Recently updated on March 28th, 2026 at 10:34 am

If you are thinking about switching to vegan mayo, you may be wondering whether it is actually healthier than regular mayo. That is the main question for most people, and the answer is not always as simple as it seems.

Vegan mayo is not automatically healthier just because it is plant-based. Some versions are similar to regular mayo in calories and fat, while others may be lower in saturated fat or made with different ingredients. In this article, we’ll look at vegan mayo vs regular mayo and see whether vegan mayo is really the healthier choice.

What is vegan mayo made of?

To work out whether vegan mayo is actually a healthier option, it helps to first look at what is in it. The exact ingredients can vary a bit from brand to brand, but most vegan mayo is still made from the same basics: vegetable oil and vinegar.

After that, the rest usually comes down to things like flavouring, thickeners, and preservatives. Here is a closer look at the ingredients commonly found in vegan mayo.

Vegetable oil

Vegetable oil is the main ingredient in most vegan mayo. The exact type depends on the brand, but common ones include rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, and sometimes coconut oil.

Rapeseed oil is one of the most commonly used oils to make vegan mayonnaise, and used by brands including Hellmann’s, Heinz and Follow Your Heart.

Sunflower oil is another popular choice for vegan mayo and this is what Biona uses in their Egg Free Mayonnaise.

The oil used makes a difference because it affects both the taste and the nutrition. Some oils are lighter and more neutral, while others make the mayo feel richer.

So if you are comparing vegan mayo brands, this is one of the first ingredients to look at. And if you make your own at home, you can pick the oil you prefer.

Spirit Vinegar

Spirit vinegar is a common ingredient in vegan mayo. It gives the mayo its sharp, tangy taste and helps balance out the richness of the oil.

It is basically a very clear, strong vinegar, so you will usually only see it used in small amounts. In vegan mayo, its main job is flavour.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Some vegan mayo uses apple cider vinegar instead of spirit vinegar, or alongside it. This is made from fermented apples and has a slightly softer, less sharp taste.

Just like spirit vinegar, it is mainly there to add tanginess and help give the mayo its familiar flavour. Depending on the recipe, it can also make the taste a little more rounded.

Aquafaba

Aquafaba is the liquid from cooked or soaked chickpeas. In vegan mayo, it works as an egg substitute and helps create a smooth, creamy texture.

Yellow Mustard Flour

Yellow mustard flour is made from ground mustard seeds. It adds flavour and also helps bind the ingredients together.

Sweetener

Most vegan mayo contains a small amount of sweetener, usually sugar or something like agave syrup or brown rice syrup. This helps balance out the sharpness of the vinegar.

Other ingredients

Vegan mayo often contains a few extra ingredients to improve the colour, flavour, texture, and shelf life. These can include natural flavourings, colourings, preservatives such as citric acid, and thickeners made from wheat flour or other types of flour.

The exact ingredients can vary quite a bit from brand to brand, so the table below shows what some of the most popular vegan mayo brands currently contain.

VEGAN MAYO	INGREDIENTS
Hellmann’s 100% Plant Based Mayo	Rapeseed oil (52%), water, spirit vinegar, modified starch, sugar, salt, natural flavourings (contain MUSTARD), lemon juice concentrate, thickener (xanthan gum), antioxidant (calcium disodium EDTA), paprika extract
Follow Your Heart Original Vegenaise	Expeller-Pressed Canola and Safflower Oils, Filtered Water, Brown Rice Syrup, Apple Cider Vinegar, Soy Protein, Sea Salt, Mustard Flour, Lemon Juice Concentrate.
Heinz Vegan Seriously Good Mayonnaise	Rapeseed oil (60%), water, mustard, spirit vinegar, sugar, starch, salt, plant fiber (corn, flaxseed), lemon juice from concentrate, faba bean protein.
Biona Egg Free Mayonnaise	Sunflower Oil* (36%), Water, Rapeseed Oil* (10%), Agave Syrup*, Olive Oil* (5%), Spirit Vinegar*, Rice Starch*, Sea Salt, Onion Powder*, Apple Vinegar*, MUSTARD Seeds* (Yellow) (<1%), Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid, Thickener: Xanthan Gum, White Pepper*, Fennel*, Coriander Seeds*. *=Certified Organic Ingredients

How is vegan mayo different from regular mayo?

The main difference between vegan mayo and regular mayo is simple: regular mayo contains egg, while vegan mayo uses plant-based ingredients instead.

Regular mayo gets its creamy texture and familiar taste from egg yolk mixed with oil. Vegan mayo is made to do the same job, just without the egg.

What they both usually contain

Vegan mayo and regular mayo actually have a lot in common. Both are usually made with ingredients like:

• oil
• vinegar
• salt
• lemon juice
• water
• sometimes sugar

So even though one is vegan and the other is not, the base recipe is often quite similar.

