By now, many people appreciate that an alkaline diet is healthy – not to mention convenient and cost-effective.
You probably already have a lot of the best alkaline foods in your fridge and pantry, along with some tasty recipes for each one.
To show how simple and inexpensive it is to eat alkaline, try eating more of the following foods and think of creative ways to use them.
Asparagus is one of the most versatile ingredients in any kitchen. It can be roasted, steamed, cooked, stir-fried or even blended into soups and sauces.
Roasted asparagus is particularly tasty in pasta. Roast in the oven with sea salt and a herb of your choice. Add to cooked black-eyed peas, whole grain pasta, garlic and some fresh basil leaves. Aside from the time it takes for the oven to heat up, this dish only takes 20 minutes to make.
It’s also mostly made of alkaline ingredients, though the pasta may have some neutral or slightly acidic ingredients depending on the type of grain used to make it.
So, look for whole grain gluten-free pasta; it will probably have the least amount of acid. Those made with brown rice flour or millet have a neutral pH score.
The orange and asparagus tastes go well together, and since orange is very alkaline, this is a very alkaline food.
Steam some asparagus for five minutes until they are tender. Dress your salad with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, orange zest, and an onion or shallot. You can eat this dish hot or chilled.
Like other leafy greens, broccoli is alkaline and healthy. It is also extremely versatile and works well in soups, stews, pies and salads.
You can make a tasty, crunchy winter soup with broccoli, brown rice, vegetable broth, onion, carrot, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and parsley. All of these foods are alkaline. You can also leave out the rice and add mashed potatoes and a cup of unsweetened almond milk to make a creamy version.
A broccoli and bean salad is also great. Add cooked beans, bell pepper, mango, fresh cilantro, fresh ginger, lemon juice, and a virgin oil that doesn’t taste too strong to broccoli.
If you don’t use broad, string, or green beans, you’ll be eating something that is slightly acidic.
Unfortunately, this isn’t a big deal because all the other ingredients are alkaline and a diet high in alkaline foods allows around 30% of foods that are slightly acidic.
You should always have these two things in your kitchen because they are great alkalis that you can use in almost anything. It’s hard to find a soup, dip, salad, stew, stir-fry, pasta, or pizza that onion and garlic don’t make better.
Keep onion, garlic, tomato, and Himalayan salt on hand instead of making sweet muffins and other pastries. It’s possible for them to be the main ingredients. For example, in an onion and garlic muffin, you use dill, parsley, scallion, shallot, leek, whole grain flour, baking powder, almond milk, stevia, and an oil that doesn’t taste strong.
Once you stuff a squash, sweet potato, pepper, mushroom, or any other vegetable, you should almost always use garlic and onion.
If you want to roast vegetables in the oven, you can either sprinkle them with shredded garlic and onion or add them to the oil, where you roast them. When making mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, mix in some onion and garlic for taste. When you sauté vegetables for any dish, add some shredded garlic and onion to the oil. The options are infinite.
One of the most alkaline pulses, fresh green beans taste great both cold and hot. Green beans can be cooked almost alone with some onion and herbs for flavour.
After cooking the beets and green beans, add endive and other salad leaves and chill the salad. Add a lemon juice-based dressing, and your salad is as alkaline as it can be.
Green bean bake is popular for a reason. Green beans, some other vegetables, vegetable stock, soy milk, and whole grain flour should be mixed together and baked in the oven. This makes a tasty alkaline dish.
Like carrot, potato, parsnip, turnip and all other root vegetables, butternut squash have a high pH score. Many people want to avoid these vegetables because of their relatively high score on the glycaemic index. By so doing, they deprive themselves of a highly alkaline and extremely tasty vegetable.
Also, the butternut’s glycemic score shouldn’t matter much if you follow an alkaline diet and don’t eat it late at night.
