Is Big Mac (McDonald´S) Acidic or Alkaline?
Big Mac (McDonald´s) (prepared) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
A Big Mac consists of two beef patties, processed cheese and a wheat bun, and all three supply protein and phosphorus. The lettuce, pickles and onion are too little to turn that around, hence +5.6 per 100 g. It stays below cheese thanks to the water in the bun and sauce. The PRAL says nothing about fat, salt or the 240 kcal per 100 g.
In the Meals & Fast Food category, Big Mac (McDonald´s) (prepared) ranks #98 of 118, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Pizza calzone (+5.4), Chicken wrap (+5.4), Pizza tuna (+5.4). More acid-forming are Fish sticks (frozen) (+5.8), Waffles (+6.3), Tortellini (cheese filled) (+6.3).
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.
What balances Big Mac (McDonald´s)
A meal (300 g) of Big Mac (McDonald´s) adds +16.8 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Big Mac (McDonald´s) 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: Big Mac (McDonald´s) (prepared) has a PRAL of +5.6 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much lamb's lettuce offsets a meal (300 g) of Big Mac (McDonald´s)?
A meal (300 g) of Big Mac (McDonald´s) adds +16.8 to your daily balance. Lamb's lettuce (fresh) has −8.3 per 100 g, so about 200 g of lamb's lettuce offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid Big Mac (McDonald´s) on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Big Mac (McDonald´s) is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Big Mac (McDonald´S) logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Meals & Fast Food: Meals & Fast Food 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.