What Are Non-acidic Fruits & Vegetables?

Fruits and vegetables are classified as non-acidic based not on intrinsic alkalinity but on their alkalizing effect on the body. Non-acidic fruits, although they may taste acidic, and non-acidic vegetables leave alkalizing minerals in the body after their digestion that remove hydrogen ions, decreasing blood acidity. Excessive blood acidity can be detrimental to health, so it is important to eat fruits and vegetables that are non-acidic to avoid an exclusively acid-forming diet.

Non-Acidic Fruits

The Wolfe Clinic reports an ideal diet is one that comprises 75 percent of non-acidic foods that are alkalizing to the body. Toxins and stress can cause excessive acidity in the blood and should be balanced by eating more non-acidic foods. Alkaline foods are often recommended for acidosis and acid reflux. The most alkaline fruits listed in the "Mayo Clinic Diet Manual" are cantaloupe, dried apricots, watermelon and dried figs.

Most fruits, however, are non-acidic, such as apples, bananas, pineapple, nectarines, dates, melon, pears, grapes, cherries and peaches. Citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, lemons and limes are also non-acidic because, although they taste acidic, they have an alkalizing effect on the blood. Tropical fruits such as papayas and almost all berries, including strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, are non-acidic.

Non-Acidic Vegetables

Most vegetables are non-acidic and help the body to recover from stress by balancing the excessive acidic content of the blood. The most alkaline vegetables in the Mayo Clinic Diet Manual are Swiss chard, dandelion greens, beet greens and baked potatoes. Other non-acidic vegetables include turnips, summer squash, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, beets, green beans, asparagus, spinach, cabbage, mushrooms and eggplant. Salad vegetables such as celery, alfalfa, barley grass, cucumber, dandelions, carrots, edible flowers, salad greens, onions, peppers, radishes, lettuce and watercress have an alkalizing effect on the body, as do fermented vegetables and garlic. Oriental vegetables such as maitake, shitake mushrooms, reishi, dandelion root and daikon radish are non-acidic. Three vegetables that are really fruits, tomatoes, bell peppers and avocados, are also alkalizing.

Acidic Fruits and Vegetables

Even though most fruits are non-acidic, some fruits do have an acidic-forming effect on the body. Although healthy tissues are alkaline and cancerous tissues are acidic, this does not mean that acidic fruits should be avoided, for the body needs them to maintain a healthy acid-alkaline balance. Cranberries, prunes and blueberries are considered healthy food choices, yet they are acidic. Currants, plums, canned fruits and glazed fruits are also acidic. Only a few vegetables produce acid in the body after digestion. These are olives, corn and winter squash. Lentils also are acidic.