I think tahini is 63 grams of fat per 100 grams, whereas vegenaise is 64 grams of fat per 100 grams, so I think in terms of how much “oil” you’re getting it’s the same, health-wise (at least metabolically). Tahini has much more protein though!
Tahini is a portion of the mass of the final sauce (it’s tahina, which is a mix of tahini, water and lemon juice) where as vegan mayo’s fat content is for the finished product. I don’t measure my ingredients but the tahini is less than half the weight of the water and lemon juice for sure.
One of the issues with oil from the No Oil perspective is that refined oils have removed all the nutritional benefits from the oil, which is why tahini, tofu, avocado etc are permitted (in moderation). Not trying to convert anyone, just sharing this because it is a common misconception about no oil/plant based whole food.
For fun I looked up the volumetric-to-mass relationship to tahini and it seems roughly similar to mayo, but I’m inclined to think the strong taste of tahini means you will use a lot less than mayo.
I admittedly don’t know much about “No Oil”, and my naive approach was to assume it’s based on villainizing oil as caloric-ally dense, i.e. oils make you fat and thus cut out oils for health. It sounds like that’s not what you’re emphasizing here, instead it’s more about micronutrients and whole-foods approaches, and it’s not the fats that are the problem but how refined the fats are.
I’m generally a fan of whole foods approaches, e.g. I love to bake with flour that I mill fresh from wheat berries (like just now, that’s how I made my rolls for Thanksgiving today!), partially because of the nutrients (though tbh fortified foods nullify this concern), and also because fiber is like an anti-nutrient for carbs, so it’s better metabolically (as I understand it, your blood sugar will be lower with more fiber than without it, and fiber also makes you feel more full, so refined carbs are probably a major part of the cause of obesity).
Anyway - thank you for explaining, I always love learning this stuff.
On a last note, I was wondering what your experience has been switching from mayo to tahina in terms of flavor, I would expect tahina having the sesame taste would be quite different and more acidic? Personally this wouldn’t work to recreate the bland comfort-food aspect of these dishes for me, but admit I also don’t have health goals.
I don’t find tahini very strong tasting so tahina it’s a good substitute for me! I just season it to match what I’m using it for, so if it’s something super bland I won’t use as much lemon, for example.
oh interesting, tahini has such a strong flavor for me - you’re lucky it’s not strong tasting for you!! Thanks for the inspiration, I might try making some tahina sometime 😋
I think tahini is 63 grams of fat per 100 grams, whereas vegenaise is 64 grams of fat per 100 grams, so I think in terms of how much “oil” you’re getting it’s the same, health-wise (at least metabolically). Tahini has much more protein though!
Sorry I’ve got my pedantic pants on:
Tahini is a portion of the mass of the final sauce (it’s tahina, which is a mix of tahini, water and lemon juice) where as vegan mayo’s fat content is for the finished product. I don’t measure my ingredients but the tahini is less than half the weight of the water and lemon juice for sure.
One of the issues with oil from the No Oil perspective is that refined oils have removed all the nutritional benefits from the oil, which is why tahini, tofu, avocado etc are permitted (in moderation). Not trying to convert anyone, just sharing this because it is a common misconception about no oil/plant based whole food.
I love pedantic pants, they look great on you!
For fun I looked up the volumetric-to-mass relationship to tahini and it seems roughly similar to mayo, but I’m inclined to think the strong taste of tahini means you will use a lot less than mayo.
I admittedly don’t know much about “No Oil”, and my naive approach was to assume it’s based on villainizing oil as caloric-ally dense, i.e. oils make you fat and thus cut out oils for health. It sounds like that’s not what you’re emphasizing here, instead it’s more about micronutrients and whole-foods approaches, and it’s not the fats that are the problem but how refined the fats are.
I’m generally a fan of whole foods approaches, e.g. I love to bake with flour that I mill fresh from wheat berries (like just now, that’s how I made my rolls for Thanksgiving today!), partially because of the nutrients (though tbh fortified foods nullify this concern), and also because fiber is like an anti-nutrient for carbs, so it’s better metabolically (as I understand it, your blood sugar will be lower with more fiber than without it, and fiber also makes you feel more full, so refined carbs are probably a major part of the cause of obesity).
Anyway - thank you for explaining, I always love learning this stuff.
On a last note, I was wondering what your experience has been switching from mayo to tahina in terms of flavor, I would expect tahina having the sesame taste would be quite different and more acidic? Personally this wouldn’t work to recreate the bland comfort-food aspect of these dishes for me, but admit I also don’t have health goals.
I don’t find tahini very strong tasting so tahina it’s a good substitute for me! I just season it to match what I’m using it for, so if it’s something super bland I won’t use as much lemon, for example.
oh interesting, tahini has such a strong flavor for me - you’re lucky it’s not strong tasting for you!! Thanks for the inspiration, I might try making some tahina sometime 😋