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Health
Digestive System Health
Gastrointestinal Tract Health
Indigestion (Dyspepsia)
How to Reduce Acidity in Cooking Download ArticleExplore this Article Steps Steps How Can You Reduce Acidity in Food? Other Sections Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Reviewed by Marrow Private Chefs
Last Updated: February 19, 2026 References
Download Article X
This article was reviewed by Marrow Private Chefs. Marrow Private Chefs are based in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. It is a chefs’ collective comprised of an ever-growing number of chefs and culinary professionals. Though regionally influenced primarily by coastal, traditional southern, cajun, and creole styles and flavors, the chefs at Marrow have a solid background in all types of cuisine with over 75 years of combined cooking experience. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 154,500 times.
Anyone who has suffered with heartburn or other acid-related stomach problems may benefit from learning to reduce acidity in cooking. A few simple steps can reduce acids in foods such as sauces, casseroles, meats, and fish, and allow you to enjoy foods without discomfort.
Steps
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1 Sprinkle small amounts of baking soda gradually into food during cooking to reduce the acidity in the food. Taste the food often, until the tart flavor of the food is reduced. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which is a form of salt. If you are concerned about your sodium intake, add as little baking soda as possible until the food's tartness (and acid) is sufficiently reduced.[1]XResearch source
2 Cook dishes for the shortest time possible so that water isn't cooked away and acid isn't concentrated in a smaller volume of food. Simmering soups, casseroles, sauces and other dishes reduces water. Advertisement
3 Prepare meat, fish or fowl separately from the sauce so the meat doesn't absorb acids from the sauce. If you are making spaghetti and meatballs, cook the sauce and meatballs separately, then add them together just before serving. This will prevent the meat from soaking up acid.
4 Get protein in your diet by eating lean meats, London broil steak, skinless chicken, fish and egg whites as they are foods low in acid.
5 Incorporate high-alkaline foods into high-acid foods, as the alkalinity reduces the acidity. For example, to reduce acids in meat or fish casseroles, add peas, carrots or eggs, which are alkaline.[2]XResearch source
6 Reduce the phytic acid in legumes and beans by soaking the beans in hot water overnight before cooking. In addition to reducing the acid, soaking beans in hot water makes your body better able to absorb the nutritious minerals in the beans.
Reduce the phytic acid content of grains by soaking them the same way you soak beans.
7 Reduce acid in a balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing by making the dressing with equal amounts of vinegar, oil and strong tea. Samin Nosrat, Chef, TV Host, and James Beard Award–winning Author
When used judiciously, acid can balance other flavors in a dish, but too much acid can be overwhelming. Use it sparingly and taste as you go to achieve the right balance.
8 Cook with extra virgin olive oil or switch to a different type of oil, as olive oil is more acidic than other oils. Canola oil is low in acid and healthful in other ways.
9 Incorporate low acid fruits into your diet by eating sweet apples, mangoes, bananas and melons.
10 Increase your consumption of vegetables, as most vegetables can be prepared with little oil.[3]XResearch source
11 Eat low-fat foods to avoid acid, including skim milk, goat cheese and lower-fat or fat-free prepared foods.[4]X Trustworthy Source National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteResearch and education center within the National Institutes of Health Go to source
12 Avoid onions, which are high in acid.[5]XResearch source
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Eat baked potato chips or other baked salty snacks instead of chips fried in oil, as fried foods contain more acidic fat. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Reviewed by: Marrow Private Chefs Culinary Experts This article was reviewed by Marrow Private Chefs. Marrow Private Chefs are based in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. It is a chefs’ collective comprised of an ever-growing number of chefs and culinary professionals. Though regionally influenced primarily by coastal, traditional southern, cajun, and creole styles and flavors, the chefs at Marrow have a solid background in all types of cuisine with over 75 years of combined cooking experience. This article has been viewed 154,500 times. 10 votes - 80% Co-authors: 11Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 154,500 Categories: Indigestion (Dyspepsia) | Basic Cooking Skills In other languagesSpanish
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Kathy Long
Oct 4, 2016
"Baking soda and how to use it to cut acid in food was helpful, thank you."
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Reviewed by: Marrow Private Chefs Culinary Experts Co-authors: 11Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 154,50080% of readers found this article helpful. 10 votes - 80% Click a star to add your vote
Kathy Long
Oct 4, 2016
"Baking soda and how to use it to cut acid in food was helpful, thank you."
Terryann F.
Jul 22, 2023
"The baking soda helps me a lot when eating beans. Thank a lot." Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories
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Download Article Explore this Article Steps Steps How Can You Reduce Acidity in Food? Other Sections Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Reviewed by Marrow Private Chefs 
10 Ways to Remove a Bitter Taste from Food & Balance Your Flavors 
How toFix an Over‐Seasoned Dish 
How toReduce Sourness in Soup 
Advertisement 
Reviewed by: Marrow Private Chefs Culinary Experts This article was reviewed by Marrow Private Chefs. Marrow Private Chefs are based in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. It is a chefs’ collective comprised of an ever-growing number of chefs and culinary professionals. Though regionally influenced primarily by coastal, traditional southern, cajun, and creole styles and flavors, the chefs at Marrow have a solid background in all types of cuisine with over 75 years of combined cooking experience. This article has been viewed 154,500 times. 10 votes - 80% Co-authors: 11 Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 154,500 Categories: Indigestion (Dyspepsia) | Basic Cooking Skills In other languagesSpanish 
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1 Sprinkle small amounts of baking soda gradually into food during cooking to reduce the acidity in the food. Taste the food often, until the tart flavor of the food is reduced. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which is a form of salt. If you are concerned about your sodium intake, add as little baking soda as possible until the food's tartness (and acid) is sufficiently reduced.[1] 
2 Cook dishes for the shortest time possible so that water isn't cooked away and acid isn't concentrated in a smaller volume of food. Simmering soups, casseroles, sauces and other dishes reduces water. Advertisement 
3 Prepare meat, fish or fowl separately from the sauce so the meat doesn't absorb acids from the sauce. If you are making spaghetti and meatballs, cook the sauce and meatballs separately, then add them together just before serving. This will prevent the meat from soaking up acid. 
4 Get protein in your diet by eating lean meats, London broil steak, skinless chicken, fish and egg whites as they are foods low in acid. 
5 Incorporate high-alkaline foods into high-acid foods, as the alkalinity reduces the acidity. For example, to reduce acids in meat or fish casseroles, add peas, carrots or eggs, which are alkaline.[2] 
6 Reduce the phytic acid in legumes and beans by soaking the beans in hot water overnight before cooking. In addition to reducing the acid, soaking beans in hot water makes your body better able to absorb the nutritious minerals in the beans. 
Samin Nosrat, Chef, TV Host, and James Beard Award–winning Author 
9 Incorporate low acid fruits into your diet by eating sweet apples, mangoes, bananas and melons. 
10 Increase your consumption of vegetables, as most vegetables can be prepared with little oil.[3] 
12 Avoid onions, which are high in acid.[5] Advertisement 
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