Please see my explanation of the values for this acid-alkaline spices and herbs food chart, and related charts, in my Basic Acid Alkaline Food Chart Introduction.
I’ve used these acid-alkaline foods charts to introduce this food diary project, which will soon have many more features and benefits. I will provide you with your free, personal online food diary. These charts are basic, but the finished project will be rich with many features that allow you to manage your diet. I have many ideas for turning this basic information into an interactive service to help you plan your diet, but I also want your ideas. Your feedback will help me build this project quickly to provide you with better nutrition management tools.
If you have any questions about this information, or have any suggestions for improvements, please add your comments below.
| Food Description | KCals | Very Alkaline | Less Alkaline | About Neutral | Less Acid | Very Acid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basil, fresh | 27 | -10.01 | ||||
| Capers, canned | 23 | -0.69 | ||||
| Dill weed, fresh | 43 | -15.49 | ||||
| Horseradish, prepared | 48 | -4.87 | ||||
| Mustard, prepared, yellow | 67 | 1.13 | ||||
| Peppermint, fresh | 70 | -12.65 | ||||
| Rosemary, fresh | 131 | -16.45 | ||||
| Salt, table | 0 | -0.50 | ||||
| Spearmint, dried | 285 | -55.42 | ||||
| Spearmint, fresh | 44 | -10.01 | ||||
| Spices, allspice, ground | 263 | -26.86 | ||||
| Spices, anise seed | 337 | -18.17 | ||||
| Spices, basil, dried | 251 | -85.36 | ||||
| Spices, bay leaf | 313 | -17.16 | ||||
| Spices, caraway seed | 333 | -13.33 | ||||
| Spices, cardamom | 311 | -22.57 | ||||
| Spices, celery seed | 392 | -34.71 | ||||
| Spices, chervil, dried | 237 | -92.40 | ||||
| Spices, chili powder | 314 | -31.05 | ||||
| Spices, cinnamon, ground | 261 | -23.75 | ||||
| Spices, cloves, ground | 323 | -31.58 | ||||
| Spices, coriander leaf, dried | 279 | -99.48 | ||||
| Spices, coriander seed | 298 | -23.21 | ||||
| Spices, cumin seed | 375 | -31.97 | ||||
| Spices, curry powder | 325 | -26.10 | ||||
| Spices, dill seed | 305 | -33.19 | ||||
| Spices, dill weed, dried | 253 | -74.51 | ||||
| Spices, fennel seed | 345 | -35.37 | ||||
| Spices, fenugreek seed | 323 | -1.20 | ||||
| Spices, garlic powder | 332 | -2.00 | ||||
| Spices, ginger, ground | 347 | -24.55 | ||||
| Spices, mace, ground | 475 | -9.87 | ||||
| Spices, marjoram, dried | 271 | -49.30 | ||||
| Spices, mustard seed, yellow | 469 | 14.49 | ||||
| Spices, nutmeg, ground | 525 | -3.75 | ||||
| Spices, onion powder | 347 | -10.15 | ||||
| Spices, oregano, dried | 306 | -49.76 | ||||
| Spices, paprika | 289 | -36.33 | ||||
| Spices, parsley, dried | 276 | -81.49 | ||||
| Spices, pepper, black | 255 | -25.39 | ||||
| Spices, pepper, red or cayenne | 318 | -31.44 | ||||
| Spices, pepper, white | 296 | 4.29 | ||||
| Spices, poppy seed | 533 | -1.87 | ||||
| Spices, poultry seasoning | 307 | -22.11 | ||||
| Spices, pumpkin pie spice | 342 | -19.13 | ||||
| Spices, rosemary, dried | 331 | -37.43 | ||||
| Spices, saffron | 310 | -29.58 | ||||
| Spices, sage, ground | 315 | -46.49 | ||||
| Spices, savory, ground | 272 | -51.11 | ||||
| Spices, tarragon, dried | 295 | -64.51 | ||||
| Spices, thyme, dried | 276 | -35.48 | ||||
| Spices, turmeric, ground | 354 | -46.66 | ||||
| Thyme, fresh | 101 | -15.56 | ||||
| Vanilla extract | 288 | -3.31 | ||||
| Vanilla extract, imitation, alcohol | 237 | -1.35 | ||||
| Vanilla extract, imitation, no alcohol | 56 | -0.05 | ||||
| Vinegar, balsamic | 88 | -2.07 | ||||
| Vinegar, cider | 21 | -1.45 | ||||
| Vinegar, distilled | 18 | 2.0e-03 | ||||
| Vinegar, red wine | 19 | -0.68 |
Remember: these tables help you make better food choices, but the only way to confirm they are having the desired effect is by measuring the pH (acidity/alkalinity) of your urine. This is a simple process using widely available pH test strips or meters.
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2 comments
K.Lyn
January 25, 2013 at 6:06 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’m sorry. I don’t understand the numbers in the columns under the headings very and quite etc. Is very more than quite?
Keith Taylor
January 26, 2013 at 3:01 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi K.Lyn,
I’m really sorry about that. In the 5 years of displaying these tables, nobody (including myself) has ever spotted the incongruity of using “quite.”
I forgot about the two different senses of the word, as in “Your comment is quite (completely) amazing” against “My site is quite (to a lesser degree) useful”
I have changed the wording on this page, replacing quite with less. I hope that makes it clearer. I will change other pages as soon as I can get time.
Please note that my description is arbitrary, and has no scientific or nutritional meaning. The correct way to use the tables is:
1. Do a pH test on urine.
2. If pH is too low, look to change your food choices to more alkaline alternatives.
3. Retest pH and repeat
This page is probably least useful in practical terms, as herbs and spices do not usually form a significant part of our diet. But using examples from above, you can see that switching from mustard to cayenne pepper would help our goal.
It is easiest to look first at foods that form a substantial part of our diet. Similarly, it is easiest to change foods in the “Very” columns, reducing acid producing foods and increasing alkaline producing foods, as these will give the biggest improvement for the smallest change.
Never forget that balanced nutrition is important, and your overall diet should stay within national recommendations for protein, carbs, and fat, as well as meeting national targets for vitamins and minerals.
The numbers are only a guide to help you improve your diet. The true test relies on testing urine pH.