Is Light Cream Cheese (Up to 10% Fat) Acidic or Alkaline?
Cream cheese, light (up to 10% fat) (raw) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Light cream cheese comes in at +8.1, well above the regular version. Where fat is missing, 100 g holds more milk protein plus phosphorus, and that's exactly what drives the PRAL. So here, less fat means more acid load, with less energy at 173 kcal per 100 g. On bread with herbs, radishes or cucumber, you give it a counterweight.
In the Cheese category, light cream cheese (up to 10% fat) (raw) ranks #6 of 37, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Cottage cheese, low-fat (+8.0), Meat loaf bavarian style (+7.4), Ricotta (+3.4). More acid-forming are Cottage cheese, regular (4% fat) (+8.8), Brie cheese (+9.0), Goat cheese (+9.9).
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 light cream cheese (up to 10% fat)
A slice (30 g) of light cream cheese (up to 10% fat) adds +2.4 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is light cream cheese (up to 10% fat) 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: Cream cheese, light (up to 10% fat) (raw) has a PRAL of +8.1 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much avocado offsets a slice (30 g) of light cream cheese (up to 10% fat)?
A slice (30 g) of light cream cheese (up to 10% fat) adds +2.4 to your daily balance. Avocado (ripe) has −9.9 per 100 g, so about 20 g of avocado offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid light cream cheese (up to 10% fat) on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Cream cheese, light (up to 10% fat) is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Cream Cheese, Light (Up to 10% 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.