Is Donut Acidic or Alkaline?
Donut (baked) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
A donut is deep-fried yeast dough made from wheat flour, egg and milk with a sugar glaze, and the protein in the dough sets the value: +1.2. That's lower than a jelly doughnut, because fat and sugar make up a larger share of the weight, and both are neutral. At 338 kcal per 100 g and plenty of glaze, the PRAL is the least important number here.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, donut (baked) ranks #50 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Marshmallows (+0.9), Cherry cake (+0.8), Black forest cake (+0.8). More acid-forming are Snickers (+1.3), Marzipan (+2.0), Danube wave cake (+2.0).
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 donut
A small serving (40 g) of donut adds +0.5 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is donut 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: Donut (baked) has a PRAL of +1.2 per 100 g, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
Do I have to avoid donut on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Donut is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Donut 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.
Free for Android · iPhone coming soon
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.