Butternut squash can add rich creaminess to soup when puréed with other vegetables. You can also make your own vegetable stock at home, freeze it, and then use it in soups and stews whenever you need it. Mix butternut with other alkaline vegetables like carrot, onion, celery, parsnip, garlic, leek, parsley and bay leaves. Add some extra virgin olive oil.
Once all the vegetables are soft, strain the mixture and throw away the solids. You now have a great alkaline vegetable stock.
Butternut squash can be stuffed with almost anything, too. Take out most of the flesh, mix it with peanut butter, quinoa, cinnamon, or anything else you have on hand, and then put it back on the peal. This often needs to be roasted to blend the tastes together.
Butternut squash works well in pancake batter to hold it together and add some sweetness. Add 2 cups of brown rice flour, a teaspoon of baking powder, two teaspoons of almond butter, a pinch of fresh cilantro, Himalayan salt, a finely chopped small onion, and a dash of chili powder if you like it hot to the mashed butternut.
That is, use alkaline almond butter instead of acidic butter, alkaline brown rice flour instead of white flour, and alkaline butternut as a binder instead of acidic egg. It is both healthier and tastier than the classic pancake!.
Since more than 90% of a watermelon is water, it makes a good base for smoothies, juices, and even salad dressings.
It is low in calories and high in pH, making it one of the best ways to add sweetness to a dish that would normally need acidic sugar, which is bad for you. As a smoothie base, it is much better for you than cow’s milk or ice cream, and it still tastes sweet like ice cream.
Because cooked whole grains are pretty bland on their own, you can also pour some over your whole grain breakfast cereal.
Green beans are a popular vegetable that are a staple side dish in many households. But are green beans alkaline or acidic? As more people become interested in the alkaline diet, the pH level of foods has come under scrutiny. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at whether green beans are alkaline and what makes a food acidic or alkaline in the first place.
What Makes a Food Alkaline or Acidic?
The pH level is a measure of how acidic or alkaline (basic) a substance is. It ranges from 0 to 14, with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline. A pH of 7 is considered neutral.
The human body carefully regulates blood pH between 7.35 to 7.45 to maintain proper functioning. Even small changes in blood pH can be dangerous. However, the foods we eat do not directly impact our blood pH level. The kidneys and lungs work to maintain balance and prevent diet from pushing the pH out of its safe range.
When we talk about foods being “alkaline” or “acidic,” we are referring to the ash residue they leave behind when metabolized in the body, not their impact on blood pH.
Are Green Beans Alkaline or Acidic?
Green beans have an alkaline ash residue and are considered an alkaline food. Most fruits and vegetables tend to be alkaline foods. On the pH scale, green beans have a pH of around 8, making them an alkaline food choice.
However, green beans contain some acidic elements as well. While the overall vegetable is alkaline, green beans contain both acidic and alkaline-forming compounds.
Examples of acidic compounds found in green beans include
- Oxalic acid
- Phytates
Alkaline compounds in green beans include:
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Iron
So while green beans are considered alkaline, they have a mix of both alkaline and acidic compounds.
Potential Benefits of Green Beans
Green beans, like most vegetables, provide a variety of important nutrients and health benefits. Here are some of the top benefits of adding green beans to your diet
High in Antioxidants
Green beans contain a variety of antioxidants including carotenoids and flavonoids. Antioxidants help combat free radicals and oxidative damage in the body.
Excellent Source of Vitamin C
One cup of green beans provides 14% of your daily vitamin C needs. Vitamin C supports immune function and collagen production.
High in Fiber
With 3 grams of fiber per cup, green beans can help regulate digestion and promote feelings of fullness.
Contains Vitamin K
Green beans are high in vitamin K, which plays a role in bone health and blood clotting. One cup provides 24% of the RDI for vitamin K.
Provides Iron
The iron in green beans supports red blood cell production and carries oxygen throughout the body. One cup contains 6% of the RDI for iron.
Low in Calories
Green beans are low in calories, with just 31 calories in one cup. This makes them a great addition to any weight loss diet
Are Alkaline Foods Healthier?
