Is Turkey Breast Acidic or Alkaline?
Turkey breast (raw) is strongly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Raw turkey breast comes to +13.0, which makes it clearly acid-forming. The lean muscle meat is almost entirely water and protein, plus plenty of phosphorus. With hardly any fat to dilute it, it is higher than turkey meat on average (+10.1). A 150 g fillet gives just under +20, and a large serving of vegetables on the side offsets only part of it.
In the Meat & Sausages category, turkey breast (raw) ranks #56 of 67, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Roast beef (+12.9), Rabbit meat (+12.8), Roast chicken (with skin) (+12.5). More acid-forming are Chicken breast (+13.2), Pork roast (+13.3), Pork knuckle (+13.4).
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 turkey breast
A serving (125 g) of turkey breast adds +16.2 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is turkey breast 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: Turkey breast (raw) has a PRAL of +13.0 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much spinach offsets a serving (125 g) of turkey breast?
A serving (125 g) of turkey breast adds +16.2 to your daily balance. Spinach (fresh) has −12.2 per 100 g, so about 130 g of spinach offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid turkey breast on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Turkey breast is strongly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Turkey Breast logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Meat & Sausages: Meat & Sausages 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.