While an alkaline diet can be restrictive in some ways, you will be delighted to learn that you can eat a wide variety of different fruits on this diet, both sweet and savory.
In this post, we share the best alkaline fruits with you along with some simple suggestions for how you can prepare and enjoy them.
1. Citrus Fruits
It may surprise you to see citrus fruits such as lemons and limes high on many peoples’ lists of alkaline fruits. After all, citrus fruits sure seem acidic. But indeed they are among the most alkaline fruits you can eat.
How so? It has to do with their potential renal acid load (PRAL). Foods with low PRAL scores may sometimes be acidic before you consume them, but alkalize in the body. By the time the kidneys process them, the acid content is low.
Citrus fruits contain minerals that are alkaline. The presence of these minerals impacts the way your body metabolizes the fruits, resulting in a low PRAL score.
Preparation Ideas:
Try making a juice blend from different citrus fruits. If you need to sweeten it, be sure to use a suitable alkaline sweetener like agave nectar.
A dash of lime or lemon juice can also add some refreshing zest to some of your meals.
2. Berries
In general, berries are some of the most alkaline fruits. You can eat strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, elderberries, cherries and more on an alkaline diet.
Preparation Ideas:
Frozen berries are great for blending together into a refreshing alkaline smoothie. If you need some extra sweetness, try adding a couple of dates. You can also add any other fruits from our list for an added burst of flavor.
3. Tomatoes
Like citrus fruits, tomatoes are acidic, but many sources say they can alkalize in the body. Two types of tomatoes are allowed following the Dr. Sebi alkaline diet: plum and cherry.
Preparation Ideas:
Leafy green vegetables like kale are highly alkaline, so think about adding some diced up tomatoes to a delicious salad.
4. Avocadoes
While most fruits are sugary, avocadoes are not. So, it may not surprise you to learn that they are one of the top alkaline fruits you can eat.
That said, the more you allow an avocado to ripen, the more acidic it will be. So, it is in your best interest to eat your avocadoes just after they turn ripe (that is when they are typically most enjoyable anyway).
Preparation Ideas
Like tomatoes, avocadoes can work great in salad recipes. You can also blend them into smoothies or dips. If you need a cooking oil, avocado oil is an excellent option.
Avocadoes also make for an easy and nutritious snack! Just cut one in half, scoop out the pit, and add some seasoning to the top. Then eat it right out of the peel with a spoon.
5. Papayas
Papayas are among the more alkaline fruits out there. But how alkaline they are depends on what type you get. Take a look at this pH chart here for papayas and mangoes. You will notice that the pH is particularly high for Carica papaya, which is listed as 6.4 to 6.8. That is very close to neutral.
Preparation Ideas
One delicious way to eat a papaya is to roast it. Traditionally, this recipe includes brown sugar, but you can substitute date sugar, which has a similar flavor but is more alkaline-friendly.
6. Mangoes
As with papayas, the specific types of mangoes you get have an influence on how acidic they are. But they are among the better options for an alkaline diet in general.
The same chart we shared above for the papayas lists golden mangoes as having a pH range between 5.39 and 6.14. At the upper end, that is close to neutral.
Preparation Ideas
Mangoes work particularly well with avocadoes in salads. They also blend nicely into smoothies.
7. Dates
If you enjoy fresh dates, you are in luck, because they are an alkaline sweet treat. What about dried dates? Those are more acidic, but still pretty close to neutral. So, however you like to eat them, dates are a great go-to choice on your alkaline diet.
Preparation Ideas
While you can indulge in dates on their own or in recipes, it may interest you to know that you can also purchase date sugar, which is made using dried dates.
Date sugar can be used as an alternative to table sugar in a 1:1 ratio, making it super easy to bake with. Just substitute it in at the volume the recipe asks for, and you will be good to go.
Some people do suggest it is a tad sweeter than table sugar, and that you might need to reduce the amount. If you find that is true for you, do not forget to put in another substitute for the missing volume.
Other Alkaline Fruits to Consider
Now you know some of the top alkaline fruits you can eat. Here are some others worth adding to your diet:
- Apples
- Figs
- Currants
- Cantaloupes
- Pears
- Soft jelly coconuts
- Plums
- Prickly pears
- Peaches
- Tamarinds
- Other melons
One thing you can do when you are choosing fruits for your diet is to consider not only the pH of the fruit, but also the other nutrients it contains.
If you cannot find the PRAL value, what you can do is look up how much potassium, magnesium and calcium is in the fruit you are interested in. If it is a high amount of one or more, that suggests that the fruit will likely metabolize in an alkaline way in your body. That means it should be a suitable choice for your alkaline diet.
Summary
In this alkaline fruit list, you have had a chance to discover some of the best alkaline fruits. Even though a lot of fruits may seem acidic, when you take their PRAL into account, you will discover they are a safe and healthy choice on your alkaline diet.
Enjoy eating them on their own, in salads, in smoothies and juice drinks, and more.
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