Potassium-to-Sodium Ratio
For blood pressure, the potassium:sodium ratio predicts better than either mineral alone — researchers and UCLA's lipid clinic point at ~3 : 1 as the target, while the typical US diet runs under 0.7. Ranked per 100 g, USDA values. Foods with no meaningful sodium cap at ≥20 : 1.
| Food | Potassium / 100 g | Sodium / 100 g | K : Na |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hemp seeds (hulled) | 1200 mg | 5 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Pistachios | 1025 mg | 1 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Wheat germ (raw) | 892 mg | 12 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Yam (raw) | 816 mg | 9 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Flax seeds | 813 mg | 30 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Almond butter | 745 mg | 1 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Almonds | 733 mg | 1 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Poppy seeds | 719 mg | 26 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Dark chocolate (70–85%) | 715 mg | 20 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Medjool dates | 696 mg | 1 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Pumpkin seeds | 691 mg | 0 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Brazil nuts | 659 mg | 3 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Sunflower seeds | 645 mg | 9 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Cashews | 638 mg | 5 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Peanuts (roasted) | 634 mg | 6 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Tamarind (pulp) | 628 mg | 28 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Pine nuts | 597 mg | 2 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Water chestnuts | 584 mg | 14 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Sunflower seed butter | 576 mg | 3 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Oat bran (raw) | 566 mg | 4 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Peanut butter | 558 mg | 17 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Granola | 539 mg | 26 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Potato (baked, skin on) | 535 mg | 10 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Lima beans (cooked) | 508 mg | 2 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Freekeh (cooked) | 500 mg | 0 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Parsnip (raw) | 493 mg | 0 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Breadfruit (raw) | 490 mg | 2 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Plantain (raw) | 487 mg | 4 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Avocado | 485 mg | 7 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
| Taro (cooked) | 484 mg | 15 mg | ≥20 : 1 |
Common questions
Why the ratio instead of just eating less salt?
Both matter, but they move together in real diets: processing adds sodium and strips potassium. A 3 : 1 ratio from whole foods is hard to achieve with any amount of processed food — which is the practical takeaway of the table, not "eat more bananas."
Where do these numbers come from?
USDA FoodData Central per-100 g figures — the same rows behind every food page on this site. The ratio is dimensionless, so per-100 g and per-serving rankings agree.
Method
Ratio = potassium mg ÷ sodium mg, per 100 g (sodium-free foods capped at 20 for ranking). Sodium-only version: high sodium foods · potassium-only version: high potassium foods.