Is Cauliflower Acidic or Alkaline?

Classification

Boiled cauliflower stays clearly alkaline at −2.6, but it's below the raw version (−3.6). When you boil it in lots of water, potassium moves into the pot and gets poured away with the water. If you use the cooking water for a soup or steam the cauliflower instead, more is retained. As a purée, curry or roasted vegetable, it remains a reliably alkaline side, as long as no cheese sauce goes on top.

In the Vegetables & Salad category, cauliflower (boiled) ranks #78 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Savoy cabbage (−2.7), Fennel (−2.8), Iceberg lettuce (−2.8). More acid-forming are Kohlrabi (−2.5), Onion (−2.4), Green bell pepper (−2.3).

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.

Cauliflower: boiled, fresh

Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.

Goes well with

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cauliflower 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: Cauliflower (boiled) has a PRAL of −2.6 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.

How much cauliflower do I need for a noticeable effect? +

A serving (150 g) of cauliflower adds −3.9 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of cauliflower roughly offsets one of them.

Why is cauliflower alkaline even though it is not a typical alkaline food? +

The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Cauliflower provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−2.6).

Cauliflower, boiled or fresh: which is more alkaline? +

Cauliflower (boiled) is at −2.6, Cauliflower (fresh) at −3.6. So the "fresh" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.

Compare all Vegetables & Salad: Vegetables & Salad 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.