Are Potato Chips (Plain) Acidic or Alkaline?
Potato chips (plain) (prepared) are strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Plain potato chips are strongly alkaline at −17.0, and that's not a mistake. Potatoes are rich in potassium, frying removes the water, and the potassium ends up concentrated in a fraction of the weight. Fat and salt don't show up in the PRAL, but the 526 kcal per 100 g certainly count. So a bag gives you a good mineral balance and a poor calorie balance.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, potato chips (plain) (prepared) rank #3 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Cocoa powder (alkalized) (−31.7), Cocoa powder, baking (−35.7). More acid-forming are Sweet potato chips (−15.0), Banana chips (−10.2), Dark chocolate (−6.1).
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are potato chips (plain) 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: Potato chips (plain) (prepared) have a PRAL of −17.0 per 100 g, so they count as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much potato chips (plain) do I need for a noticeable effect?
A small serving (40 g) of potato chips (plain) adds −6.8 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of potato chips (plain) roughly offsets one of them.
Why are potato chips (plain) alkaline even though they are not typical alkaline foods?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Potato chips (plain) provide more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−17.0).
Potato Chips (Plain) 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 Sweets & Snacks: Sweets & Snacks 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.