How many calories are in light mayonnaise?
One tablespoon of light mayonnaise is 36 calories. Per 100 grams the jar runs 238, roughly a third of regular mayonnaise at 680. The oil is cut with water and starch, which is why the carbohydrate line climbs to 9.23 grams while the fat drops to 22.22.
You'd need to walk about 7 minutes to burn the 36 calories in one tablespoon (15 g).
How long does it take to burn off light mayonnaise?
One tablespoon (15 g) is 36 kcal. Enter your weight and the amount you ate to see how long it takes you to burn that off:
lb
| Activity | Time to burn 36 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 7 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 4 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 5 min |
| Jogging | 4 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 8 min |
Times are for a 155 lb adult at a steady pace; change the weight to see yours. The amount is set to the portion in the text (15 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Light mayonnaise quick facts
- US servings from a teaspoon to a sandwich smear
- Light mayo vs regular mayo
- The other light jars on the shelf
- Sodium is the row light mayonnaise does not lighten
- How does light mayonnaise compare?
- Most popular light mayonnaise brands
- Light mayonnaise FAQs
Light mayonnaise quick facts
The record that matches the jar in your refrigerator is FNDDS 2710220, "Mayonnaise, light". It is the generic squeeze-bottle product, and its numbers land right where the big US labels sit: the leading branded rows in the USDA set cluster at 233 to 250 calories per 100 grams, while smaller labels run higher. An older SR Legacy row for a named light mayonnaise exists, but it is an archived 2018 formula and a good deal fattier, so it belongs in a comparison, not in the headline.
Everything below is scaled from that one record. The tablespoon is 15 grams, which is the serving size the FDA reference amount puts on US mayonnaise labels, so the per-serving column matches the panel you can read in the store.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 tbsp (15 g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 238 | 36 | — |
| Total fat | 22.22 g | 3.3 g | 4% |
| Saturated fat | 3.45 g | 0.5 g | 3% |
| Carbohydrate | 9.23 g | 1.4 g | 1% |
| Dietary fiber | 0 g | 0 g | 0% |
| Total sugars | 3.56 g | 0.5 g | — |
| Protein | 0.37 g | 0.1 g | 0% |
| Sodium | 827 mg | 124 mg | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 16 mg | 2 mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 31 mg | 5 mg | 0% |
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
Two lines you will see on a jar are missing here: added sugars and trans fat. This FNDDS edition does not publish either value for generic light mayonnaise, so rather than guess them, they are left out. Cholesterol and potassium are small enough to be curiosities — 2 milligrams and 5 milligrams in a tablespoon — but they are in the table because the egg yolk is still doing some work in there. Percentages use the FDA Daily Values for a 2,000-calorie day.
The protein number deserves a word. At 0.37 grams per 100 grams, light mayonnaise contributes nothing to your protein total. Treat it as a fat-and-salt condiment with a little starch, and log it that way.
US servings from a teaspoon to a sandwich smear
Nobody eats mayonnaise in 100-gram units. The spoon is the unit that matters, and how many spoons hit the bread is what decides the number.
| Serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tsp | 5 g | 12 kcal |
| 1 tbsp, the label serving | 15 g | 36 kcal |
| 2 tbsp, a sandwich smear | 30 g | 71 kcal |
| 1 oz | 28 g | 67 kcal |
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 238 kcal |
Only the 15-gram tablespoon is a USDA and FDA serving. The teaspoon, the two-tablespoon smear and the ounce are our own arithmetic from the USDA 100-gram figure, not USDA servings.
Here is where people undercount. A tablespoon is a level tablespoon, and mayonnaise does not level itself — a heaped spoon dragged out of the jar is easily 20 to 25 grams, which is 48 to 60 calories rather than 36. A deli-style sandwich with mayonnaise on both slices is comfortably two tablespoons, so 71 calories, and a scoop into a bowl of tuna or potato salad is more again. If you log by spoon count, count the spoons that go in, not the spoon you meant to use.
Light mayo vs regular mayo
This is the comparison that sends people to the search bar, and the gap is bigger than most swaps in the condiment aisle. Regular mayonnaise is 680 calories per 100 grams and 102 in a tablespoon. Light is 36. That is 66 calories saved per spoon, and about 133 saved on the two-tablespoon smear, where regular would be 204.
