Reduced Fat Mayo

[Beth]

I am not a mayo person and usually try to avoid it, but there's a near empty jar of Hellman's in the fridge for occassional salads and DH's sandwiches. I was about to buy a replacement jar when I noticed there are both "light" and "reduced fat" versions. I tried reduced fat years ago and decided that for my occassional usage, it wasn't worth it.

I'm curious whether anyone out there has tried these and would recommend them or not. Is it like many other cream cheese and sour cream, where lowfat is good, but the nofat (or least fat in this case) is terrible? Thanks.

[Kelly]

Hi Beth - I always buy the non-fat or low-fat mayo. I think they have improved over the years because I don't really notice a different anymore.

I know exactly what you mean about the lowfat cream cheese - I bought some a few years back for a family gathering & boy did I get slammed for bringing "gross" cream cheese. Even that has gotten better though so you should try it again.

[CATHIEA]

Beth- I think no-fat mayo tastes "sweeter" than reduced fat. I have small jars of both in my fridge. I use no-fat when I'm adding flavor (curry or spicy dips) and reduced fat when the mayo will be tasted (egg, potato or tuna salads).
CathieA

[lorilei]

I keep going back and forth between low-fat and regular mayo -- for this reason.

I always buy Hellman's and have found that I don't like the nonfat variety at all. For one, I'd prefer to avoid some of the ingredients it includes. Secondly, it definitely tastes different than regular mayo. It's very high in carbs, and definitely doesn't lend any of the richness that you'll find with traditional mayo. And being a mayo lover, it's just not acceptable.

The low-fat version, on the other hand, is fairly good. There is a difference in consistency (seems more "rubbery", if that makes sense), however, which I find disturbing.

So, although I buy the lowfat version on occasion, for the most part I just have to make an exception for the high fat alternative -- I love cooking, and life is just too short for some substitutions. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Laura B]

Beth - I use Duke's Light Reduced Calorie Mayo and I love it. I personally don't think it tastes much different than the full fat stuff (although it has been many years since I have had the full fat version so my memory is not too great). I have tried other brands of low-fat and didn't like them as much, and I cannot stand the no-fat ones.

[ElinorC]

I agree with CathieA; the non-fat version is definitely sweeter than the original or low-fat variety. It also doesn't have the depth of flavor that the others have. I use both at different times.

[MrsReber]

I normally buy the light Hellmans mayo because it just tastes more like the real thing to me. I am not a mayo fan to begin with and only use it for my tuna or macaroni salad. My husband, who is particular about eating anything that says "light" or "lowfat", will eat the Hellmans light. We both decided we do not like the taste of the lowfat, though I haven't tried it in two or three years. Nonfat is completely out of the question. Sometimes I have to go with a few more calories to preserve the taste!

[Grace]

I have to say I always buy the non-fat kind (Kraft) - we don't put it on sandwiches or anything, I only use it in recipes, and no one so far has ever been able to tell that it was no fat. The regular version has soooo much fat in it, I just can't see using the regular kind (or even the light - it still has a LOT of fat) for stuff like potato salads and dressings and dips, etc. When it gets mixed in with all the other stuff, I can't tell, and anyone I've served my stuff to doesn't even believe the items are low/no-fat. And besides, I don't know about you guys, but when I eat some potato salad, I have a hard time eating only a 1/2 cup serving....especially if it's really good! Using the no-fat allows me to eat a lot more than I normally could. I think the products have changed significantly over the last several years, and especially certain brands don't have that yukky artificial gummy taste anymore! That's just my opinion!
Grace

[ellielk]

I think both the low fat and no fat versions of mayo both taste more like 'salad dressing' than mayonaisse. I usually end up using either 50% full fat mayo or 75% depending on what other ingredients I'm using and how much the flavor of the mayo will come through.

[JJ40]

I too have a low-fat mayo dilemma! I used fat-free Miracle Whip for a CL caesar salad dressing, and was very disappointed. I know you can get low-fat Hellmans, but it still seems to have a lot of fat in it. What does everyone else do for caesar dressing?

[MrsReber]

I use the low fat for ceasar dressing. I just made it last weekend, as a matter of fact. Since I use very little dressing and I toss it well to coat the lettuce, the fat and calorie content doesn't matter as much. My husband, of course, is very thin and can eat alot of whatever he wants to eat. It's not fair! For my macaroni salad, I don't use much mayo and I mix it with fat free yogurt, so again, not too bad on the fat and calories. I like to stick to lower fat products, but I mostly count calories.

[Anne]

I've checked the ingredients on a couple brands of low and no-fat mayo and found several that don't contain eggs. This makes me wonder about their perishability vs regular mayo. My kids love mayo on sandwiches but I don't use it for school lunches because their lunch boxes sit at room temperature for several hours. Would this be a problem with the eggless versions of mayo?

[karen w]

I'm not sure this will help at all, but here goes. I do not like mayo at all, but I like miracle whip. However, I also have tried the nonfat and the light varieties and just do not like the nonfat one. It lacks the flavor and depth of the light or regular. I typically substitute light miracle whip whenever a recipe calls for nonfat or light mayo., and have been satisfied with the results.

[KateH]

I've switched over to Spectrum's Canola mayo. It still has some fat in it, but no saturated fat, and I believe it has less than regular mayo. Also, there is a "lite" version. The taste is different, but I actually prefer it and think it works better in salad dressings. But I know it is not to everyone's liking.

[Vanessa]

I use the light Hellmans. Non fat verieties taste strange to me. We did try the Safeway light brand and it was ok, but I grew up with Hellmans. Swithching to low fat (milk etc) takes a few tries.

[Gail]

Can I just put ditto marks under Lorilei's comment? For most things, I go really light on mayonnaise so I get "get away" with the low-fat. But, there's that unpleasant consistency thing which turns up in recipes where mayo is a main ingredient, and for my family, it just doesn't work. I can't imagine my husband dipping his artichoke in low-fat mayo, for example-- for that it's gotta be THE REAL THING.

[andreajackson]

I have recently started buying the fat free version of Miracle Whip and altough I think that it tastes different, I still enjoy it.

[laden]

I agree that the taste of light and non-fat mayo has improved greatly in the past few years. Most of the time I mix equal parts of non-fat and light mayo for things like chicken and tuna salad. To me it's very good. Much better than with just plain non-fat.

[Beth]

I'm here late and I see my post the other day didn't make it. Wanted to say thanks for all the input. I was suprised that the first time I came back this folder was flaming.

It has been 8 or 9 years since I tried the lower fat versions or mayo or Miracle Whip, so I'm sure they are better. The test is whether DH will accept it.

Gail, mine does the same with the artichoke, but I sometimes wonder if "shovel" is a better term than "dip". I can't watch him eat them. I eat mine plain, but think I will try to make some dipping sauces now that I'm inspired by the marinades, sauces and other savory goodied discussed here. I've got a pair of artichokes in the fridge. Maybe I'll be out of mayo tomorrow? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif