Think Twice Before You Reach for That Jar!
Mayonnaise is not top of mind when you think of Italian cuisine or Italian anything. Growing up, I hated Hellman’s mayonnaise in sharp contract to my mother’s love for it. She slathered every sandwich with it. In this case, mama didn’t always know best. I forced myself to acquire a taste by dabbing it ever-so lightly on the extreme outer corners of one slice of white bread until eventually, I too would slather it.
Today, it’s more than a matter of taste or tradition that makes mayonnaise a potentially dangerous desire for a condiment. Most mayonnaise is made from toxic soybean oil. There’s no healthy olive oil base in today’s versions – even when the label touts, “made with olive oil,” it only contains some olive oil alongside the majority base of soybean oil.
I’ve considered organic and vegan versions, but organic soybean oil is still soybean oil – and that is very unhealthy. Unfortunately, the devil is all in the processing as is typically the case with ALL processed food. Even though hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated fats have been banned in the US, those considered to be “naturally occurring” trans fats resulting from the heating process of oils do not fall under the same ban. However, they do fall into the same deadly category of endangering your health. Add to this the dangers of genetically modified (GMO) soybeans that are designed to endure over-saturated spraying of carcinogenic pesticides and herbicides such as Round-up, and that jar of mayo might as well have a trigger on it.
Still feel compelled to reach for that jar? Consider this:
The typical formulation for mayonnaise
- Can contain as much as 80% vegetable oil, usually soybean
- Water makes up about 7% to 8% and egg yolks about 6%.
- Some formulas use whole eggs instead of just yolks.
- The remaining ingredients include vinegar (4%), salt (1%), and sugar (1%). Low-fat formulas will typically decrease oil content to just 50% and increase water content to about 35%. Egg content is reduced to 4% and vinegar to 3%.
What Are the Options if You Need a Mayo Fix?
Look for alternatives that are made with 100% avocado or safflower oil. Organic is always preferable but if not organic, it must minimally be non-GMO or just leave it behind. Or simply try using organic extra virgin olive oil or smashed avocados as an alternative. Better yet, Mangia Italiano! Follow the lead of most native Italians and embrace aioli – it’s relatively easy to make your own, usually a simple garlic and olive oil mash. A recipe utilizing egg yolks will create a far healthier alternative to commercial mayonnaise keeping to the principle of organic and non-GMO ingredients. Even mama would approve.
Quick Tip
While healthy alternatives can be more 3 – 4 times more expensive than cheaply processed soybean oil-based products, this avocado oil version from Sir Kensington can be found in the super-sized 32 oz. jar at Costco for under $6.00 making it an offer you can’t refuse.
