Wondering what is an alkaline plant based diet? In this post I share the basics of the difference between an alkaline plant based diet and other diets, as well as tips for getting more alkaline forming foods into your diet. Keep reading to learn more and get ideas for plant based alkaline meal prep.
Alkaline Vegan Diet for Beginners PDF printable guide
Check out my free printable guide for beginners. Here’s a link:
YouTube video about what is an alkaline plant based diet
Here’s a quick tutorial video where I describe what an alkaline diet is, how to determine which foods are alkaline forming, and my favorite app for tracking my alkaline diet:
To determine the nutrition facts of certain foods and recipes, I like to use the Cronometer app.
This app allows me to input specific foods from specific brands, and gives nutrition facts in detail for each item. I can also input several foods to create a recipe and get the nutrition facts for the recipe.
In the Cronometer Gold membership there is an option to calculate PRAL alkalinity and track your alkaline diet.
What is an alkaline plant based diet?
- A plant based diet is a diet which focuses on consuming plant foods. This is also referred to as a vegan diet, however not everyone who eats a plant based diet is strictly vegan. But, someone who is vegan eats a fully plant based diet.
- An alkaline diet is a diet which focuses on consuming mostly alkaline forming foods.
- The term “alkaline forming foods” means foods which, after consumed, produce an alkaline pH in the body. Some foods which are acidic prior to consumption actually become alkaline forming, for example lemons.
- Alkaline forming foods are foods which are easy for the kidneys to process. Acidic foods are harder for the kidneys to process.
Plant based alkaline based diet vs Other diets
Many people who enjoy an alkaline diet focus on plant based foods. Others enjoy a non-plant based diet to meet their alkaline dietary needs. It just depends on preference.
However, there are so many plant based alkaline foods, it can be a little easier to make sure you’re eating a majority of alkaline forming foods if you’re focused on a plant based diet.
Alkaline vegan diet
Animal based foods are oftentimes more acid forming than vegan foods. If you follow a strictly vegan diet, it can be easier to maintain an alkaline diet.
However, it is not required to follow an alkaline vegan diet to get the benefits of alkaline forming foods. It’s just a little easier to monitor.
Alkaline veganism is very popular among those who eat a strictly vegan diet. A vegan diet can be a junk food diet and packed with acidic foods, so if you’re vegan, an alkaline vegan diet is a great option. Following an alkaline vegan lifestyle is fun and easy once you have a routine of foods you enjoy.
- Check out my alkaline vegan diet for beginners meal prep blog post.
Vegetarian alkaline diet
A vegetarian diet includes some animal products, such as dairy and eggs. These are generally acidic forming foods.
If you follow a vegetarian diet, it’s important to track your nutrition because you can easily consume too many acidic forming foods without realizing it on a vegetarian alkaline diet.
However, if you focus on plant based foods and still consume a little bit of dairy and eggs, if can balance out.
Raw alkaline vegan diet
It’s not required to eat only raw foods on an alkaline diet, however there are benefits to focusing on raw alkaline vegan meals.
Like I mentioned earlier, vegan diets are usually packed with alkaline forming foods so this is an easy method to follow to stick to an alkaline diet.
Raw foods, such as fruits and vegetables, can make it even easier because you don’t have to cook them to eat them. If you prefer a very simple diet, a raw alkaline vegan diet might be a good option.
A raw alkaline vegan diet is also great for detoxing. It’s just a simple way of eating which focuses on healthy, plant based foods packed with vitamins and minerals.
If you’ve been binge eating a lot of unhealthy foods, following an alkaline vegan detox with lots of raw foods is a great jumpstart to getting back into a healthy diet.
Alkaline vegan pregnancy
Can you do an alkaline vegan diet during pregnancy? Yes!
An alkaline vegan pregnancy just means you’re focused on eating a majority of alkaline forming foods during your pregnancy.
What is a high alkaline plant based diet?
Like I mentioned above, some plant based foods are acidic forming. These are generally plant based foods which are high in protein and lower in mineral including calcium, potassium and magnesium.
For example, these foods are acidic forming on their own:
- Legumes
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Seeds
However, this doesn’t mean you can’t eat these foods. It just means that if you eat only these foods or mostly, you’re going to have an overall acidic forming diet.
The good news is you can pair alkaline forming foods with acidic foods to make an overall alkaline forming diet. Meaning, a diet which doesn’t overburden the kidneys.
A high alkaline plant based diet is where you eat a lot of alkaline forming foods and pair them with some or none of the acidic forming foods mentioned above.
Alkaline vegan diet list
All plant based foods are vegan if they don’t contain any added animal products. So, what can I eat on alkaline diet? There so many foods to choose from!
Wondering how to know if a food is alkaline forming?
Here’s a basic overview:
- The kidneys process foods after consumption.
- Foods which are alkaline forming do not overburden the kidneys.
- Foods which are acid forming tend to overburden the kidneys.
- There is a simple calculation called PRAL (potential renal acid load) which is used to determine which foods overburden the kidneys.
- Calculating PRAL for foods is done by using a simple mathematical formulation, which is:
PRAL (mEq/day) = (0.49 × total protein (g/day)) + (0.037 × phosphorus (mg/day)) − (0.021 × potassium (mg/day)) − (0.026 × magnesium (mg/day)) − (0.013 × calcium (mg/day))
Foods and meals with a negative score, are alkaline forming.
Foods and meals with a positive score are acid forming.
Cronometer app is a gamechanger for plant based alkaline dieting.
When you set the Cronometer app to track PRAL Alkalinity you can easily see if your daily diary is trending alkaline or acidic. Here’s a example of the Nutrition Balances section in the Gold Cronometer membership section:
The Gold Membership is regularly $54/year or $9.99/month. You can save 10% using my affiliate link below:
- Signup to Cronometer.com and save 10% on gold subscriptions.
Plant based alkaline diet recipes
Here’s a quick list of my favorite alkaline vegan recipes:
- Easy alkalizing green drink
- Indian Potatoes and Peas with 6 green veggies
- 8 Vegetable Hashbrowns recipe
- 11 best alkaline food supplements
- 3 healthy vegan soups for weight loss using Trader Joes mirepoix
Further reading:
- Signup to Cronometer.com and save 10% on Gold subscriptions.
- 20 plant based alkaline foods and drinks
- Beginners guide to alkaline meal prep
- Best alkaline diet app in 2024