Many sources claim that alkaline foods like green beans provide health benefits by controlling your body’s pH balance. However, more research is still needed to support this claim.
As discussed earlier, your kidneys and lungs regulate pH regardless of diet. Eating alkaline foods like fruits, vegetables, and greens provides benefits because of their nutrient density – not because of their alkaline nature.
That said, replacing processed acidic foods like fats, oils, and refined grains with nutrient-dense alkaline foods can still be a healthy dietary change. Focus on getting a variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants through whole, unprocessed plant foods. Their alkaline or acidic quality is likely less important.
Tips for Adding More Alkaline Foods
While the claims of the alkaline diet may be overblown, eating more fruits, veggies, greens, nuts and seeds is always a good idea. Here are some tips for getting more alkaline foods in your diet:
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Eat green beans as a side dish 2-3 times per week. Pair with olive oil, garlic, herbs and lemon.
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Snack on alkalizing foods like bananas, almonds, and cucumbers.
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Try new greens like kale, arugula and broccoli. Mix into salads, pastas, omelets or smoothies.
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Drink lemon water to help balance acidic foods like coffee, meat and grains.
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Limit processed acidic foods like sugary drinks, oils, fried foods, alcohol and refined grains.
While green beans’ alkalizing properties are debatable, they remain a healthy addition to any diet. Focus on getting a diversity of natural, whole foods including colorful veggies like green beans. This well-rounded approach is the best way to achieve great health.
Green beans have an alkaline ash residue and a pH of around 8, making them an alkaline food choice. However, they contain both alkaline and acidic compounds. When metabolized in the body, their overall alkaline nature promotes green beans as an alkaline food. While alkaline foods come with lofty health claims, most experts agree that green beans and other alkaline foods impart benefits due to their nutrient density, not their pH influencing powers. Nonetheless, swapping acidic processed foods for nutrient-packed alkaline foods can improve your diet. Though their classification as “alkaline” may not be the reason, green beans remain a healthy component of a balanced diet.
Apple and Apple Cider Vinegar
Apples are tasty, cheap, and easy to use in many ways. They can be eaten raw, juiced, blended into a smoothie, sliced into a fruit salad, baked into a whole grain pie, or juiced and added to soups or sauces.
Be adventurous and learn to use in soups and fruit sauces to pour over your vegetable dishes. Their taste is subtle enough so that no experiment will end in complete disaster.
Apple cider vinegar is the only vinegar that is alkaline, so you should keep it in your kitchen at all times. It is not only alkaline, it is highly alkaline!.
Think salad dressing. For a sweeter dressing, mix it with maple syrup or fresh peppers, chilies, garlic, and tomatoes. For a spicier one, mix it with honey or honeycomb. It works equally well in salad leave wraps or sandwiches.
Barbecue sauce just isn’t the same without apple cider vinegar. Adding a fresh red bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, molasses, cayenne, and soy sauce will make it taste great.
To make firm tofu taste like cottage cheese if you are a vegan, you need to add apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, grape seed oil, and sea salt.
Spinach is so packed with nutrition that it should be a staple for just about everyone. Baby spinach or fully-grown spinach, the choice is yours: just make sure it’s on your grocery list.
Like all super green foods, spinach makes you more alkaline and has a lot of chlorophyll, which is a strong alkalizer and blood builder. You can read more about chlorophyll and its wide-ranging benefits here.
There are many flavourful ways to cook spinach, so there’s no excuse to skip on this leafy green.
Tasty Alkaline Meals Within Easy Reach!
On an alkaline diet, you eat fruit, leafy greens, nuts and seeds, fresh herbs, pulses, and whole grains. This healthy diet is the easiest, cheapest, and tastiest to follow. There is no reason to hesitate in giving it a go.
If you want more ways to improve your health, try one of our popular Green Food Supplements. They offer many useful advantages. Our pH Balance Supplements, meanwhile, will aid your alkaline journey.
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16 BEST Alkaline Foods You Must Have In Your Daily Diet
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