Mayo: Hard to live with, hard to live without

When I first dropped more than 100 pounds 18 years ago, I adopted the philosophy that I could keep my weight under control if I didn't deny myself every food that might spark a weight gain. Denial would just create cravings.

I'd successfully removed whole milk (went to skim), most cheeses, butter and margarine, most cooking oils, whipping cream and chocolate from my daily food plan, but mayonnaise's usefulness made it particularly difficult to avoid.

My mayonnaise jar's label told a sad tale: 1 level tablespoon delivered 100 calories (99 percent from fat) and 11 fat grams. That's just 1 tablespoon; barely enough to coat a single bread slice. Coat the other slice and I'd have 200 calories (not including bread) and I hadn't even begun to build the sandwich yet.

I used mayonnaise for other things, too, like Thousand Island dressing and American potato salad, which usually requires 2 cups of mayo for 3 pounds potatoes. That cup of mayonnaise delivers 1,600 calories and 176 fat grams. Creamy cabbage slaw's a favorite as well, as are egg salad and tuna salad.

In 1993, I found out about low-calorie Smart Beat Nonfat Mayonnaise, reasonably priced then at $1.59. Although not a perfect match for full-fat mayo, it made a decent substitution and brought back many mealtime favorites.

Smart Beat's still available, but today I don't like it as much as Kraft Mayo Fat-Free Mayonnaise Dressing ($4.69). Over the years Kraft must have reformulated their dressing because it comes close to the taste and texture of their full-fat mayo. One tablespoon delivers just 10 calories. Mixed in with tuna or chicken or used in a potato salad, it's hard to tell the difference.

Hellman's still produces its Low-Fat Mayonnaise Dressing ($4.39), which to my palate tastes better than Kraft, but it also delivers 15 calories and 1 fat gram per tablespoon. Either work as a mayo substitute, and calorie and fat savings add up quickly.

Try this recipe: A friend sent me a recipe for a cabbage slaw that went perfectly with barbecued foods, especially those barbecued in North Carolina. That original recipe called for Duke mayonnaise (a Southern favorite), that contains just as much fat as Hellman's. I tweaked the recipe some, using more mayonnaise. Give it a try this weekend.

Don Mauer appears Wednesdays in Food. He welcomes questions, shared recipes and makeover requests for your favorite dishes. Address them to Don Mauer, Daily Herald Food section, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or don@theleanwizard.com.

Carolina style slaw

1 medium-large (2 pounds) green cabbage, cored and cut into 3-inch chunks, then finely chopped or shredded (a food processor works well for this)

1 medium onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)

1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely grated (about ¾ cup)

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 cups fat free mayonnaise

cup light (reduced-fat) sour cream

¼ cup cider vinegar

6 packets artificial sweetener (or to taste)

To a large bowl add all vegetables and toss together. Add celery seeds, salt and pepper and toss again to combine. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar and artificial sweetener, and then toss with slaw until the dressing is evenly distributed. Chill, covered, stirring occasionally, at least one hour (for flavors to blend).

Serves eight.

Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 109 calories (19.2 percent from fat), 2.3 g fat (1.1 g saturated fat), 21.2 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g fiber, 4.6 g protein, 6 mg cholesterol, 685 mg sodium.

SaltSense: Omitting the added salt reduces sodium per serving to 395 milligrams.