Are Peas Acidic or Alkaline?
Peas (canned) are slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Canned peas come in at +2.5, slightly acid-forming. For a vegetable, they contain a lot of protein and phosphorus, and some of the potassium leaches into the canning liquid. Fresh peas come out more alkaline. As a side dish, the effect stays modest. The sausage or schnitzel next to them pulls your plate much further toward acidic.
In the Legumes category, peas (canned) rank #19 of 26, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Chickpeas (+2.4), Kidney beans (+1.9), Chickpeas (+1.7). More acid-forming are Lentils (+3.1), Lentils (+3.7), Red lentils (+3.9).
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 peas
A cooked serving (150 g) of peas adds +3.8 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are peas 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: Peas (canned) have a PRAL of +2.5 per 100 g, so they count as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much lamb's lettuce offsets a cooked serving (150 g) of peas?
A cooked serving (150 g) of peas adds +3.8 to your daily balance. Lamb's lettuce (fresh) has −8.3 per 100 g, so about 50 g of lamb's lettuce offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid peas on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Peas are slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Peas 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 Legumes: Legumes 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.