The reason is simple chemistry. Regular mayonnaise is 74.85 grams of fat per 100 grams — essentially oil held together by egg and vinegar, which is why MyPlate counts mayonnaise under oils rather than anywhere else. Light mayonnaise replaces most of that oil with water, starch and a little sugar. Fat falls to 22.22 grams, carbohydrate rises from 0.57 grams to 9.23, and sugars go from 0.57 grams to 3.56.
So the trade is real but narrow: you buy back calories with texture. If mayonnaise is a daily fixture — sandwich at lunch, a spoon in the tuna — the light jar is the easy win. If you use it twice a month, the swap is noise, and the fuller regular jar may leave you spreading less of it.
The other light jars on the shelf
"Light" is one word on a crowded shelf, and the jars beside it are not the same product. Here is what each one costs per tablespoon.
| Version | Per 100 g | Typical serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light mayonnaise | 238 kcal | 1 tbsp (15 g) | 36 kcal |
| Regular mayonnaise | 680 kcal | 1 tbsp (15 g) | 102 kcal |
| Fat-free mayonnaise | 64 kcal | 1 tbsp (15 g) | 10 kcal |
| Light mayonnaise-type salad dressing | 158 kcal | 1 tbsp (15 g) | 24 kcal |
| Reduced-fat mayonnaise with olive oil | 361 kcal | 1 tbsp (15 g) | 54 kcal |
| Low-sodium diet mayonnaise | 231 kcal | 1 tbsp (15 g) | 35 kcal |
| Tuna salad made with light mayonnaise | 106 kcal | 1 cup (238 g) | 252 kcal |
Two traps live in that table. The first is "reduced fat with olive oil" at 361 calories per 100 grams, which is 54 a tablespoon — half again as much as the plain light jar, because reducing fat from a very high starting point still leaves 40 grams of it. The second is mayonnaise-type salad dressing, the sweeter product sold beside mayonnaise: at 158 calories per 100 grams it is lighter than light mayonnaise, but it carries 16.4 grams of carbohydrate and 6.67 grams of sugar per 100 grams, so it is a different food with a different flavor, not a cheaper mayonnaise. Fat-free is the only jar here under 100 calories per 100 grams, and at 10 calories a spoon it is the smallest number on this page.
Brands move the target more than most people expect. In the USDA branded set, Hellmann's Light and Kraft Light both come in at 233 calories per 100 grams, or 35 per labeled tablespoon, while Best Choice Light reads 333 and Best Yet Light 400 — 50 and 60 calories a spoon. That is a spread of roughly 68% above the generic 238, all under the same word on the front of the jar, which is why the panel beats the adjective. One more oddity worth knowing: the archived USDA row for a named light mayonnaise still reads 334 per 100 grams, a 2018 recipe that today's label puts at 233. If a nutrition app hands you a number far above 240, check which edition it is quoting.
Sodium is the row light mayonnaise does not lighten
Cutting oil cuts calories. It does not cut salt, and in this case it does the opposite. Light mayonnaise carries 827 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams against 635 in regular — the water and starch that replace the oil need seasoning. Per tablespoon that is 124 milligrams versus 95, or 5% of the 2,300-milligram Daily Value in one spoon. Across 100 grams you are looking at roughly a third of a teaspoon of table salt.
That is not alarming on its own. It becomes worth watching when mayonnaise stops being a spread and becomes an ingredient: a cup of tuna salad made with light mayonnaise is 252 calories, but the mayonnaise inside it may be three or four tablespoons, and the sodium adds up alongside the bread, the cheese and the pickles. If sodium is the number you track, the low-sodium diet record is the outlier that helps — 110 milligrams per 100 grams, about an eighth of the light jar, at almost identical calories (231 per 100 grams, 35 a spoon).
Saturated fat, by contrast, is a quiet row here. A tablespoon of light mayonnaise has 0.5 grams, 3% of the Daily Value. The same spoon of regular has around 1.8 grams. Neither is the thing that decides your day.
