by Judy Fitzgibbons, MS, RDN, LD, Registered Dietitian, Retired

As my daughter Brytta and I were driving on country roads returning from the St. Paul’s UMW women’s retreat, I kept seeing farm gardens with huge tomato vines loaded with green, orange and red fruits. (Please don’t get hung on the “is it a fruit or a vegetable” discussion.) I’m so jealous. That leads me into some thoughts on mayonnaise which goes so nicely with fresh tomatoes. 

One of the Spirited Living ideas I included in the 2020 class was to eat 50 to 100 calories (5 to 10 grams) of “nourishing” fat at each of three meals and/or snacks daily. “Nourishing” or “healthy” fats are runny at room temperature, that is, they are “unsaturated.” They have important functions including lowering blood cholesterol and helping our bodies absorb several critical vitamins and phytochemicals. Beta carotene (vitamin A) in carrots may be most familiar to you.

Practically every diet written in the past 50 years puts mayonnaise on the “avoid” list, when, in fact, it is primarily vegetable oil with some egg yolk and vinegar thrown in. Yes, traditional mayonnaise is high in calories with about 100 packed into a tablespoon, a good reason to eat it in moderation. That’s it for a meal. On the other hand, full-fat mayonnaise, or one of its lighter cousins, is a good example of a nourishing fat that helps us absorb those fat-soluble nutrients, like beta-carotene. 

Yes, mayonnaise contains egg yolk which contributes cholesterol, but in a tiny amount per tablespoon. Cholesterol does not raise your blood cholesterol unless your eat caviar or liver daily. (I’ve been trying to dispel the cholesterol misunderstanding for 40-plus years!)

No, mayonnaise does not make potato or macaroni salads dangerous to carry on a picnic. In fact, commercial mayonnaise is first, made with pasteurized eggs so there is not salmonella bacteria present and second, it has a very low ph of about 4, which means high acid. That prevents dangerous bacteria from growing should they get into the ingredients.
Therefore, mayonnaise, whether it’s “real” or somewhat reduced in fat, can safely contribute nourishing fats to your daily foods.

Blessings to the inventor of mayonnaise