The Best & Worst Mayonnaises—Ranked!
It's no secret that mayonnaise is a crowd-favorite condiment. And if you happen to be pro-mayo, it's inevitable that you'll slab the popular savory spread on a sandwich or mix it in pasta salad or potato salads to spruce them up and bring that creamy flavor so many know and love. But have you ever really thought much about the brands you're pulling off the grocery store shelves for your household?
It's important to note that not all mayonnaises are created equal, which yields both advantages and disadvantages. The downside of the egg-based condiment is that it's calorie-dense, which means that a small serving contains many calories. "Mayonnaise also contains a lot of fat," says Amy Tao, MS, of Based Wellness. "Oftentimes, mayonnaise also contains additives and preservatives to help the product maintain its shelf life."
But that doesn't mean you need to steer clear of mayo completely when scanning the condiment aisle.
"While there are healthier alternatives to mayo such as Greek yogurt, avocados, or hummus, choosing a healthier mayonnaise and consuming it in moderation is also OK," Tao says.
To make your mayo-shopping experience smarter and easier, we had Tao help us rank some of the most notable store-bought mayonnaise brands from the very best options that are better for your health to the worst, specifically analyzing the quality of the ingredients and aspects of the nutritional value.
Here are store-bought mayonnaises, ranked from the worst option to the very best. Plus, check out We Tasted 6 Ketchups & This Is the Best One!
Kraft Real Mayonnaise
Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Water, Eggs, Vinegar, Contains Less Than 2% Of Sugar, Salt, Egg, Yolks, Natural Flavor (Contains Mustard), Lemon Juice Concentrate, Calcium Disodium EDTA (To Protect Flavor), Dried Garlic, Dried Onions, Paprika.
Kraft claims the number 10 spot, making it the worst mayo on our list. In addition to having 2 grams of sugar like Miracle Whip, "Kraft Real Mayonnaise has landed itself last on the list because it also contains the preservative Calcium Disodium EDTA and contains 10 grams of fat and 1.5 grams of saturated fat," Tao says. That's simply way too much going into a simple sandwich spread!
Miracle Whip
Ingredients: Water, Soybean Oil, High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Vinegar, Modified Corn Starch, Eggs, Salt, Natural Flavor, Mustard Flour, Potassium Sorbate, Spice, Dried Garlic.
"Because of the lower fat content, Miracle Whip has to compensate for flavor elsewhere, and you can see that they chose to do with the addition of sugar," Tao said. In fact, Miracle Whip and Kraft (#10 on the list) have the most sugar content of any of the other brands on our list.
And even though it's low in calories and fat, she noted that "in addition to the high-fructose corn syrup, it also contains the preservative potassium sorbate." No, thanks.
Duke's Real Mayonnaise
Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Eggs, Water, Distilled And Cider Vinegar, Salt, Oleoresin Paprika, Natural Flavors, Calcium Disodium Edta Added To Protect Flavor.
"This would be such a good option if it didn't contain the preservative Calcium Disodium EDTA," Tao says. And with a whopping 12 grams of fat per serving, "this mayo just isn't the best choice."
Heinz Real Mayonnaise
Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Whole Eggs and Egg Yolks, Distilled White Vinegar, Water, Salt, Sugar, Natural Flavor (Contains Mustard), Lemon Juice Concentrate, Calcium Disodium EDTA.
Tao says this mayo seems to be pretty generic as far as the ingredients and nutrition content go, which is why it lands toward the middle of the pack.
"It does have more calories and more fat than some other comparable mayos, along with it also containing the preservative calcium disodium EDTA," she says.
Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Water, Whole Eggs and Egg Yolks, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Natural Flavors
"While this brand has fewer calories and less fat than some other brands, this super popular mayonnaise contains the preservative Calcium Disodium EDTA," Tao says. "While Calcium Disodium EDTA is an approved food additive, the FDA has limits regarding how much of the preservative can be in foods."
Wholesome Pantry Organic Real Mayonnaise
Ingredients: Soybean Oil (Organic), Water, Egg Yolk (Organic), Distilled Vinegar (Organic), Contains Less than 2% of Salt, Cane Sugar (Organic), Mustard Seed (Organic), Lemon Juice Concentrate (Organic), Natural Flavor.
The good thing about this mayo, like some of the others, is its list full of organic ingredients and lower calories. And even though it contains sugar, "like the Sir Kensington's brand, it must be in smaller amounts," Tao said.
Hellmann's Organic Mayonnaise
Ingredients: Organic Soybean Oil, Water, Organic Whole Eggs, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Organic Egg Yolks, Salt, Organic Dried Cane Syrup, Natural Flavor, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate
Don't get Hellmann's Organic Mayonnaise confused with the brand's original recipe, because they're very different!
"This organic version has tacked on 10 calories and a gram of fat, but omits the preservative found in Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise," Tao said. "It also contains less saturated fat than other similar organic mayonnaises like Wholesome Pantry's brand."
Sir Kensington's Classic Mayo
Ingredients: Sunflower Oil, Organic Certified Humane Free-Range Egg Yolks, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Fair Trade Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Lemon Juice, Citric Acid. Lemon Oil
"I like this mayo because it includes certified humane free-range egg yolks, as well as organic and fair-trade ingredients," Tao said. "While it does contain sugar, it must be in small enough amounts that it is showing up as 0 grams on the label."
And even though the citric acid ingredient could be questioned because it can be synthesized, Tao points out that "it can also be extracted from a natural source."
Whole Foods 365 Mayonnaise
Ingredients: Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Organic Cage-free Whole Eggs, Filtered Water, Organic Cage-free Egg Yolks, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Sea Salt, Organic Mustard (Organic Distilled Vinegar, Water, Organic Mustard Seed, Sea Salt, Organic Spices), Salt, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavor
Tao put this product as a top contender because of its "expeller pressed canola oil, solid ingredient list, and lower sodium content compared to the other mayos." However, she noticed the natural flavor mentioned is a bit vague.
"While not necessarily an area of huge concern, it would be nice to know what the natural flavors in this condiment are," Tao said.
Trader Joe's Organic Mayonnaise
Ingredients: Organic Expeller Pressed Soybean Oil, Water, Organic Pasteurized Egg Yolks, Organic Whole Eggs, Organic White Vinegar, Salt, Organic White Mustard (Organic Distilled Vinegar, Water, Organic Mustard Seed, Salt, Organic Spices, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate.
The star of this mayo is the slew of healthy ingredients.
"Organic expeller pressed oil is a solid base for mayonnaise. In addition, the rest of the ingredients are also organic," Tao says.
However, it's important to note that there is "more fat and saturated fat in this brand than in other similar brands," but its ingredient list does have it edging out the rest of the competition.
Here are some more products you should try:
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