Is Low-fat Cottage Cheese Acidic or Alkaline?
Cottage cheese, low-fat (raw) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Low-fat cottage cheese sits in the acid-forming range at +8.0. Its milk protein is diluted by a lot of water but still more concentrated than in yogurt or milk, and some of the minerals drain off with the whey. It stays milder than sliced cheese. Young Gouda comes in at a good two times as much. With tomatoes, cucumber and chives, the serving becomes more balanced, at just 73 kcal per 100 g.
In the Cheese category, low-fat cottage cheese (raw) ranks #5 of 37, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Meat loaf bavarian style (+7.4), Ricotta (+3.4), Cream cheese (+3.0). More acid-forming are Cream cheese, light (up to 10% fat) (+8.1), Cottage cheese, regular (4% fat) (+8.8), Brie cheese (+9.0).
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 low-fat cottage cheese
A slice (30 g) of low-fat cottage cheese adds +2.4 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is low-fat cottage cheese 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: Cottage cheese, low-fat (raw) has a PRAL of +8.0 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much lamb's lettuce offsets a slice (30 g) of low-fat cottage cheese?
A slice (30 g) of low-fat cottage cheese adds +2.4 to your daily balance. Lamb's lettuce (fresh) has −8.3 per 100 g, so about 30 g of lamb's lettuce offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid low-fat cottage cheese on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Cottage cheese, low-fat is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Cottage Cheese, Low-fat logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Cheese: Cheese 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.