Mayonnaise and Miracle Whip are easily mistaken for one other,
though there are some key differences. What sets them apart,
and which is healthier than the other? Stay tuned, because the answer awaits!
So, what exactly is Miracle Whip if it's not a type of mayo? What really sets it apart from
mayonnaise is its taste. While Miracle Whip, like mayo, is made with eggs, oil,
and an acid ingredient such as lemon juice, it also contains sugar,
along with spices like mustard, paprika, and garlic. According to Healthline,
the real difference in flavor lies in the fact that Miracle Whip is made with corn syrup.
Even though Miracle Whip has a bit of tang to it, the corn syrup gives it a distinctive sweetness
that some might consider overwhelming. While not everyone is a fan of the stuff,
Miracle Whip manufacturers are laughing all the way to the bank. Grog to Grits says it's
been a huge hit since its introduction, noting that within months of its nationwide release,
Miracle Whip outsold all other brands of mayo and salad dressing.
As with so many food preferences, whether people go for mayo or Miracle Whip can be
influenced by where they live. Simply Analytics created a "heat
map" of mayo brand preferences a few years back, and the results were clear:
The Northeast is all about Hellmann's, while the West Coast prefers Best Foods mayo,
which is actually the same thing under a different name. Neither area is too big on Miracle Whip,
but the Midwest and Deep South more than make up for it, as they can't get enough of the stuff.
A few years ago, rumors started circulating that Target had dropped the Miracle Whip brand. Did
it get canceled for its high fructose corn syrup content? Was it deemed a relic of the
Jell-O salad era? Well, Consumerist did some investigating, and the outlet's 2016
report on the issue found that no company policy bans sales of this product. Rather,
it was just that some Targets in areas where Miracle Whip wasn't a best seller had quietly
been easing it off the shelves — perhaps to make room for trendier new products like garlic aioli
or sriracha mayo. But Targets in parts of the country where Miracle Whip is in demand still
carry the product, and Target reps have said that the Midwest is where it's most popular.
"I've switched from mayonnaise to Miracle Whip salad dressing.
It has 36% less fat. 30% fewer calories than mayonnaise"
Though it does contain added sweetener, Miracle Whip has fewer calories than mayonnaise.
And the fact that it's made with less oil also means it's lower in fat. That said,
mayonnaise might still be a better choice for dieters. According to WebMD, high fructose corn
syrup has been linked to false hunger pangs and reducing the ability to stop eating once full.
Not only that, but Miracle Whip contains more additives and is more highly processed than
mayonnaise; it's also made with soybean oil, which can induce inflammation.
While neither mayonnaise nor Miracle Whip can exactly be considered nutritious,
Healthline suggests that mayo is probably the better choice — particularly if you
choose a healthier brand or take the time to make a homemade version.
The outlet does suggest, though, that if you really want to do right by your body,
you'll be even better off if you ditch both sandwich spreads in favor of Greek yogurt.
If you're a lifelong member of Team Miracle Whip, chances are you're not planning to switch now. And
even if you're not a Miracle Whip superfan, there are some recipes that specifically call for this
condiment, so you may find yourself in need of an ingredient you don't normally have on hand.
In either instance, you might want to try a DIY version of the spread.
In a recipe from Amish 365, the corn syrup is replaced with maple syrup,
with the other ingredients being water, vinegar, one egg, flour, butter, honey, salt, lemon juice,
ground mustard, garlic powder, paprika, and dried basil. The water, vinegar, and flour are cooked
for a few minutes to thicken them up, then all of the ingredients are emulsified in a blender.
If you already have mayo on hand, you can tweak it to make a Miracle Whip substitute.
According to a recipe from Food.com, you create an additive by boiling vinegar,
cornstarch, sugar, paprika, garlic powder, and ground mustard,
then mix it with your mayo to add that distinctive Miracle Whip-like flavor.
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