Are Banana Chips Acidic or Alkaline?
Banana chips (dried) are strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Banana chips are banana slices fried in fat and usually sweetened. The fruit's potassium becomes concentrated as it dries, hence −10.2. That sounds better than it is: 490 kcal per 100 g is a lot, and coconut fat and sugar don't show up in the PRAL. A fresh banana gives you much more alkalizing effect per calorie.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, banana chips (dried) rank #8 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Sweet potato chips (−15.0), Potato chips naturale (−17.0), Potato chips (sour cream & onion) (−17.0). More acid-forming are Dark chocolate (−6.1), Coconut macaroons (−5.1), Chocolate chips (−4.4).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are banana chips acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Banana chips (dried) have a PRAL of −10.2 per 100 g, so they count as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much banana chips do I need for a noticeable effect?
A small serving (40 g) of banana chips adds −4.1 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of banana chips roughly offsets one of them.
Why are banana chips alkaline even though they are not typical alkaline foods?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Banana chips provide more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−10.2).
Banana Chips logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Sweets & Snacks: Sweets & Snacks table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
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.