Are Snickers Acidic or Alkaline?
Snickers (prepared) are slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
On balance, a Snickers bar is slightly acid-forming at +1.3. Peanuts and milk ingredients add protein and phosphorus, cocoa and nuts supply some potassium, and the two nearly cancel out. The PRAL says nothing about the 494 kcal per 100 g, the sugar or the fat; it only tallies minerals. So a bar is unremarkable in mineral terms, but in everyday life it's still candy.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, Snickers (prepared) rank #51 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Donut (+1.2), Marshmallows (+0.9), Cherry cake (+0.8). More acid-forming are Marzipan (+2.0), Danube wave cake (+2.0), Bee sting cake (+2.1).
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 Snickers
A small serving (40 g) of Snickers adds +0.5 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Snickers 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: Snickers (prepared) have a PRAL of +1.3 per 100 g, so they count as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much avocado offsets a small serving (40 g) of Snickers?
A small serving (40 g) of Snickers adds +0.5 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 Snickers on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Snickers are slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Snickers 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.