Is Hake Acidic or Alkaline?
Hake (raw) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
At +6.4, hake is moderately acid-forming. The protein in the fish drives the positive value, but the high water content keeps it slightly below plaice (+6.8) and haddock (+7.5). At 86 kcal per 100 g, it is lean. With lemon, potatoes and a serving of spinach or zucchini, it makes a plate close to balanced.
In the Fish & Seafood category, hake (raw) ranks #10 of 56, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Mussels (+5.8), Mussels (+5.5), Octopus (+5.4). More acid-forming are Squid (+6.6), Plaice (+6.8), Codfish (+6.9).
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 hake
A fillet (125 g) of hake adds +8.0 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is hake 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: Hake (raw) has a PRAL of +6.4 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much kale offsets a fillet (125 g) of hake?
A fillet (125 g) of hake adds +8.0 to your daily balance. Kale (fresh) has −11.7 per 100 g, so about 70 g of kale offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid hake on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Hake is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Hake 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 Fish & Seafood: Fish & Seafood 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.