Mayonnaise is high in healthy fats, yet low in carbs, making it an ideal Keto condiment.
Don’t be afraid to slather mayo on your sandwiches and burgers or add it to your tuna salad and egg salad. Mayonnaise is a perfect low carb condiment that makes the approved Keto foods list.
Mayo made with avocado oil or olive oil are the best types for health. These oils have a neutral flavor that makes a delicious low carb mayonnaise.
I have included a delicious low carb mayonnaise recipe later in this article, so keep reading to find out how you can make your own healthy mayo at home.
How Many Carbs are in Mayonnaise?
One tablespoon of mayonnaise is almost carb-free, containing a mere 0.1 grams of carbs.
100 grams of mayonnaise contains only 0.6 grams of carbs.
How Many Calories are in Mayonnaise?
One tablespoon of mayonnaise contains 94 calories.
100 Grams of mayonnaise contains 680 calories.
Light and Low Fat Mayonnaise Style Dressings
While most restaurants don’t use the low-fat version of mayo, you can purchase reduced calorie or reduced fat mayo-style dressings to use at home. However, be careful to check the ingredient labels on the “light” or “calorie-reduced” versions to ensure the product doesn’t add extra sugar to make up for lost flavor.
Low-fat mayonnaise can be a better option. Hellman’s low-fat mayo contains less than 1 gram of sugar per serving.
Any food product labelled “light” will contain 1/3 less calories than the original version. In a 1 tablespoon amount of light mayo, there is 45 calories and 5 grams of fat.
Food products labelled as “low fat” or “reduced fat” contain 25% less fat than the original version. One tablespoon of reduced fat mayonnaise contains 25 calories and 2 grams of fat.
Mayonnaise made with canola oil, avocado oil, or olive oil are much healthier options. Keep in mind that these varieties contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, but the calorie counts are the same.
Other oils may be added in to some brands along with olive oil, like vegetable oil, so that the flavor is more subtle. You should avoid these types, as vegetable oil isn’t a heart healthy fat.
Let’s take a look at the calories, fat and carb counts in each type of healthier mayo:
Canola oil mayo: 100 calories, 11 grams fat, 0.5 grams carbs.
Olive oil mayo: 100 calories, 12 grams fat, 0.1 grams of carbs.
Reduced fat olive oil mayo: 45 calories, 4 grams fat, 2 grams of carbs.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving size: 1 Tablespoon of Mayonnaise | |
| Calories 94 | |
| Total Fat 10 grams | 15% |
| Saturated fat 1.6 grams | 8% |
| Polyunsaturated fat 6 grams | |
| Monounsaturated fat 2.3 grams | |
| Trans fat 0 grams | |
| Cholesterol 5.8 milligrams | 1% |
| Sodium 87.6 milligrams | 3% |
| Potassium 2.8 milligrams | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 0.1 grams | 0% |
| Dietary fiber 0 grams | 0% |
| Sugar 0.1 grams | |
| Protein 0.1 grams | 0% |
| Vitamin A | 0% | Vitamin C | 0% |
| Calcium | 0% | Iron | 0% |
| Vitamin D | 0% | Vitamin B-6 | 0% |
| Cobalamin | 0% | Magnesium | 0% |
Popular Mayo Brands
- Helmond’s
- Miracle Whip
- Kraft
- Duke’s
- Blue Plate
- Best Foods
- Oasis Select
Ingredients
Mayonnaise consists of eggs, vinegar, oil, salt, sugar, and sometimes other spices.
Mayonnaise Recipe – Make it Keto!
To avoid the unhealthy additives in commercial store-bought mayonnaise, you can make your own homemade mayo. That way you can use healthier oils and avoid adding sugar and other non-organic ingredients like preservatives.
This classic Keto-friendly mayo recipe calls for avocado oil, olive oil or canola oil, which are heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. If you’re feeling creative, try adding a spoonful of pesto, curry, garlic, tobacco or hot sauce to make an extra fancy homemade mayonnaise.
Ingredients:
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ lemon (juiced)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 3/4 cup avocado oil, canola oil or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried mustard
- ½ teaspoon white pepper (optional – for a spicier mayo).