How does light mayonnaise compare?
| Spread | Per 100 g | US serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light mayonnaise | 238 kcal | 1 tbsp (15 g) | 36 kcal |
| Regular mayonnaise | 680 kcal | 1 tbsp (15 g) | 102 kcal |
| Fat-free mayonnaise | 64 kcal | 1 tbsp (15 g) | 10 kcal |
| Light mayonnaise-type salad dressing | 158 kcal | 1 tbsp (15 g) | 24 kcal |
Our take: light mayonnaise is the sensible middle and the one we would keep in the door of the refrigerator. It costs a third of what regular costs per spoon and still behaves like mayonnaise, which matters because a spread you dislike gets used in bigger quantities to compensate. Fat-free wins on paper at 10 calories a spoon, and if you are building a tuna salad where the mayonnaise disappears into flavors, it is worth the 26-calorie saving per tablespoon. On plain bread, most people find it thin and reach for more of it, which erases the gap. And whichever jar you pick, the sodium stays where it was.
Most popular light mayonnaise brands in the United States
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United States, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each Nutrition Facts label, checked against USDA FoodData Central.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise | 233 cal |
| Kraft Light Mayonnaise | 233 cal |
| Best Foods Light Mayonnaise | 250 cal |
| Best Choice Light Mayonnaise | 333 cal |
| Best Yet Light Mayonnaise | 400 cal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Light mayonnaise FAQs
How many calories are in a tablespoon of light mayonnaise?
One tablespoon of light mayonnaise is 36 calories, based on the USDA generic record at 238 calories per 100 grams. That tablespoon weighs 15 grams, the same serving printed on US jars. It carries 3.3 grams of fat, 1.4 grams of carbohydrate and 124 milligrams of sodium.
How many calories are in light mayo vs regular mayo?
Light mayonnaise is 36 calories a tablespoon against 102 for regular, a saving of 66 calories per spoon. Per 100 grams the gap is 238 versus 680. Regular mayonnaise is close to pure oil at 74.85 grams of fat, while the light jar runs 22.22 grams.
Is light mayonnaise good for weight loss?
A tablespoon saves 66 calories over regular mayonnaise, so swapping two spoons a day trims about 133 calories from a sandwich. That is worth doing if mayonnaise is a daily habit. If you use it twice a week, the swap barely moves your total and the fuller-tasting regular jar may satisfy you with less.
How much sodium is in light mayonnaise?
One tablespoon carries 124 milligrams of sodium, 5% of the 2,300-milligram Daily Value. Per 100 grams light mayonnaise holds 827 milligrams, more than regular mayonnaise at 635. Cutting the oil does not cut the salt. If sodium is your watch item, the low-sodium diet record at 110 milligrams per 100 grams is the lighter pick.
Is light mayonnaise the same as low-fat mayonnaise?
Light is 238 calories per 100 grams, but reduced-fat mayonnaise made with olive oil is 361 and fat-free mayonnaise is 64, so the labels are not interchangeable. Light means fewer calories than the regular jar, not a fixed number, and each brand sets its own recipe inside that claim.
How many calories in 2 tablespoons of light mayonnaise?
Two tablespoons of light mayonnaise, the amount most people spread across a sandwich, weigh 30 grams and come to 71 calories. That is our own arithmetic from the USDA 100-gram figure, not a USDA serving. The same smear of regular mayonnaise is 204 calories, so the swap saves about 133.
Does light mayonnaise have sugar or carbs?
Yes: 3.56 grams of sugar and 9.23 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams, which works out to 0.5 grams of sugar and 1.4 grams of carbohydrate in a tablespoon. Regular mayonnaise has almost none, 0.57 grams of each per 100 grams. Starch and sugar replace part of the oil.
Which light mayonnaise has the fewest calories?
Hellmann's Light and Kraft Light are the lowest branded records at 233 calories per 100 grams, or 35 per tablespoon. Best Choice reads 333, or 50 a spoon, and Best Yet 400, which is 60 calories a spoon. Light jars in the USDA branded set span 233 to 400 per 100 grams, so read the panel.
Similar foods
- Mac And Cheese — 513 cal per cup
- Maple Syrup — 216 cal for 1/4 cup
- Prosciutto — 55 cal for 3 thin slices
- Wonton wrapper — 23 cal per wonton wrapper
- Baba ganoush — 110 cal for 1/4 cup
- Cheeseburger — 488 cal per cheeseburger
Count it without the math
Point the camera at the sandwich and BodyPal counts the mayonnaise with it, spoon for spoon.
