Are Potato Pancakes Acidic or Alkaline?
Potato pancakes (fried) are alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Potato pancakes are alkaline at −3.7 because the grated potatoes bring a lot of potassium, while egg and a little flour add only a small amount of protein. The frying fat doesn't count in the calculation, but it does show up at 206 kcal per 100 g. With applesauce, the plate stays alkaline. With smoked salmon and Schmand, a rich sour cream, it moves closer to zero.
In the Meals & Fast Food category, potato pancakes (fried) rank #10 of 118, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Vegetable curry ready meal (−3.7), Mashed potatoes (−3.7), Potato salad (with mayonnaise) (−3.8). More acid-forming are Frozen potato rösti (−3.4), Fruit salad (−3.3), Tomato soup (−3.2).
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 pancakes 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 pancakes (fried) have a PRAL of −3.7 per 100 g, so they count as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much potato pancakes do I need for a noticeable effect?
A meal (300 g) of potato pancakes adds −11.0 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of potato pancakes roughly offsets one of them.
Why are potato pancakes 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 pancakes provide more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−3.7).
Potato Pancakes 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.