Are Red Lentils Acidic or Alkaline?
Red lentils (raw) are acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Raw red lentils come in at +8.6 because legumes contain a lot of protein and phosphorus, even though potassium offsets part of it. Cooking roughly triples their weight, so cooked they come to +3.9 per 100 g. On your plate, the cooked value is what counts: 80 g dry turns into a filling portion of about 240 g.
In the Legumes category, red lentils (raw) rank #26 of 26, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Sweet lupins (+5.4), Sweet lupins (+5.2), Lentils (+4.8).
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.
Red lentils: raw, cooked
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| cooked | +3.9 |
| raw | +8.6 |
What balances red lentils
A cooked serving (150 g) of red lentils adds +13.0 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are red lentils 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: Red lentils (raw) have a PRAL of +8.6 per 100 g, so they count as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much spinach offsets a cooked serving (150 g) of red lentils?
A cooked serving (150 g) of red lentils adds +13.0 to your daily balance. Spinach (fresh) has −12.2 per 100 g, so about 110 g of spinach offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid red lentils on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Red lentils are acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Red lentils, raw or cooked: which is more alkaline?
Red lentils (raw) is at +8.6, Red lentils (cooked) at +3.9. So the "cooked" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Red Lentils logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Legumes: Legumes 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.