Is Wholemeal Pasta Acidic or Alkaline?
Wholemeal pasta (raw) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Raw wholemeal pasta comes in at +7.3, below raw white spaghetti (+10.9), because the potassium and magnesium in the outer layer offset part of the phosphorus. After cooking, it is at +4.2 because the pasta absorbs water. Use the cooked weight for your balance: 80 g raw becomes just over 200 g on the plate.
In the Grains, Bread & Pasta category, wholemeal pasta (raw) ranks #98 of 121, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Spelt flour type 630 (+7.3), Wheat berries (+7.1), Instant oats (+6.8). More acid-forming are Spelt pasta (+7.3), Quinoa (+7.4), Multigrain cereals (+7.7).
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.
Wholemeal pasta: raw, cooked
Same food, different state. All values per 100 g.
| State | PRAL |
|---|---|
| cooked | +4.2 |
| raw | +7.3 |
What balances wholemeal pasta
A dry serving (50 g) of wholemeal pasta adds +3.7 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is wholemeal pasta 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: Wholemeal pasta (raw) has a PRAL of +7.3 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much lamb's lettuce offsets a dry serving (50 g) of wholemeal pasta?
A dry serving (50 g) of wholemeal pasta adds +3.7 to your daily balance. Lamb's lettuce (fresh) has −8.3 per 100 g, so about 40 g of lamb's lettuce offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid wholemeal pasta on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Wholemeal pasta is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Wholemeal pasta, raw or cooked: which is more alkaline?
Wholemeal pasta (raw) is at +7.3, Wholemeal pasta (cooked) at +4.2. So the "cooked" version is more alkaline. Differences come from water content, cooking water or concentration during drying.
Wholemeal Pasta 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 Grains, Bread & Pasta: Grains, Bread & Pasta 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.