Are Frozen Potato Pancakes Acidic or Alkaline?
Frozen potato pancakes (raw) are alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Frozen potato pancakes come in at −2.8, which makes them alkaline, because the grated potatoes keep their potassium, while the egg and flour in the batter add only a little protein. The frying fat is neutral in mineral terms but adds calories. Served with applesauce, your plate stays alkaline. With smoked salmon and schmand (a rich sour cream), it moves toward neutral.
In the Meals & Fast Food category, frozen potato pancakes (raw) rank #15 of 118, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Potato soup (−3.2), Tomato soup (−3.2), Fruit salad (−3.3). More acid-forming are Chili sin carne (−2.8), Potato dumplings (half and half) (−2.6), Mashed potatoes (instant) (−2.2).
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 frozen potato pancakes 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: Frozen potato pancakes (raw) have a PRAL of −2.8 per 100 g, so they count as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much frozen potato pancakes do I need for a noticeable effect?
A meal (300 g) of frozen potato pancakes adds −8.5 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of frozen potato pancakes roughly offsets one of them.
Why are frozen potato pancakes alkaline even though they are not typical alkaline foods?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Frozen potato pancakes provide more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−2.8).
Frozen Potato Pancakes 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.