Do they really help? Is there anyone else out ther in this age group who suffers from this problem? it started at 12 when he was under severe stress.
Hypokalemia - how do you get a 12 year old to eat foods with potassium in them ie bananas ?
- Posted:
- 28 Aug 2012 by beaton 10
- Topics:
- hypokalemia, food
Details:
Answers (7)
kaismama28 Aug 2012
Just find ones he likes if it's not bananas. Potatos are very high in K, so is yogurt. I like bananas but they make me gag, so I'm not surprised he's rejecting them under force. Orange juice and tomato juice are both an excellent source, too. Search on the 'net and you'll find something he likes. What kid doesn't like fries and spaghetti sauce?
Lisa01
endlessPred28 Aug 2012
Hello. You probably have done this, but has your child's physician recommended potassium supplements? I know they are tricky and I would think your child has periodic blood tests so you know how it is going.
One item I suggest is some of the mineral drinks like Sobe, Gatorade and such. If you read the ingredients they have the amount of potassium in them. Some flavors more than others. Many do not have caffeine. Takes a bit of time to find, but a twelve year old would be great at that! Might make your child more compliant when picked out by him/her.
beaton 10
29 Aug 2012
I shall certainly look for these thank you for your comments. I did discover that coconut water was good for this and was hiding it in his actimel in the morning till he got wind of this as it watered it down so much just hoping he will realise as he gets a little older the importance of this to him, thank you for your comment
beaton 10
30 Aug 2012
I bought two of these drinks today he looked at them then lifted a can of diet irn bru it is so frustrating!!!
endlessPred
DzooBaby29 Aug 2012
Salt substitutes are potassium too. I wouldnt recommend he use them in place of salt-they dont taste that great but salt substitute can be hidden in cooking. the Gatorade/Powerade idea is a good one since there is a lot of potassium in those sports drinks and most kids like them-probably because the advertising appeals to kids. Hypokalemia is very prevalent in patients who are vomiting. Has your child been vomiting? Is it possible he is vomiting to control his weight? Eating disorders commonly begin to show at this age-just a thought.
DzooBaby
29 Aug 2012
Here are foods high in potassium:
Fresh fruits: bananas, cantaloupe, oranges, strawberries, kiwi, avocados, apricots
Fresh vegetables: greens, mushrooms, peas, beets, tomatoes
Meats: beef, fish, turkey,
Juices: Orange, prune, apricot, grapefruit
Causes of hypokalemia:
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Ileostomy: In some patients who have had bowel surgery and have an ileostomy, the stool output can contain significant amounts of potassium.
Villous adenoma (a type of colon polyp that can cause the colon to leak potassium)
Laxative use
Causes of potassium loss from the kidney:
beaton 10
29 Aug 2012
He would have to have the sugarfree I have never heard of Gatorade but will certainly look for it Is there a lot of potassium in the sugarfree energy drinks i know he would drink this but I thought they were bad for him?
msfino6 Sep 2012
Have you tried banana nut bread, made with OJ? Try some recipes that he would like to eat. If his body truly needs potassium, he should crave some of these foods after he tries them. Natural is a much better way to go, rather than a medication, esp. at his age. He needs to learn what his body tells him, rather than suppress the craving with a pill. Just my opinion. Try some special recipes using the foods listed by Dzoo, and have him help cook with you!!
beaton 10
6 Sep 2012
thankyou for your answer He just seems to be angry at his condition and not very amiable to new foods but i will try everything its just his age and the fact that we go on and on about diet hard not to though!!!
HeadStarter6 Sep 2012
Hello beaton - This really shouldn't be a problem as far as foods rich in potassium. Bananas are not even at the top of the list... Raisins are.
Here are a bunch for to peruse: Salmon, Tuna, Cashews, Almonds, Apricots, Flax (ground flax is easy to put in cereal... nice, nutty flavor, too), Sunflower Seeds, Dark Chocolate, Cocoa Power (here's your chocolate milk treat), Avocados, Dried Coconut Flakes (excellent in cereal, too, unsweetened), Baked Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes, Yogurt and Spinach (fresh spinach salads are awesome)
So, it isn't so blah or bland for any age and this is just a few of them but at least are high in potassium.
I can imagine he wasn't feeling really well as I too was diagnosed with that at the same time I was diagnosed with Addison's Disease.
I wish you well and I hope this gives you some hope for things that a kid might enjoy eating...
Mary
HeadStarter
6 Sep 2012
I didn't even read some of the other responses but I see how vastly different the choices are, too.
beaton 10
7 Sep 2012
Hi thankyou for your reply the ground flax might be easy to hide. I am dealling with a 13 year old here who is contrasuggestive.
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I have tried to get him interested in making smoothies its like he sees everything that is good for him as medicine which olf course it is in his case 13 year olds are so hard to convince and stressfull for me cos all i talk about are bananas!!! 11
Oh honey, do I know what you're talking about! So I think you're best thing to do would be to stop talking about it! Smoothies are good for adults too you know! Make a double batch, leave some in the fridge, take yours and move on. If you don't press, they're much more likely to do what you want in the first place. It may take a few tries, but he'll come along in time. My kids love the Gatorade and will drink it before soft drinks, although personally I think they're disgusting! Probably another plus to them, they think it's funny to see me give that exaggerated shudder when I see them with one! And that's been the case since they were your son's age and now they're 23 & 19! Still works on them. They both love seedless grapes, so a bowl, washed and ready for snacking, on the counter, is guaranteed to disappear within a couple days.
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I understand your need as a mom to want to push the stuff on him that you know will make him healthy, but you really need to back off a bit and start using a little stealth instead. The more you openly push, the more stubborn he'll be. If you relax a little, so will he.
thank you for your advice I know what you are saying is right its just so hard and frustrating not to go on about it as i hate seeing him having an attack of low potassium then he is forced to take the tablets which he also hates but i suppose i just have to let him work out what is worse a banana or a potassium tablet!!!
Absolutely! Remember when he was just a little kid and thought you were the smartest person in the world and knew everything? Welcome to the age phase where you have become dumber than a rock and more irritating than sand in an unmentionable place! Give him 9 or 10 years and he'll start to believe you have brains again. Until then, pick your battles. Like you said, a banana or a tablet - he'll figure it out!
Lisa