Are Sweet Lupins Acidic or Alkaline?
Sweet lupins (cooked) are acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Cooked sweet lupins are acid-forming at +5.2 because this legume is very high in protein and its phosphorus outweighs its potassium. Raw, they are only slightly higher at +5.4. The cooking water barely dilutes them here, because potassium is lost too. As a meat substitute, they are still much milder than a veal schnitzel.
In the Legumes category, sweet lupins (cooked) rank #24 of 26, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Lentils (+4.8), Red lentils (+3.9), Lentils (+3.7). More acid-forming are Red lentils (+8.6).
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.
Sweet lupins: cooked, raw
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| cooked | +5.2 |
| raw | +5.4 |
What balances sweet lupins
A cooked serving (150 g) of sweet lupins adds +7.7 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are sweet lupins 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: Sweet lupins (cooked) have a PRAL of +5.2 per 100 g, so they count as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much kale offsets a cooked serving (150 g) of sweet lupins?
A cooked serving (150 g) of sweet lupins adds +7.7 to your daily balance. Kale (fresh) has −11.7 per 100 g, so about 70 g of kale offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid sweet lupins on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Sweet lupins are acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Sweet lupins, cooked or raw: which is more alkaline?
Sweet lupins (cooked) is at +5.2, Sweet lupins (raw) at +5.4. So the "cooked" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Sweet Lupins 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.