Is Minestrone Acidic or Alkaline?
Minestrone (prepared) is neutral: PRAL close to zero: hardly shifts your acid-base balance.
Classification
Minestrone comes in at −0.5 per 100 ml, just inside the neutral range. Tomatoes, beans, zucchini and celery supply potassium, while pasta and Parmesan bring almost as much protein and phosphorus against it. A 400 ml bowl adds about −2. With a thick layer of grated cheese on top, the balance quickly tips toward acid-forming.
In the Meals & Fast Food category, minestrone (prepared) ranks #31 of 118, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Lentil soup (−0.6), Lentil stew (−0.6), Spring rolls (−0.6). More acid-forming are Frozen potato dumplings (half and half) (−0.5), Frozen potato croquettes (−0.4), Cabbage roll (with minced meat) (−0.3).
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.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is minestrone 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: Minestrone (prepared) has a PRAL of −0.5 per 100 ml, so it counts as neutral in your daily acid-base balance.
Does minestrone count in the acid-base balance at all?
Hardly. At −0.5 per 100 ml, minestrone is in the neutral range between −0.5 and +0.5. You can eat it without shifting your balance.
Minestrone 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.