An alkaline diet involves the consumption of alkaline food (like fruit, greens and tofu), aiming for 60% of all food intake to be just alkaline-based. The other 40% of calories can be made-up of acidic foods, like eggs, meat and bread. This division is usually made with types of meals consumed: for example, if you eat 5 meals per day, 2 should be make-up of acidic foods, and the other 3 should be made-up of alkaline foods.

According to the creators of this diet, this diet can help to decrease blood acidity, which can prevent the emergence of illnesses like cold and flu. This diet also popularly known to detox the body, and is generally used by people who are looking to lose weight.

Nonetheless, there are not enough studies available to prove that an alkaline diet can decrease acidity levels in the blood. Therefore, before starting a weight loss diet, you should be assessed by a registered dietitian to assess your general health status, your goals and nutritional necessities, so that a personalized diet plan can be made.

List of food that is allowed

Food that is allowed with an alkaline diet includes:

Fresh fruit, including acidic fruit like lemons, oranges and pineapple
Vegetables, like lettuce, garlic, cauliflower, cucumber, spinach and broccoli
Legumes, like peanuts, chestnuts, walnuts and pistachios
Protein, like tofu, tempeh and protein powder
Herbs and spices, like cinnamon, curry, ginger, basil, mint and mustard seeds
Drinks, like water, herbal teas, lemon water and green tea
Others, like apple cider vinegar and fermented food like kefir and kombucha

Moderately alkaline food like honey, brown sugar, coconut, lentils, quinoa, chestnuts and corn is also permitted. Check-out a complete list of alkaline foods to include in this diet.

Food to consume in moderation

Acidic food that should be consumed in moderation when partaking in an alkaline diet. Examples include:

Grains, like buckwheat, rice, oat, wheat, rye and pasta
Protein, like chicken, eggs, pork, lamb, fish and seafood
Processed meat, like prosciutto, sausage, and mortadella
Processed food, like fast food meals, premade sauces, hamburger and pizza
Dairy, like milk, butter, yogurt and cheese
Drinks, like alcohol, coffee and soda
Sweets, like jello. Ice cream, cakes and sugar

If you are consuming these foods, they should be eaten with alkaline food

Example of a 3-day diet plan

The following table demonstrates a 3-day alkaline diet plan, which can give you an idea of what your meals and snacks should look like:

Meal	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Breakfast	Chamomile tea with ginger + 1 pancake made with almond flour, vegetable-based milk and cinnamon	1 cup of almond milk + 1 tapioca with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter	1 smoothie made with vegetable-based milk, mango, banana + 1-egg omelet
Morning snack	1 bowl of fruit salad with 1 tablespoon of oats	1 cup of green tea + 10 cashews	1 boiled apple with cinnamon + 2 walnuts
Lunch or Dinner	4 tablespoons of chickpea salad with cucumber, carrot and inion + 1 grilled fish fillet + salad with lettuce, arugula and spinach dressed with lemon juice, sesame seeds and olive oil	2 small grilled eggplants stuffed with tofu, herbs and olive oil + 1 dessert plate with coleslaw, boiled carrots and pineapple	1 grilled chicken breast + 1 dessert plate with spaghetti squash and carrots with pesto sauce + 2 tablespoons of sauteed mushrooms
Afternoon snack	1 green juice + 2 Brazilian nuts	1 unsweetened Green yogurt with half of a diced banana, sunflower seeds and 1 tablespoon of honey	1 smoothie made with soy milk and avocado

Throughout the day, you should ensure adequate fluid intake, with teas, water and unsweetened fruit juices. It is important to avoid coffee and soda.

Broccoli salad with lemon recipe

Lemon, broccoli and garlic are very alkaline foods. This salad can be used as a side dish for any lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

1 broccoli
3 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt to taste

How to prepare:

Steam the broccoli for about 5 minutes, being sure to sprinkle a pinch of salt over it. Then chop up the garlic and sautee in oil until golden. Then squeeze the juice of the lemon into the garlic, and mix with the broccoli so that the sauce is well-absorbed.

Alkaline green juice recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon of diced avocado
1/2 a cucumber
1 handful of spinach
Juice of 1 lemon
200 ml (6.5 oz) of coconut water
1 tablespoon of coconut oil

How to prepare:

Mix all ingredients in a blender until well-combined. Then drink without straining.