Is Low-fat Yogurt (1.5%) Acidic or Alkaline?
Yogurt, low-fat (1.5%) (raw) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
At +0.8, low-fat yogurt sits just inside the acid-forming range because milk protein and phosphorus slightly outweigh the milk's potassium and calcium. Unlike cheese, yogurt keeps its whey and with it most of the minerals, so the surplus stays small. Add a handful of currants to your bowl, and your breakfast already tips into alkaline territory.
In the Dairy category, low-fat yogurt (1.5%) (raw) ranks #19 of 25, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Yogurt, plain (3.5%) (+0.5), Kefir (+0.2), Sour cream (+0.2). More acid-forming are Condensed milk, sweetened (+0.9), Sheep milk (+1.1), Skyr (+5.8).
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.
What balances low-fat yogurt (1.5%)
A cup (150 g) of low-fat yogurt (1.5%) adds +1.2 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is low-fat yogurt (1.5%) 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: Yogurt, low-fat (1.5%) (raw) has a PRAL of +0.8 per 100 g, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much lamb's lettuce offsets a cup (150 g) of low-fat yogurt (1.5%)?
A cup (150 g) of low-fat yogurt (1.5%) adds +1.2 to your daily balance. Lamb's lettuce (fresh) has −8.3 per 100 g, so about 10 g of lamb's lettuce offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid low-fat yogurt (1.5%) on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Yogurt, low-fat (1.5%) is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Yogurt, Low-fat (1.5%) logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Dairy: Dairy 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.