A Complete Guide to Acidic and Alkaline Foods
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List of Acid and Base Foods

List of Acid and Base Foods
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Updated on July 31, 2025
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Knowing which foods are acidic and which ones are basic will come in handy when you’re canning. Base foods need to be processed at a much higher temperature than acidic foods due to the need to protect them against certain bacteria.

If you’re looking for an alkaline diet plan, however, it’s better to focus on a healthy, well-rounded diet.

Does the Alkaline Diet Make a Difference to Your Health?

Proponents of the alkaline diet claim it aids in weight loss and may help prevent or fight cancer. That may be true, but not for the reasons you think.

Basic foods are more alkaline. The pH scale, which ranges from 0 to 14, measures whether a substance is acidic or basic. Acidic compounds are on the lower end of the scale. Basic compounds, which are more alkaline, range from 7 to 14 on the pH scale. Human blood is typically between 7.35 and 7.45, with the average at 7.4.

Evidence doesn’t support the alkaline diet’s notion that eating alkaline foods makes your body less prone to cancer. These claims are based on studies of cells grown in the lab, not on human cells. The tumors in the human body are far more complex than artificial cells.

The basic foods in an alkaline diet include some fruits and vegetables and lots of water. The diet promotes healthy eating patterns. Along with fruits, vegetables, and hydration, it requires cutting back on sugar, alcohol, meat, and processed foods.

Foods on the pH Scale

Here are the pH values of some common foods, according to Oklahoma State University:

  • Apples (red delicious): 3.9
  • Bananas: 4.5 to 5.2
  • Strawberries: 3.0 to 3.5
  • Oranges: 3.1 to 4.1
  • Ground beef: 5.1 to 6.2
  • Roast turkey: 5.7 to 6.8
  • Chicken: 6.5 to 6.7
  • Fish (most, fresh): 6.6 to 6.8
  • Tuna fish: 5.2 to 6.1
  • Butter: 6.1 to 6.4
  • Bread: 5.3 to 5.8
  • Asparagus, canned: 5.2 to 5.3
  • Beans: 5.7 to 6.2
  • Beets (fresh): 4.9 to 5.6
  • Cabbage (fresh): 5.2 to 6.0
  • Carrots (fresh): 4.9 to 5.2
  • Cucumbers: 5.1 to 5.7
  • Dill pickles: 3.2 to 3.5
  • Potatoes: 6.1
  • Tomatoes, red (fresh): 4.2 to 4.9
  • Blueberries (fresh): 3.7
  • Cherries (fresh): 3.2 to 4.1
  • Dates: 6.3 to 6.6
  • Grapefruit (fresh): 3.0 to 3.3
  • Lemons (fresh): 2.2 to 2.4
  • Pineapple (fresh): 3.3 to 5.2
  • Peaches (fresh): 3.4 to 3.6
  • Plums (fresh): 2.8 to 4.6
  • Raspberries (fresh): 3.2 to 3.7
  • Watermelon: 5.2 to 5.8
  • Beef (aged): 5.8
  • Pork: 5.3 to 6.9
  • Veal: 6.0
  • Lamb: 5.4 to 6.7
  • Clams: 6.5
  • Crab: 7.0
  • Shrimp: 6.8 to 7.0
  • Buttermilk: 4.5
  • Cheddar cheese: 5.9
  • Egg yolks: 6.4
  • Honey: 3.9
  • Jams and jellies: 3.1 to 3.5
  • Vinegar: 2.0 to 3.4
While some foods on this list (such as chicken, freshwater fish, milk, and butter) have a higher pH than others, they’d all fall below the cutoff point of being neutral in terms of the alkaline diet (a pH of 7). Certain varieties or preparations of certain foods would meet the alkaline diet threshold for being base foods.

 For example, dairy products typically range from 4 to 6.5, although milk can be as high as 7.3, indicating it may be less acidic than other forms of dairy.

 Base foods might include:
  • Milk: 6.2 to 7.3
  • Corn (fresh): 6.0 to 7.5
  • Spinach (cooked): 6.6 to 7.2
  • Freshwater fish (most): 6.9 to 7.3
  • Camembert cheese: 7.44
  • Egg whites: 7.0 to 9.0
  • Cake, chocolate: 7.2 to 7.6
  • Crackers: 7.0 to 8.5
  • Biscuits: 7.1 to 7.3
However, the food you eat doesn’t affect the pH of your blood. Your body maintains a neutral pH of approximately 7.4 through natural bodily functions, such as breathing and urination.

 The alkaline diet recommends limiting protein, but healthy proteins are necessary for muscle growth and weight loss.

If you want to eat more plant-based foods and less meat, dairy, and processed foods, however, this should be because these are healthy foods, not because they will make your body less acidic.

Alkaline water is usually no better than plain water.

 Most alkaline waters are bottled mineral water that will neither help nor harm you, but home alkalizing systems and bottled alkaline water might set back your budget more than your regular tap or bottled water.

Alkaline Diet May Support Kidney Health

An alkaline diet may help you manage one health problem, and that’s kidney disease. While there is limited evidence on the alkaline diet in general, a review concluded that a more alkaline diet may benefit patients with chronic kidney disease.

Reduced kidney function can lead to a potentially dangerous buildup of acid in the body known as metabolic acidosis. This can affect your blood’s pH. Adopting a plant-based diet may reduce the amount of acid your body produces from the foods in your diet by focusing on those that instead produce bases. Despite being highly acidic, the review authors also recommend citrus fruit juices because they convert to bicarbonate once in the body. This turns the urine more alkaline.

This may be a healthful alternative to the average Western diet, which is high in saturated fat and sugar. Vegetables with a low renal acid load — meaning they trigger less acid production in the kidneys — might include:

  • Kale
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Celery
  • Zucchini
  • Lettuce
  • Cucumber
  • Radish
  • Bell pepper
  • Rocket
  • Sprouted seeds
Consult a medical professional before starting any diet, especially if you have an underlying chronic condition.

 Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds while cutting back on meat, processed foods, and alcohol is something most people should strive for.

The Takeaway

  • While the alkaline diet promotes the consumption of fruits and vegetables and limits processed foods, the claim that it reduces cancer risk lacks solid scientific backing.
  • Common alkaline foods include spinach, cucumbers, and kale, but no evidence suggests that they significantly alter blood pH or prevent diseases due to their pH.
  • For individuals with kidney disease, a diet focusing on more alkaline foods may help manage symptoms like metabolic acidosis. However, it’s essential to discuss any dietary changes with a healthcare provider.
  • If you consider adopting a more plant-based or alkaline-style diet, do so for its potential general health benefits rather than relying on unverified claims about altering blood pH or curing specific health conditions.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. McGlynn W. Food Technology Fact Sheet: The Importance of Food pH in Commercial Canning Operations. Oklahoma State University.
  2. Blackburn KB et al. The Alkaline Diet: What You Need to Know. MD Anderson Cancer Center. December 10, 2024.
  3. Hopkins E et al. Physiology, Acid Base Balance. StatPearls. September 12, 2022.
  4. Biga LM et al. Chapter 26. Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance. Anatomy & Physiology. 2019.
  5. What Is the Alkaline Diet, and Is It Safe? Cleveland Clinic. August 15, 2022.
  6. Is Alkaline Water Better for You Than Plain Water? Mayo Clinic. February 20, 2025.
  7. Noce A et al. Nutritional Approaches for the Management of Metabolic Acidosis in Chronic Kidney Disease. Nutrients. August 2021.