Is Cheeseburger (McDonald´S) Acidic or Alkaline?
Cheeseburger (McDonald´s) (prepared) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
A cheeseburger combines beef, cheese and a wheat bun, three sources of protein and phosphorus, and the pickle slice doesn't change that: +6.6 per 100 g, a bit more than a Big Mac. It stays below plain cheese thanks to the water in the bun. The value says nothing about fat and salt, and the 202 kcal per 100 g are another story.
In the Meals & Fast Food category, cheeseburger (McDonald´s) (prepared) ranks #104 of 118, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Veggie burger patty (+6.5), Vegan cold cuts (sausage alternative) (+6.4), Tortellini (cheese filled) (+6.3). More acid-forming are Quiche Lorraine (+7.3), Königsberger Klopse (meatballs in caper sauce) (+8.0), Chicken nuggets (+8.0).
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 cheeseburger (McDonald´s)
A meal (300 g) of cheeseburger (McDonald´s) adds +19.7 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cheeseburger (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: Cheeseburger (McDonald´s) (prepared) has a PRAL of +6.6 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 cheeseburger (McDonald´s)?
A meal (300 g) of cheeseburger (McDonald´s) adds +19.7 to your daily balance. Lamb's lettuce (fresh) has −8.3 per 100 g, so about 240 g of lamb's lettuce offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid cheeseburger (McDonald´s) on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Cheeseburger (McDonald´s) is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Cheeseburger (McDonald´S) logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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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.