Miracle Whip vs. Mayo – What’s The Difference?

Mayonnaise is a unique condiment made from vegetable oil and whipped egg whites. It is one of the most common condiments alongside ketchup and mustard; most of us have had mayonnaise at least once in our lives. According to a survey, around 6.9 million people consumed mayonnaise two to three times per week in Great Britain, and 4.5 million consumed it once per week.

Mayonnaise is a delicious treat; there is no doubt in that, but eating the same condiment over and over again can get a little boring after a while. So, to mix things up, we can use other condiments that are similar to mayonnaise but taste different. The first one that comes to mind is Miracle Whip.

Both Mayo and Miracle whip look almost the same, a jelly-like consistency with an off-white color. Many people use them interchangeably, but certain differences set them apart. These include nutritional composition, taste, effects on health, etc.

This article will discuss these differences and learn more about Miracle whip and Mayo. So please keep reading to know everything about these Condiments.

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is one of the most popular, versatile, and delicious condiments available for consumption; It has been around for more than 200 years! Initially, Mayo was called Mahonnaise. It was made for Duc De Richelieu (who conquered Mahon, the capital of Menorca) by his chef, who tried to make a condiment with the only two ingredients he had; oil and eggs.

Mayo was not always available as it is today; in the beginning, it was more expensive due to several factors like expensive production and distribution methods. This high price led people to make Mayo at home because not everyone could afford this delicious delight. The ingredient list for making Mayo is pretty short; all you need is oil, egg yolk, and vinegar (or lemon juice).

The vinegar and lemon juice are added for both flavor and preserve the Mayo to last longer on the shelf. But Even with these natural preservatives added, you shouldn’t store Mayo at room temperature. Always make sure that your Mayo is stored in a jar or container at a cool temperature of below 15 C. Mayo can have various colors, textures, and tastes depending on the way it is made.

It can have a gel or jelly-like consistency or be quite thick and very creamy. Similarly, it can have a pale yellow or an off-white color depending on the amount and type of ingredients used. With wide varieties of Mayo available, the opportunities to use it are tremendous; So let’s talk about how Mayo is usually used, and maybe you can find some new ways to use it.

Uses

When we said that the opportunities to use Mayo are tremendous, the first thing that might have popped into your mind would probably have been related to food. But Mayo can be used for other reasons as well. You can use Mayo to clean and shine your house plants, lubricate the ring stuck on your finger that you can’t remove, increase the shine on stainless steel, and remove tough stains.

Additionally, you can use Mayo for many different food-related purposes. These include making tomato pie, Deviled egg as a condiment in your burgers and sandwiches, Tuna (or chicken) salad, homemade Dressings, Dips, Coleslaw, and mashed potatoes. The list goes on, and if we were to mention all the uses here, we could go on for hours. But we think this is enough to give you an idea.

Miracle Whip

Miracle Whip is a unique product made solely by Kraft. You may encounter other products that look similar to Miracle whip, but they usually use other terms like whipped dressing etc. This is because they cannot use the term Mayonnaise to label such products, as the FDA protects the term, and the product must meet specific requirements to meet the criteria for using mayonnaise on the label. For example, to be called mayonnaise, it must have at least 65% oil (Vegetable oil specifically).

And if you are wondering why other brands don’t use the term Miracle Whip because Kraft has the copyrights to the term, and only they can use it. Miracle whip was initially produced as a replacement for Mayo, which (as we have already mentioned) was too expensive for people during the Great depression. So, Kraft came up with a solution; by alternating the ingredients, processing methods, and other techniques, they reduced the manufacturing cost and made a product that was affordable, delicious and similar to mayonnaise.

Is it Healthier?

You must have been introduced to miracle whip early on for those who grew up in a household where everyone commonly ate light foods. Miracle whip has a low caloric value and contains less fat than Mayo. This nutritional composition is beneficial for dieters trying to shed extra pounds while trying to keep their diets interesting. But it is worth noticing that Miracle whip has a substantially higher amount of Carbs, which come mainly from corn syrup (high fructose). This means that it has a lot more added sugar than Mayo.

Sugar has a direct impact on our insulin levels. When we consume simple sugars (like fructose), our insulin levels spike quickly, and large insulin doses are secreted in our bloodstream. This insulin then acts on insulin receptors on cells and starts converting the extra glucose (fructose is converted into glucose) into glycogen stored in our liver and muscle tissues. But when the limit for glycogen is peaked, all the extra glucose gets converted into fat and is stored.

At last, we can’t say that Miracle whip is healthier than Mayo.

So What’s the Difference Between Miracle Whip and Mayo?

• Miracle Whip has a sweeter taste as compared with Mayo.
• Mayo has at least 65% vegetable oil, while Miracle Whip has no specific criteria for oil composition.
• Miracle whip comes with added sugar and artificial flavors, while Mayo usually has none of these.

Sources

• Statista
• Delishably
• Mashed