Regular Mayo vs. Light Mayo: What’s the Difference?

Mayonnaise
Photo by Sara Cervera on Unsplash

So, you are looking at the mayonnaise aisle at your local supermarket and notice there is a regular and light version of your favorite mayo. You must be wondering what’s the difference and which one you should get. Let us help by telling you what the difference is between regular mayo and light mayo.

Ingredients

Regular mayonnaise and light mayo share a lot of the same ingredients, like egg yolks, vinegar, and oil. However, while regular mayo contains vegetable oil, light mayo usually contains canola or soybean oil. Also, light mayo can contain various extra ingredients like sugar or starches.

Calories and Fat

The biggest difference is, of course, in the calories count. Light mayo has at least 30% percent fewer calories. Also, regular mayo contains more fat, a significant portion of which is saturated.

Taste

Some mayonnaise brands have their light mayo in a way that it is hard to distinguish them from the regular version. However, mayo aficionados will still likely find the taste of light mayo milder and slightly underwhelming.

Texture

The texture differences between regular mayo and light mayo are immediately noticeable. Regular mayo is thick and creamy, while light mayo is thinner due to its lower fat content.