Is Pork Chop Acidic or Alkaline?
Pork chop (raw) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
On the cutting board, so raw, a pork chop comes in at +8.5 because muscle meat brings a lot of protein and phosphorus but hardly any alkalizing minerals. The value applies to the uncooked weight. Cooked, the same chop rises to +13.7 as water escapes. For planning your plate, the cooked value is the more realistic one, because the raw weight makes the numbers look better.
In the Meat & Sausages category, pork chop (raw) ranks #22 of 67, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Chicken wings (+8.3), Veal (+8.3), Bacon (+8.2). More acid-forming are Lamb chop (+8.6), Beef steak (sirloin) (+8.7), Beef tenderloin (+8.7).
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: raw, prepared
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 +10.6 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 (raw) has a PRAL of +8.5 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much spinach offsets a serving (125 g) of pork chop?
A serving (125 g) of pork chop adds +10.6 to your daily balance. Spinach (fresh) has −12.2 per 100 g, so about 90 g of spinach 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 acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Pork chop, raw or prepared: which is more alkaline?
Pork chop (raw) is at +8.5, Pork chop (prepared) at +13.7. 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.