Is Swiss Chard Acidic or Alkaline?
Swiss chard (fresh) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Swiss chard is alkaline at −7.8 because its leaves and stems bring a lot of potassium and magnesium at just 17 kcal per 100 g. It shrinks a lot when steamed, so 400 g of fresh leaves quickly turns into one serving. Just 200 g adds about −16 and more than offsets a 120 g pan-fried salmon fillet.
In the Vegetables & Salad category, Swiss chard (fresh) ranks #13 of 110, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Celeriac (−8.3), Lamb's lettuce (−8.3), Potato, with skin (−8.7). More acid-forming are Horseradish (−7.6), Arugula (−7.1), Rhubarb (−6.8).
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.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Swiss chard 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: Swiss chard (fresh) has a PRAL of −7.8 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much Swiss chard do I need for a noticeable effect?
A serving (150 g) of Swiss chard adds −11.7 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of Swiss chard roughly offsets one of them.
Why is Swiss chard alkaline even though it is not a typical alkaline food?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Swiss chard provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−7.8).
Swiss Chard logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Vegetables & Salad: Vegetables & Salad 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.