Mayonnaise

Why mayonnaise is rated low

Plain mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil, egg yolk and an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice, and none of those three bring fermentable carbohydrate along with them. It is low at any typical portion, since no FODMAP group reaches a meaningful level in plain mayonnaise. The thing that actually moves mayonnaise out of the low column is almost never the mayonnaise itself. It is what has been whipped into it: garlic aioli, onion or shallot spreads, and dressings built on a mayonnaise base are different foods with different ingredient lists.

What changes your risk

• Serving size Plain mayonnaise is low at any typical portion, so the amount matters far less than what has been mixed into it.
• Garlic and onion blended in Aioli, roasted garlic mayo, and anything listing onion powder, garlic powder, shallot or onion extract is no longer plain mayonnaise. Those ingredients are high FODMAP in their own right and they travel straight into the spread.
• Dressings built on a mayonnaise base Ranch, thousand island, burger sauce, coleslaw dressing and tartare sauce usually start from mayonnaise and then add the aromatics. Rate them by their full ingredient list, not by the mayonnaise underneath.
• Sweeteners on the label Some jars list honey or corn syrup sweeteners. Both are high FODMAP additions, so a quick read of the ingredients is worth more than the word plain on the front of the jar.
• The rest of the plate A low rating is per serving, not per meal. Mayonnaise is almost always eaten with something else, so the sandwich bread, the coleslaw and the sauce on the side are what build the meal's total load.

What else works

Mayonnaise does not need replacing, so the useful list is the one that keeps it company. Olive oil with lemon juice, plain vinegar dressings, hard cheeses such as cheddar and parmesan, and lactose free yoghurt stirred with chives all work as creamy or tangy partners on the same plate. If the craving is for a garlicky spread, stir garlic infused oil into plain mayonnaise rather than buying an aioli, since the flavour moves into the oil while the troublesome part of the garlic does not, as long as no solid garlic pieces are left sitting in it. The lookalikes to leave alone are garlic aioli, onion or shallot mayonnaise, and the creamy bottled dressings that start with mayonnaise and finish with onion and garlic powder.

How to keep it low

Buy the jar with the shortest ingredient list you can find, and read it rather than trusting the label's front. Oil, egg, vinegar or lemon, salt and mustard is the shape you want, with no onion powder, garlic powder, honey or corn syrup in the list. Eating out is where it gets slippery: deli sandwich spreads, burger sauces and dips are usually mayonnaise plus aromatics, so ask for plain mayonnaise by name or for oil and vinegar instead. Keep a small bottle of garlic infused oil in the kitchen and make your own flavoured version at home.

Common questions

is mayonnaise low fodmap

Yes. Plain mayonnaise is low at any typical portion, and no FODMAP group reaches a meaningful level in it. Flavoured versions are a separate question.

is garlic aioli low fodmap

No. Aioli is mayonnaise with garlic in it, and garlic is high FODMAP, so the rating on this page does not carry over. Stir garlic infused oil into plain mayonnaise instead, leaving no solid pieces in the oil.

can you eat mayonnaise on the elimination phase

Plain mayonnaise is low at any typical portion, so it fits the elimination phase. Keep to an ordinary spread and read the label: skip jars listing onion powder, garlic powder, honey or corn syrup.

what about mayonnaise based dressings like ranch or coleslaw

Judge those by their own ingredient lists. They usually build on mayonnaise and then add onion and garlic powder, which are high FODMAP, so the low rating for plain mayonnaise does not transfer to them.