Is Ricotta Acidic or Alkaline?
Ricotta (raw) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Among cheeses, ricotta is one of the mild ones at +3.4. It is made from whey and contains a lot of water, so protein and phosphorus are less concentrated than in aged varieties. For comparison, raclette cheese comes in at +17.4 and queso fresco at +12.5. With spinach in cannelloni or as a filling in ravioli, the acid load stays moderate.
In the Cheese category, ricotta (raw) ranks #3 of 37, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Cream cheese (+3.0), Cream cheese spread (plain) (+3.0). More acid-forming are Meat loaf bavarian style (+7.4), Cottage cheese, low-fat (+8.0), Cream cheese, light (up to 10% fat) (+8.1).
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.
What balances ricotta
A slice (30 g) of ricotta adds +1.0 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ricotta 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: Ricotta (raw) has a PRAL of +3.4 per 100 g, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much avocado offsets a slice (30 g) of ricotta?
A slice (30 g) of ricotta adds +1.0 to your daily balance. Avocado (ripe) has −9.9 per 100 g, so about 10 g of avocado offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid ricotta on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Ricotta is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Ricotta logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Cheese: Cheese 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.