Are Sweet Potato Chips Acidic or Alkaline?
Sweet potato chips (prepared) are strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Sweet potato chips sit at −15.0, much more alkaline than the boiled tuber (−5.3), because frying removes water and concentrates the potassium per 100 g. The PRAL says nothing about fat and salt, though: 529 kcal per 100 g are still 529 kcal. So a bag is not an alkaline serving of vegetables, even if the number makes it look that way.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, sweet potato chips (prepared) rank #7 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Potato chips naturale (−17.0), Potato chips (sour cream & onion) (−17.0), Potato chips (paprika flavor) (−17.0). More acid-forming are Banana chips (−10.2), Dark chocolate (−6.1), Coconut macaroons (−5.1).
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.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Are sweet potato chips 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 potato chips (prepared) have a PRAL of −15.0 per 100 g, so they count as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much sweet potato chips do I need for a noticeable effect?
A small serving (40 g) of sweet potato chips adds −6.0 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of sweet potato chips roughly offsets one of them.
Why are sweet potato chips alkaline even though they are not typical alkaline foods?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Sweet potato chips provide more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−15.0).
Sweet Potato Chips 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.