The creamy texture and tangy flavor of mayonnaise is a staple in so many classic recipes — think potato salad, egg salad, pasta salad, sandwiches, burgers, and dips.

But it’s not exactly the pinnacle of healthy condiments, so you may be wondering if a worthy mayo substitute exists.

“Classic mayonnaise is made from emulsifying egg yolk with oil, mustard, a little lemon juice or vinegar, and salt,” says Fay Israsena, C.N.M. A.N.P., Beachbody Nutrition Specialist. “Store-bought versions often have various additives and preservatives added on to that list.”

Even if you try to make homemade mayo with healthier ingredients, Israsena adds, “The main ingredient is overwhelmingly oil, so 99 percent of the calories come from fat.”

That means mayonnaise is also calorie-dense.

Just one tablespoon of the creamy condiment packs 10 grams of fat and 94 calories — and we all know how hard it is to stick to one serving.

It’s fine to consume small amounts of mayo in a balanced diet, but “replacing mayo with a healthier, low-fat option saves us from putting our willpower to the test,” Israsena says.

Luckily, mayo substitutes can also be seriously flavorful, as these eight tasty alternatives prove.

1. Reduced-Fat Greek Yogurt

Reduced-fat Greek yogurt has the thickness needed to hold your ingredients together, without the fat content of oil-based mayo.

A cup of reduced-fat plain Greek yogurt contains 4.7 grams of fat — less than half the fat content in a single tablespoon of mayo.

Israsena suggests mixing Greek yogurt with a bit of mustard and lemon juice to add tang to a potato or pasta salad.

“It’s a good source of protein and probiotics as well, so that’s a bonus,” she adds.

2. Reduced-Fat Sour Cream

When you need a thicker mayo substitute than Greek yogurt, sour cream can do the trick.

A tablespoon of sour cream contains 2.9 grams of fat and just under 30 calories. Choose reduced-fat sour cream, and that number dips to 1.6 grams of fat and 20 calories per tablespoon.

Use sour cream in place of mayo in dips or cold salads, or as a spread on sandwiches and burgers — just be mindful of how much you’re using.

3. Avocado

While it’s not a condiment, sliced (or mashed) avocado lends creaminess, which makes it a surprisingly good mayo substitute for burgers, wraps, sandwiches, and even egg salad.

Avocados are a good source of healthy fats — especially monounsaturated fatty acids — along with fiber to help keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Just keep in mind a whole avocado contains 227 calories, so it’s wise to watch your portions!

You can also whip up some guacamole for a flavor-packed topper.

For a spicier, lower-calorie guac, substitute canned green chiles for some of the avocado.

4. Tofu-Based Mayo

Create a plant-based mayo substitute by blending a block of firm non-GMO tofu with mustard, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar, salt, and a little olive or flaxseed oil, Israsena suggests.

Thanks to tofu’s unique texture, you don’t need to use as much oil as you normally would when making homemade mayo.

5. Oil and Vinegar

Oil and vinegar won’t work as a mayo substitute in every recipe, but it’s the perfect combo for creating a lighter alternative to mayo-based potato salad.

Store-bought dressings and condiments — including mayo — often use sunflower or safflower (canola) oil, explains Dana Ellis Hunnes, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center and author of the upcoming book Recipe For Survival.

But when you prepare your own vinaigrette, you can choose one of the healthiest cooking oils, like avocado oil or EVOO.

(Even the healthiest types of oil are still calorie-dense, however, so watch your portions.)

Vinegar adds tang and flavor to the mix with minimal calories.

Balsamic vinegar has 14 calories per tablespoon, and apple cider vinegar has just 3 calories per tablespoon.

6. Mustard

Replacing mayo is a two-part equation: flavor and texture.

Whether you opt for creamy dijon or whole-grain mustard, this condition has both categories covered.

Hunnes recommends using these lower-calorie condiments as a mayo substitute on sandwiches and burgers.

Dijon mustard can also stand in for mayo in a pasta salad or German-style potato salad.

7. Hummus

Vegetarians and vegans can attest to this being a seriously delicious sandwich topper.

Just like mayo, hummus brings creaminess to the equation.

