Are Chickpeas Acidic or Alkaline?
Chickpeas (fresh) are slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Uncooked chickpeas are just barely acid-forming at +1.0 because protein and phosphorus slightly outweigh their plentiful potassium. Boiled, they rise to +1.7, and canned to +2.4, because soaking and cooking move part of the potassium into the water. For a legume, that is still mild, and a tomato salad on the side easily offsets it.
In the Legumes category, chickpeas (fresh) rank #14 of 26, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Green peas (+0.7), Kidney beans (+0.7), Mung beans (+0.5). More acid-forming are Soybeans, mature (+1.1), Kidney beans (+1.9), Peas (+2.5).
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.
Chickpeas: fresh, boiled, canned
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
What balances chickpeas
A cooked serving (150 g) of chickpeas adds +1.5 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are chickpeas 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: Chickpeas (fresh) have a PRAL of +1.0 per 100 g, so they count as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much kale offsets a cooked serving (150 g) of chickpeas?
A cooked serving (150 g) of chickpeas adds +1.5 to your daily balance. Kale (fresh) has −11.7 per 100 g, so about 10 g of kale offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid chickpeas on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Chickpeas are slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Chickpeas, fresh or boiled: which is more alkaline?
Chickpeas (fresh) is at +1.0, Chickpeas (boiled) at +1.7. So the "fresh" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Chickpeas 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 Legumes: Legumes 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.