Instructions:
- In a food processor, combine egg yolk, vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, paprika, mustard, and garlic powder and blend for 1 minute until mixed well.
- Slowly pour in about a tablespoon of avocado oil while still blending, a little bit at a time while waiting a few seconds between for the oil to emulsify.
- Once the mayo thickens to the correct rich and creamy consistency, transfer to a sterile mason jar and refrigerate. This mayo keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Health Benefits
Mayonnaise is a great source of vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects cells from damage and helps prevent heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants also help block free radicals from damaging your body’s cells. Vitamin E prevents cholesterol build-up in the blood.
Another vital nutrient contained in mayonnaise is vitamin K. Vitamin K plays a vital role in blood coagulation for wound healing, bone metabolism, and the regulation of blood calcium levels.
Side Effects
Overeating mayonnaise may lead to excess cholesterol build-up in your arteries.
Mayonnaise is processed food and has very high salt which may lead to high blood pressure. There is 26% of your daily recommended value of sodium in a 100 gram amount, so eat mayo in moderation. Enjoy only 1 or 2 tablespoons instead, which contains only 3% – 6% of your daily sodium needs, respectively.
Other Uses
To Condition Hair
Mayonnaise makes an amazing treatment for dry, damaged hair because it contains ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, and oils that include fatty acids – which are all great for hair health. Mayo also contains vitamins that can boost shine and lustre, while helping to seal in moisture.
To Moisturize Skin
Because mayonnaise is made with oil and eggs, it can soften dry skin and preserve moisture in skin cells. Mayonnaise made up of olive oil, canola oil, or avocado oil can be used topically to treat dry skin, as well as sunburned skin. Apply it to the face or area with dry skin and leave it on for a few minutes. Rinse the mayo and then notice how much more moisturized your skin will become…. Your complexion will be glowing!
Fat in Mayonnaise
Canola oil, avocado oil and olive oil are healthy oils that contain fewer calories are healthier options for the heart. These varieties are high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat – the healthy fat your body needs.
Reduced fat mayonnaise or low fat mayonnaise-style dressings like Miracle Whip were originally created as a cheaper alternative to producing classic mayonnaise. It contains many of the same ingredients, but uses less oil. Miracle Whip adds water, sugar, and a unique blend of spices to give it that tangy “zip”.
Sugar in Mayonnaise
Regular mayonnaise contains only 1 gram of sugar per tablespoon, which is fairly low as long as you limit yourself to only a tablespoon per serving.
If you believe you are doing your body a favour by choosing light, calorie-reduced mayonnaise, think again. Calorie-reduced or light mayonnaise usually contains more added sugar (4 grams per tablespoon, the equivalent of a full teaspoon of sugar per tablespoon). Mayonnaise, especially the low-calorie variety, is not a good choice if you are trying to restrict sugar and carbs.
Is Mayonnaise Good for Weight Loss?
Although mayonnaise filled with calories and fat, it is low in carbs. If you follow a low carb diet plan, like Keto, mayonnaise could help support weight loss. However, since mayonnaise is mostly oil, it is calorie-dense. If you are following a calorie-reduction diet plan, it could hinder weight loss.
Mayo is mostly unsaturated fat, which is a healthier fat. So it can be perfectly fine to include a tablespoon of mayo in place of a fat serving, instead of using butter or oil.
The sugar used in mayo is a simple carbohydrate that raises your body’s insulin levels, which promotes storage of fat in your body, rather than the burning of fat. Luckily there is only a small amount of sugar in mayo, however some light brands might add more to account for lost flavor, so be sure to check the product labels. It is best to avoid added sugar wherever possible while on a weight-loss diet program.
Sometimes mayo contains vegetable oils like soybean oil, which are not considered healthy fats. Avoid these varieties, and choose brands that use canola oil, avocado oil or olive oil.
Although mayo is high in fat, you don’t have to banish it completely from your food repertoire. Mayo can be a part of a healthy diet when eaten in moderation. If you’re trying to cut back on additives like extra sugar, vegetable oils and preservatives, you can always make your own healthy homemade mayonnaise so that you can control the ingredients that get added into your recipe.