Homemade hummus is your best bet, since you can control the type and amount of oil and tahini used.

(Store-bought versions may use canola oil — and a lot of it.)

A tablespoon of homemade hummus typically contains just 27 calories and 1.3 grams of fat.

8. Store-Bought Vegan Mayo

“Plant-based versions of almost everything exist now,” Hunnes says.

So if you want your mayo substitute to mimic the taste and texture of the real deal as closely as possible, a ready-made vegan mayo may be a good option.

The key here is to read the ingredient list closely.

“There are some pretty clean brands out there using interesting ingredients like avocado (for smoothness) and aquafaba (as a binder instead of eggs),” Israsena says.

Just steer clear of versions that contain preservatives and additives, she adds.

Pro tip: If you’re still craving true mayo flavor, blend one tablespoon of regular mayonnaise with half a cup of a mayo substitute. The mayo flavor will come through, while the healthier ingredient makes up most of the volume.

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This is one of the oldest healthy eating plans in the book, literally; the first Mayo Clinic Diet book was published 72 years ago, in 1949.

Seventy-two years indicates some serious staying power, and after investigating the diet, it’s easy to see why it has sustained. Ranked 5th best in diets overall by the US News and World Report, the Mayo Clinic Diet is largely based on healthy food consumption, portion control, and creating positive habits. Compared to some of the fad diets that have come and gone during the decades it’s been around, this eating plan is natural and manageable.

Here’s how the Mayo Clinic Diet works, and for even more weight loss tips, be sure to check out our list of 15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work.

To follow the Mayo Clinic Diet, start by familiarizing yourself with their “healthy weight pyramid.” The basis for their eating recommendations, this pyramid will help you visualize which foods to select, and with what frequency. Rumor has it they released this diagram after fraudulent Mayo Clinic diets started floating around—you can spot these fakers by their wild promises (52 pounds in two months, for example) and their nutritional advice (eat mostly fats, and lots of grapefruit to burn that fat).

Once you know the pyramid through and through, put yourself on the program. The first two weeks are qualified as the “Lose it!” phase, and if done right, this is where you’ll see the majority of your weight loss. Focus on five new, healthy habits:

• Eat a healthy breakfast.
• Consume at least four servings of vegetables and fruits per day.
• Eat whole grains like brown rice and barley.
• Focus on healthy fats like olive oil, limit saturated fats, and avoid trans fats.
• Walk or exercise for 30 minutes or more every day.

During this first phase, you also have the option to incorporate a couple of “bonus” habits, including keeping a food and activity journal, exercising for 60 minutes or more a day, and avoiding processed foods. Perhaps more important than the bonus healthy habits, though, is channeling your energy to break the five unhealthy habits the Mayo Clinic cites:

• Avoid eating added sugar.
• Refrain from snacking, except for fruits and vegetables.
• Don’t eat too much meat and full-fat dairy.
• Never eat while watching TV.
• Avoid eating out—unless the food you order follows the diet’s rules.

Done right, most people see a 6 to 10-pound loss during the “Lose It!” phase alone.

Then when week three comes, you’ll enter the “Live It!” portion of the diet. While you could just stick to “Live It!” until you lose 10 pounds by week 10, the phase is designed for you to lose 1-2 pounds per week and is sustainable enough to span the rest of your life.

If you buy the Mayo Clinic Diet book (the most recent version was released in 2017) and enroll in their website (to the tune of $52 for 13 weeks), the “Live It!” phase will revolve around education about food choices, portion sizes, menu planning, physical activity, exercise and sticking to healthy habits.

Calorie counting is factored in during this phase: though exact amounts are calculated based on the person, recommendations tend to range from 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day for women and 1,400 to 1,800 for men.

Those numbers seem low to nutritionist Sharon Katzman, who tends to not put her female clients under 1,400 calories a day.

“The best thing you can do is to eat as many calories as you can while still having weight loss,” she says, “because that’s sustainable.”

Overall, though, Katzman is in favor of the Mayo Clinic Diet. She cites its lifestyle changes as a hugely positive aspect, and concludes that “someone following this might want to get support in other ways as well because without that we tend to fall back to old patterns.”

More Weight Loss Stories on Eat This, Not That!

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