Is Potato Salad (Vinaigrette) Acidic or Alkaline?
Potato salad (vinaigrette) (prepared) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Potato salad with vinegar and oil is alkaline at −4.6 because oil adds no minerals, while broth, onion and cucumber tend to add more potassium. Next to sausages or schnitzel, it noticeably wins some back: a 200 g serving adds about −9. The mayonnaise version is only slightly higher.
In the Meals & Fast Food category, potato salad (vinaigrette) (prepared) ranks #5 of 118, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Frozen french fries (−6.8), Guacamole (−8.7), French fries, fast-food (−11.4). More acid-forming are Potato gratin (−4.0), Potato salad (with mayonnaise) (−3.8), Mashed potatoes (−3.7).
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.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is potato salad (vinaigrette) 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 salad (vinaigrette) (prepared) has a PRAL of −4.6 per 100 g, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much potato salad (vinaigrette) do I need for a noticeable effect?
A meal (300 g) of potato salad (vinaigrette) adds −13.8 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of potato salad (vinaigrette) roughly offsets one of them.
Why is potato salad (vinaigrette) alkaline even though it tastes sour?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Potato salad (vinaigrette) provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−4.6).
Potato Salad (Vinaigrette) 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.