Is Halloumi Cheese Acidic or Alkaline?
Halloumi cheese (raw) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Halloumi is a firm, scalded-curd cheese made from sheep, goat and cow milk. Like other cheeses, it contains concentrated protein and phosphorus, and its calcium isn't enough to offset them: +15.4. The fact that it doesn't melt on the grill doesn't change the balance. On a grill platter next to zucchini, bell peppers and watermelon, though, it gets exactly the counterweight it lacks.
In the Cheese category, halloumi cheese (raw) ranks #19 of 37, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Camembert cheese (+15.2), Roquefort cheese (+13.7), Limburger cheese (+13.0). More acid-forming are Colby cheese (+16.3), Monterey Jack cheese (+16.7), Cheddar cheese (+16.9).
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 halloumi cheese
A slice (30 g) of halloumi cheese adds +4.6 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is halloumi cheese 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: Halloumi cheese (raw) has a PRAL of +15.4 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much lamb's lettuce offsets a slice (30 g) of halloumi cheese?
A slice (30 g) of halloumi cheese adds +4.6 to your daily balance. Lamb's lettuce (fresh) has −8.3 per 100 g, so about 60 g of lamb's lettuce offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid halloumi cheese on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Halloumi cheese is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Halloumi Cheese 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 Cheese: Cheese 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.