Is Pork Chop Acidic or Alkaline?
Pork chop (prepared) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
A pan-fried pork chop comes in at +13.7, which makes it clearly acid-forming. The cause is protein together with phosphorus, concentrated by the fluid lost during frying. Raw, the same cut sits at +8.5. With sauerkraut, green beans or a large salad on the side, the balance of your plate turns out much milder.
In the Meat & Sausages category, pork chop (prepared) ranks #61 of 67, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Lamb fillet (+13.7), Pork knuckle (+13.4), Pork roast (+13.3). More acid-forming are Cooked ham (+13.8), Pork tenderloin (+13.8), Salami (+14.5).
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.
Pork chop: prepared, raw
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| raw | +8.5 |
| prepared | +13.7 |
What balances pork chop
A serving (125 g) of pork chop adds +17.2 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pork chop 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: Pork chop (prepared) has a PRAL of +13.7 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much avocado offsets a serving (125 g) of pork chop?
A serving (125 g) of pork chop adds +17.2 to your daily balance. Avocado (ripe) has −9.9 per 100 g, so about 170 g of avocado offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid pork chop on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Pork chop is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Pork chop, prepared or raw: which is more alkaline?
Pork chop (prepared) is at +13.7, Pork chop (raw) at +8.5. So the "raw" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Pork Chop 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 Meat & Sausages: Meat & Sausages 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.