Yes, strawberries are acidic. On the pH scale of 0 to 14, 7 is neutral acidity and getting closer to 0 means more acidic. The pH of strawberries is 3 to 3.5, which makes them highly acidic.
Are Strawberries Bad for Acid Reflux?
Since strawberries are acidic, they may aggravate the symptoms of acid reflux, which happens when your stomach acid travels up your esophagus and gives you a burning sensation at the back of your throat (heartburn).
If you are already experiencing heartburn, it’s best to stay clear from them. But if you have a serious craving for these delicious red berries and nothing else will do, we have a few suggestions for you.
How to Make Strawberries Less Acidic?
Did you know that you can make strawberries less acidic by pairing them with alkaline foods? The logic is pretty simple: let’s say you have a glass of lemon juice and a glass of water.
You can adjust the sourness of your lemon juice by adding water to it, right? Similarly, you can adjust the pH level of acidic fruits by pairing them with alkaline foods.
Luckily, strawberries can pair with a lot of foods with delicious results. You can make nutritious smoothies, salads, and other snacks with them.
Smoothies
Smoothies are easy to make, extremely satiating, and versatile! They are a great option if you need a quick, nutritious fix. Plus, they’re an excellent medium for mixing many different food groups.
Strawberry Spinach Smoothie
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients: bananas, baby spinach, strawberries, almond or coconut milk
Put all of your ingredients into your blender and blend away until you reach a smooth consistency without chunks. You can freeze your fruits before adding them to your smoothies for a thicker milkshake-like consistency.
Salads
Just like smoothies, salads offer a delicious world of opportunities. Strawberries pair well with leafy greens like spinach, kale, and lettuce, adding crunch and sweetness to salads. You can even add quinoa and chickpeas for a protein-rich and delicious meal.
Strawberry, Spinach, and Quinoa Salad
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients: Spinach, quinoa, strawberries, almond slivers
Cook your quinoa in a small saucepan and let it rest. As it’s cooling, wash and chop all of your ingredients. Combine all of them in a large bowl and season to your taste.
Since lemon juice is quite acidic, it’s best to skip it and make a simple vinaigrette with olive oil and a dash of tahini. Top it all off with almond slivers, and you’re good to go.
Snacks
You can combine your berries with condiments and sauces to lower their pH and create excellent snacks. Crackers and whipped cream make a very balanced and filling snack that won’t be very acidic.
Strawberries and Whipped Cream
Preparation Time: 5 to 15 minutes (you may want to refrigerate for 10 minutes)
Ingredients: Whipped Cream (you can make your own or buy ready-made)
Strawberries and whipped cream make a great sweet snack. However, since regular whipping cream is not lactose-free and contains lactic acid, you may want to opt for a non-dairy whipped cream like coconut whipping cream[1] .
You can quickly make whipped cream with coconut cream. Refrigerate the cream overnight and whip it in a chilled bowl for about a minute until it reaches that smooth consistency. Serve with crackers, and enjoy the yum!
PH Levels of Foods You Can Pair With Strawberries
Here’s a rundown of a few simple ingredients you can pair with strawberries to make them less acidic.
| Ingredient | pH Level | How to Pair With Strawberries? |
| Spinach | 5.5 | Can be added to smoothies and salads |
| Avocado | 6.5 | Can be added to smoothies and salads |
| Dates | 8 | Can be added to smoothies and can be paired as a snack. |
| Cantaloupe | Around 6.5 | Can be added to smoothies and can be paired as a snack. |
| Lettuce | 7 | A good base for a strawberry salad |
| Kale | 7 – 7.5 | Can be added to smoothies and salads |
| Cucumbers | Around 6 | Can be added to smoothies and can be paired as a snack. |
| Almond Milk | 6 | Can be the base of a smoothie |
| Coconut Water | 6.5 | Can be the base of a smoothie |
| Coconut Milk | 6.5 – 7 | Can be made into a sauce for a snack |
| Papaya | Around 6 | Can be added to smoothies and can be paired as a snack. |
| Bananas | Around 6 | Can be added to smoothies and can be paired as a snack. |
| Almonds | 6.9 | Can be added to salads and can be paired as a snack. |
| Cauliflower | Around 7 | Can be added to salads raw or cooked |
| Tahini | Around 6 | Sauce or condiment ingredient |
| Quinoa | Around 7 | Can be the protein base for a salad |
FAQ
Are All Strawberries Acidic?
Strawberry is a versatile fruit that can be used in many ways: fresh, dried, frozen, and cooked. However, does consuming them in various forms change their acidity? No, not all. No matter how you’ll consume them, strawberries are acidic, and their pH level does not change.
Is Strawberry Flavored Food Acidic?
Strawberry yogurt and milkshakes are some of the most consumed strawberry-flavored foods. And if you’re wondering, they are mostly acidic.
Plain yogurt has a pH of 4.1 to 4.4, so strawberry yogurt will be acidic. Plain cow milk is slightly acidic; it has a pH of 6.1 to 6.9.
Combining milk with strawberries will make your drink slightly less acidic; however, a milkshake may have other ingredients that make it even more acidic, like chocolate or other fruits.
Do Different Types of Strawberries Have Different Acid Levels?
There are multiple types of strawberry plants with varying colors and leaves, but they’re generally categorized according to when they bear fruit. There are four main types of strawberries: summer-bearing, twice-bearing, ever-bearing, and wild strawberries.
Wild strawberries are considered to be more acidic as the pH of the soil they grow in is inconsistent. When strawberries are planted in a controlled environment, the pH of the soil would be somewhere between 5.4 to 6.5, which is the optimum soil pH level for this plant.
However, wild strawberries grow in their own endemic climates, and thus, their pH levels change, sometimes even between different crops.
Ever-bearing strawberries are usually grown in greenhouses, taste much sweeter, and are usually a little less acidic.
To Sum Up
Strawberries are naturally very tasty and sweet, but they’re also very acidic. If you’re experiencing acid reflux symptoms, you should be mindful of how often you consume them.
That said, you can pair strawberries with certain foods to lower their acidity. Consuming dates, coconut milk, or sprinkling some strawberries on your kale salad will help balance their acidity.
