123 mg per medium potato)
Hitting Your Electrolyte Targets
To optimize your electrolyte intake, start with a dietary analysis. We have tips on how to do that here. You can use an app like Cronometer to log your meals (including salting your food), note your electrolyte intakes, and adjust accordingly. Recall that you’re shooting for:
- 4–6 grams of sodium from salty foods and the salt shaker
- 3.5–5 grams of potassium from meat, fish, and vegetables
- 400–600 mg of magnesium from nuts and leafy greens
- 1 gram of calcium from dairy, cruciferous vegetables, and fish with bones
- 700 mg of phosphate (but most people consume twice this RDA)
If you’re short on an electrolyte, look to food sources first. If you’ve exhausted food sources and still aren’t hitting the ranges, use an electrolyte drink mix with sodium, potassium, and magnesium (but not calcium) to compensate for any shortfalls. We designed LMNT with 1000 mg of sodium, 200 mg of potassium, and 60 mg of magnesium to help fill in any gaps.
And that’s it: A simple and hopefully tasty strategy to optimize your electrolyte intake.
