Is French Dressing Acidic or Alkaline?
French dressing (prepared) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
French dressing comes in at +3.0 per 100 ml, so it's slightly acid-forming. Besides oil, vinegar and mustard, it often contains egg yolk or dairy ingredients that bring protein and phosphorus, while the oil itself contributes no minerals. Two tablespoons on your salad barely register in the balance. The 501 kcal per 100 ml do, though. A simple vinaigrette is lighter.
In the Herbs, Spices & Sauces category, French dressing (prepared) ranks #66 of 75, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Mustard, medium hot (+2.3), Teriyaki sauce (+2.0), Sweet mustard (+1.8). More acid-forming are Caesar dressing (+4.2), White pepper (+5.1), Ranch dressing (+5.7).
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 French dressing
A teaspoon (5 g) of French dressing adds +0.2 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is French dressing 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: French dressing (prepared) has a PRAL of +3.0 per 100 ml, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
Do I have to avoid French dressing on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. French dressing is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
French Dressing 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 Herbs, Spices & Sauces: Herbs, Spices & Sauces 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.