Primal Kitchen vs Hellmann's Mayo: Is It Healthier? Same Sat Fat

Per 1 Tbsp, Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo and Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise list the same 1.5 g of saturated fat, while Primal Kitchen lists 100 calories and 85 mg sodium against Hellmann's 90 calories and 90 mg sodium. The biggest label differences are the oil base (avocado oil versus soybean oil), the sugar line in Hellmann's ingredient list, and calcium disodium EDTA, which appears in Hellmann's but not in Primal Kitchen's ingredients. This page places those label facts side by side and explains what they do and do not show, without ranking the two products.

Key takeaways

• Per 1 Tbsp, Primal Kitchen (14 g) lists 100 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat, 85 mg sodium and 0 g sugars, with avocado oil as its base.
• Per 1 Tbsp, Hellmann's Real (13 g) lists 90 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat and 90 mg sodium, with soybean oil as its base. Sugar is in the ingredient list; gram amount not disclosed; panel shows 0 g total carbohydrate.
• Hellmann's ingredient list includes sugar and calcium disodium EDTA (used to protect quality). Primal Kitchen's list includes neither.
• Federal rule 21 CFR 172.120 caps calcium disodium EDTA in mayonnaise at 75 ppm as a preservative.

Primal Kitchen vs Hellmann's Mayo at a Glance: Calories, Fat, Sodium, Sugar

Per 1 Tbsp, the Primal Kitchen and Hellmann's labels list the same 1.5 g of saturated fat and nearly the same sodium (85 mg vs 90 mg); they differ on calories, oil base and the sugar and EDTA lines in the ingredient list. The table below uses each brand's own serving size, so the gram weights differ slightly.

Label item	Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo (1 Tbsp, 14 g)	Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise (1 Tbsp, 13 g)
Calories	100	90
Total fat	11 g (14% DV)	10 g (13% DV)
Saturated fat	1.5 g (7% DV)	1.5 g (8% DV)
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Monounsaturated fat	7 g	2.5 g
Polyunsaturated fat	1.5 g	Not disclosed
Cholesterol	15 mg (5% DV)	Not disclosed
Sodium	85 mg (4% DV)	90 mg (4% DV)
Total carbohydrate	0 g	0 g
Total sugars	0 g (0 g added)	Sugar in ingredient list; gram amount not disclosed (panel: 0 g total carbohydrate)
Protein	0 g	0 g
Oil base (first ingredient)	Avocado oil	Soybean oil
Calcium disodium EDTA	Not in ingredient list	Listed (used to protect quality)
Egg	Contains eggs	Contains egg

The per-tablespoon panel figures are the basis for every comparison below. Readers comparing other sizes or other jars should check the Nutrition Facts panel on their own package.

Is Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo Healthy? What the 1 Tbsp Label Shows

The label lists 100 calories, 11 g total fat and 1.5 g saturated fat per 1 Tbsp (14 g), but the panel alone does not determine whether it is healthy for you. It also lists 85 mg sodium and 0 g sugars.

The 11 g of total fat is mostly monounsaturated fat (7 g), with 1.5 g polyunsaturated fat and 1.5 g saturated fat. The panel shows 15 mg cholesterol (5% DV) and 0 g trans fat. Against FDA Daily Values of 20 g for saturated fat and 2,300 mg for sodium, one tablespoon provides 7% and 4%, respectively.

The brand page lists the ingredients as: 'Avocado Oil, Organic Vinegar, Organic Eggs, Organic Egg Yolks, Salt, Rosemary Extract, Mustard Seed Extract. Contains: Eggs.' It describes the product as 'Made with 7 simple ingredients,' says it has 'No cane sugar, corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners,' and cites cage-free eggs.

An older Open Food Facts listing for this product shows a different six-ingredient list that includes sea salt and organic rosemary extract and does not include mustard seed extract. The date of that change is not disclosed, so the current brand page list is the one used here.

Saturated Fat and Sodium: How the Two Labels Compare

Per 1 Tbsp, the two labels show the same 1.5 g saturated fat and 85 mg versus 90 mg sodium, so these panel lines do not separate them. This comparison covers only these two products, so it does not speak to other mayonnaise brands or to the category as a whole.

On the Daily Value scale, Primal Kitchen's saturated fat is 7% and Hellmann's is 8%, based on the FDA reference of 20 g. Sodium is 4% on both labels, based on 2,300 mg. Because the two products are nearly identical on these two lines, the saturated fat and sodium figures alone do not separate them.

The differences that do show up are in the fat profile. Primal Kitchen lists 7 g monounsaturated fat and 1.5 g polyunsaturated fat, while Hellmann's lists 2.5 g monounsaturated fat and does not disclose its polyunsaturated grams. Readers who want more detail on fat types should look at the full panel of each jar.

