Is Spinach Acidic or Alkaline?
Alkaline. Spinach is the most alkaline common vegetable in the database, with a PRAL of −12.2 per 100 g fresh and −12.9 cooked, and one serving nearly offsets a complete meat dish.
Why spinach is alkaline
Spinach is exceptionally rich in potassium and magnesium and very low in protein. A 150 g serving adds −18.2 to −19.4 to your daily balance. For comparison, a 150 g steak comes in at +19.3 and 150 g of salmon at +17.3. Spinach on your plate largely offsets the acid load of a meat or fish dish.
Swiss chard (−7.8) and kale (−11.7) play in the same league. Frozen spinach loses hardly any minerals, while canned spinach loses considerably more (−5.0). The high oxalic acid content is not a problem for healthy people. If you are prone to kidney stones, mix it up with Swiss chard and kale.
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
The PRAL (potential renal acid load) estimates what a food leaves behind after digestion. It is not the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0. If you are asking whether spinach is acidic because of heartburn or reflux, that is a question of pH and your stomach, which the PRAL does not measure; talk to your doctor about it.
Spinach in different forms: raw, cooked, processed
How the PRAL changes with state and product. All values per 100 g or 100 ml.
| Food | PRAL |
|---|---|
| Spinach (fresh) | −12.2 |
| Spinach (cooked) | −12.9 |
| Spinach (canned) | −5.0 |
| Swiss chard (fresh) | −7.8 |
| Kale (fresh) | −11.7 |
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cooked spinach less alkaline?
No. According to the data, it is even slightly more alkaline: −12.9 cooked versus −12.2 fresh per 100 g. Steamed or pan-cooked, spinach keeps almost all of its potassium.
What vegetable is more alkaline than spinach?
None of the common ones. Kale comes close behind (−11.7), followed by chicory (−9.3), Swiss chard (−7.8) and fennel (−6.5).
Spinach and everything else on your plate: calculated automatically.
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More vegetables & salad compared
All vegetables & salad with their PRAL: Vegetables & Salad table. Back to the overview Acidic or Alkaline?, or put together a meal in the PRAL calculator.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.