Are Chocolate Chips Acidic or Alkaline?
Chocolate chips (prepared) are alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Chocolate chips come in at −4.4, which makes them alkaline, because cocoa contains a lot of potassium and magnesium and sugar is neutral. They often contain only a little milk powder with its protein and phosphorus. The value says nothing about the 534 kcal per 100 g. A 30 g handful brings about −1.3 along with a good 160 kilocalories.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, chocolate chips (prepared) rank #11 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Coconut macaroons (−5.1), Dark chocolate (−6.1), Banana chips (−10.2). More acid-forming are Stollen (Dresden style) (−4.3), Ice cream, chocolate (−3.6), Red fruit jelly (−3.4).
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 chocolate 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: Chocolate chips (prepared) have a PRAL of −4.4 per 100 g, so they count as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much chocolate chips do I need for a noticeable effect?
A small serving (40 g) of chocolate chips adds −1.8 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of chocolate chips roughly offsets one of them.
Why are chocolate 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. Chocolate chips provide more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−4.4).
Chocolate Chips 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 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.