Calories: How Many Does Each Tablespoon Have and Why the Gap Is Small

One tablespoon of Primal Kitchen has 100 calories and one of Hellmann's has 90, a difference of 10 calories. Most of that gap comes from serving weight, since Primal Kitchen's tablespoon is 14 g and Hellmann's is 13 g.

Per 100 g, the math is about 714 kcal for Primal Kitchen (100 divided by 14, times 100) and about 692 kcal for Hellmann's (90 divided by 13, times 100). The per-gram figures are close, so the 10-calorie gap between the two tablespoons is mostly the result of the 1 g larger serving.

Readers who measure mayonnaise by the spoonful should remember that a heaping tablespoon and a level tablespoon can differ noticeably. The panel reflects the stated serving only.

Does Hellmann's Mayo Have Sugar? Total and Added Sugars on the Label

Hellmann's Real lists sugar in its ingredient list, while its 1 Tbsp (13 g) panel shows 0 g total carbohydrate; the gram amount of sugar is not disclosed.

Primal Kitchen's panel shows 0 g total sugars and 0 g added sugars per tablespoon, and its brand page says the product has no cane sugar, corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. For a comparison of added sugar in a different product category, see Nature Valley vs Quaker Chewy: Which Has More Added Sugar?.

To check sugar on any mayo label, look at both the Total Sugars and Added Sugars lines and scan the ingredient list for sugar under any name.

Does Primal Kitchen Mayo Have Seed Oils? Avocado Oil vs Soybean Oil Explained

No: Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo's ingredient list names avocado oil as its only oil and does not include soybean oil. Hellmann's lists soybean oil first, as shown in its Open Food Facts ingredient listing. For how oil names read on other labels, see seed oils on ingredient lists.

Under 21 CFR 169.140, the federal standard of identity for mayonnaise, mayonnaise must contain not less than 65 percent vegetable oil by weight, so both products are oil-based by definition. The sources used here do not establish any health outcome for soybean oil compared with avocado oil, and this article does not make such a claim.

The label does not disclose whether Primal Kitchen's avocado oil is refined or tested for purity. Readers who want that detail will need to ask the manufacturer directly.

What Is Calcium Disodium EDTA in Hellmann's Mayo and Why Is It on the Label?

Hellmann's ingredient list includes calcium disodium EDTA with the note 'used to protect quality.' The mayonnaise standard of identity at 21 CFR 169.140 covers the use of sequestrants, including calcium disodium EDTA, to preserve color and/or flavor.

The specific federal limit is set in 21 CFR 172.120, which caps calcium disodium EDTA in mayonnaise at 75 ppm as a preservative. The exact amount in Hellmann's is not disclosed, so only the legal ceiling is known.

Primal Kitchen's ingredient list does not include calcium disodium EDTA. It includes rosemary extract and mustard seed extract instead, and the brand page does not state what either one does in the product, so this article does not assign them a function. The contrast is one of listed ingredients, not of demonstrated effects.

The presence of an ingredient on a label does not, by itself, show how much a person consumes or what effect it has.

Is Hellmann's Mayonnaise Bad for You? Sodium, Fat and EDTA Facts

The label facts for Hellmann's show 90 calories, 10 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 90 mg sodium and 0 g trans fat per tablespoon (13 g). The label facts do not establish that the product is bad for you, and this article does not make that claim.

The sodium figure is 90 mg per tablespoon, or 4% of the FDA Daily Value. The product contains calcium disodium EDTA, which is covered in the section above, and the panel alone does not show how much of it a serving contains.

Hellmann's product page highlights 'Omega 3 ALA,' but the grams of omega-3 ALA are not shown in the panel text available here. The product contains egg, as does the Primal Kitchen version. For how the Hellmann's Real label compares with Miracle Whip, see Miracle Whip vs Hellmann's.

People with a medical condition that involves sodium, fat or additive intake may want to ask a clinician how these label figures apply to them.

How to Read Mayo Labels: Oil Type, Sequestrants and Daily Value Percentages

Three label lines do most of the work when comparing mayonnaise: the oil listed first, any sequestrant or preservative, and the Daily Value percentage beside each nutrient. The FDA explains how to read these lines in its Daily Value reference.

A practical checklist:

• Confirm the serving size in both grams and tablespoons, since Primal Kitchen uses 14 g and Hellmann's uses 13 g.
• Compare per-serving figures, not per-100 g figures, unless you are doing a weight-based comparison on purpose.
• Check the first ingredient to see the oil base.
• Look for Total Sugars and Added Sugars, and scan the ingredient list for sugar under any name.
• Look for sequestrants such as calcium disodium EDTA in the ingredient list.
• Compare saturated fat and sodium against the Daily Value percentages, using 20 g and 2,300 mg as the reference points.
• Check whether the list includes egg or other allergens.

Labels show what the manufacturer declares for one stated serving. They do not show how much a given person eats across a day.

You can check either jar's label with Aurascan, a food-label scanner app for iPhone with a free tier, and read each ingredient explanation yourself. Scan your next label with Aurascan.