Where vegan mayo is different

The main difference is in what replaces the egg. In vegan mayo, brands use other ingredients to create that same thick, creamy texture.

These can include:

• modified maize starch
• soya protein
• faba bean protein
• xanthan gum
• rice starch

Some brands keep the recipe quite simple, while others use more additives to get the right taste and texture.

Is vegan mayo healthier based on the ingredients?

Not always. Vegan mayo is not automatically healthier than regular mayo just because it does not contain eggs.

It really depends on the brand and the ingredients used. Some vegan mayo brands use simple recipes with decent oils and fewer additives. Others are more processed and contain extra stabilisers, flavourings, or colourings.

The same goes for regular mayo. Some versions use better-quality ingredients, while others are made with cheaper oils and more processed ingredients.

What should you actually check?

If you want a healthier mayo, look at the label and keep it simple:

• Start with the oil: extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil are better picks than palm or coconut oil
• Check saturated fat: lower is usually better
• Keep an eye on salt
• Look for a shorter ingredients list
• Try to avoid lots of additives and flavourings

So when it comes to vegan mayo vs regular mayo, the healthier choice usually comes down to the oil used, the amount of saturated fat, and how processed it is.

Regular mayo ingredients can vary from brand to brand too, so the table below shows the current ingredient lists for some popular options.

REGULAR MAYO	INGREDIENTS
Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise	Rapeseed oil (78%), water, pasteurised free range EGG & EGG Yolk (7.9%), spirit vinegar, salt, sugar, lemon juice concentrate, antioxidant (calcium disodium EDTA), flavourings, paprika extract
Heinz Seriously Good Mayonnaise	Rapeseed Oil (68%), Water, Pasteurised Free Range Egg Yolk (5%), Spirit Vinegar, Sugar, Starch, Salt, Mustard Seeds, Spices, Antioxidant (Calcium Disodium EDTA)
Hunter & Gather Classic Avocado Oil Mayonnaise	Avocado oil (80%), Pasteurised British Free Range Egg Yolk (9%), Apple Cider Vinegar, Pink Himalayan Salt

How do the nutrition numbers compare?

To see whether vegan mayo is actually healthier than regular mayo, it helps to compare the nutrition side by side. Below, we’ve matched two popular vegan mayo brands with their regular versions to make the differences easier to spot.

Nutrition per 100g

Mayo	Calories	Fat	Saturated fat	Carbs	Sugars	Protein	Salt
Hellmann’s Mayo 100% Plant Based	488 kcal	52 g	3.9 g	4.7 g	1.7 g	<0.5 g	1.4 g
Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise	720 kcal	79 g	6.1 g	1.4 g	1.3 g	1.1 g	1.2 g
Heinz Vegan Mayo	558 kcal	60.2 g	4.5 g	3.0 g	1.6 g	0.5 g	1.1 g
Heinz Seriously Good Mayonnaise	644 kcal	70 g	5.3 g	3.0 g	1.5 g	0.8 g	1.0 g

Calories and fat

On calories and fat, the vegan mayo comes out lighter in both of these comparisons. Both the vegan Hellmann’s and vegan Heinz options are lower in calories, total fat, and saturated fat than their regular versions.

With Hellmann’s, the plant-based mayo has 488 calories and 52g fat (3.9g saturates) per 100g, compared with 720 calories and 79g fat (6.1g saturates) in the regular version.

Heinz shows the same pattern, with 558 calories and 60.2g fat (4.5g saturates) in the vegan mayo, versus 644 calories and 70g fat (5.3g saturates) in the regular one.

Carbs and sugar

When it comes to carbs and sugar, vegan mayo can be a little higher than regular mayo, but the difference is usually small. So for most people, this is not the main thing that will make or break a mayo. Calories, total fat, and saturated fat tend to matter more.

Anything else worth noting?

When it comes to protein, mayo in general is not a good source of it. The amounts are very small, and some vegan mayos contain almost none at all.

This is also where the smaller vegan brands start to look a bit different from the big names. Biona Egg Free Mayonnaise is a good example. It is lower in calories and total fat than many regular mayos, but it is also higher in carbs and sugars (510 calories, 52g fat, 9.6g carbs, 5.5g sugars per 100g).

Then you have brands like Follow Your Heart Original Vegenaise, which go in a different direction. It keeps carbs and sugars at 0g per tablespoon and uses a different oil blend, with canola and safflower oils.

So the main thing to remember is that vegan mayo can vary quite a bit from brand to brand. Some are lighter, some are sweeter, and some keep the recipe simpler than others.

So, is vegan mayo the healthier choice?

Not always. Vegan mayo is not automatically healthier than regular mayo, but in the comparisons here, the vegan versions came out lower in calories, total fat, and saturated fat. That said, it still depends on the brand, the oil used, and how processed the recipe is. So the best thing to do is check the label rather than assume vegan always means healthier.