Are Fried Potatoes (with Onions) Acidic or Alkaline?
Fried potatoes (with onions) (fried) are strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Fried potatoes with onions come to −12.0. Potatoes naturally bring a lot of potassium and lose water when fried, so the potassium per 100 g becomes more concentrated. The fat from the pan doesn't change the PRAL, but it does change the energy, here 221 kcal per 100 g. Served with a fried egg, head cheese or Bavarian-style meat loaf, they're the side that offsets a good part of the acid.
In the Meals & Fast Food category, fried potatoes (with onions) (fried) rank #1 of 118, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More acid-forming are French fries, fast-food (−11.4), Guacamole (−8.7), Frozen french fries (−6.8).
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 fried potatoes (with onions) 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: Fried potatoes (with onions) (fried) have a PRAL of −12.0 per 100 g, so they count as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much fried potatoes (with onions) do I need for a noticeable effect?
A meal (300 g) of fried potatoes (with onions) adds −35.9 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of fried potatoes (with onions) roughly offsets one of them.
Why are fried potatoes (with onions) alkaline even though they are not typical alkaline foods?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Fried potatoes (with onions) provide more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−12.0).
Fried Potatoes (with Onions) 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 Meals & Fast Food: Meals & Fast Food 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.