Pea salad: mostly a mayonnaise dish

We found no study of pea salad itself, so this page rests on its parts, and the dressing carries most of the weight. In a randomized crossover test in 18 healthy people, broccoli eaten with mayonnaise raised blood lutein and beta-carotene more than broccoli alone. Broccoli with plain oil did not differ significantly from either. That was broccoli in a single test meal, and the abstract gives no amounts. A test in 9 men found the same for carrots, and we found no such test with peas. What the dish delivers is set by the recipe. One cup (214 g) of the standard US survey pea salad gives about 385 calories, 30 g fat and 541 mg sodium, with about 6.4 g protein. That is one calculated recipe, and home versions vary with how much mayonnaise goes in.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• A one-cup (214 g) serving of US-survey pea salad gives about 385 calories, 30 g fat and 541 mg sodium, but only 6.4 g protein. — USDA FNDDS recipe-based record Evidence C source
  Per 100 g: 180 calories, fat 14.02 g, protein 2.98 g, fiber 2.7 g, sodium 253 mg, vitamin K 52 ug; per cup 214 g: 385 calories, 30.0 g fat, 541 mg sodium, 5.8 g fiber, 111 ug vitamin K

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized crossover test in 18 healthy people, eating broccoli with mayonnaise raised blood lutein and beta-carotene over 2 to 6 hours more than broccoli alone. — Eighteen healthy subjects, single test meals (n = 18) Evidence B source
  Higher incremental AUC of serum lutein/zeaxanthin and beta-carotene after broccoli with mayonnaise vs broccoli alone; oil alone not different from either
• In a randomized-order meal test in 9 men, carrots eaten with mayonnaise raised blood beta-carotene over 8 hours more than carrots or carrot juice alone. — nine adult males (n = 9) Evidence B source
  Higher incremental AUC of serum beta-carotene with mayonnaise vs carrot and vs carrot juice; attributed to egg-yolk emulsification

What it does to your health

• In a 4-week randomized double-blind crossover trial, 20 g a day of soybean-oil mayonnaise lowered total cholesterol by 9.7 mg/dL (0.25 mmol/L) compared with palm-olein mayonnaise. — healthy Malaysian adults, 4 weeks per diet Evidence B source
  TC -0.25 mmol/L (P = 0.001), LDL-C -6.6 mg/dL (-0.17 mmol/L) (P = 0.016), HDL-C -4.6 mg/dL (-0.12 mmol/L) (P < 0.001); LDL:HDL ratio unchanged
• Cross-sectional data in 504 adults with type 2 diabetes link higher green pea intake to slightly lower diastolic blood pressure. — 504 participants with type 2 diabetes, Sabzevar Persian Cohort (n = 504) Evidence C source
  R = -0.092, P = 0.039 for green peas and DBP

Safety, limits and interactions

• The FDA advises a two-hour limit at room temperature for foods needing refrigeration and a refrigerator at or below 40 F (4 C). — General population (home food handling) (n = -) Evidence E source
  No more than 2 hours at room temperature, refrigerator at or below 40 F

What people believe that the data does not support

• In 57 Staphylococcus aureus outbreaks in southern Brazil in 2000 to 2002, potato salad with homemade mayonnaise was the vehicle in 11%. — 57 foodborne outbreaks, Rio Grande do Sul, 2000-2002 (n = 57) Evidence C source
  Vehicles: meats 35%, pastries 25%, cheese 23%, pasta 11%, potato salad with homemade mayonnaise 11%

Who this works differently for

• A US pediatric case series reports allergic reactions in children to foods containing green peas or pea protein, an emerging allergen with no US prevalence data. — children with allergic reactions to pea-containing foods, United States Evidence D source
  Case descriptions; no prevalence estimate
• A case report describes a toddler with food protein-induced enterocolitis who reacted to green peas, so peas were removed from her diet. — one 20-month-old girl with Down syndrome and FPIES (n = 1) Evidence D source
  FPIES symptoms after green peas and miso; symptom-free after elimination
• When a homemade recipe calls for eggs that stay raw or undercooked when served, FDA advises shell eggs treated to destroy Salmonella or pasteurized egg products, and names children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems as at greater risk of severe illness. — US consumers, with children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems named as at greater risk Evidence E source
  Use shell eggs treated to destroy Salmonella or pasteurized egg products in raw or undercooked egg recipes
• The FDA-approved warfarin label says the amount of vitamin K in food may affect therapy and advises patients to eat a normal, balanced diet with a consistent amount of vitamin K. — patients taking warfarin sodium Evidence E source
  No effect size given; the label asks for a consistent amount of dietary vitamin K rather than avoidance

The bottom line

One trial looked at the oil in the dressing. Over 4 weeks in healthy Malaysian adults, 20 g a day of soybean-oil mayonnaise lowered total cholesterol by 9.7 mg/dL (0.25 mmol/L) and LDL by 6.6 mg/dL (0.17 mmol/L) compared with palm-olein mayonnaise. It also lowered HDL by 4.6 mg/dL (0.12 mmol/L), leaving the LDL to HDL ratio unchanged. The trial compared two oils, so it says nothing about mayonnaise against no mayonnaise. For the peas, cross-sectional data in 504 adults with type 2 diabetes link higher green pea intake to slightly lower diastolic blood pressure, a weak correlation (R = -0.092) among many foods tested. This page has no safety section of its own, and the cautions sit under other headings. The dressing is mayonnaise, which the carrot study describes as an egg-yolk emulsion, so the dish carries egg as well as pea. Pea is an emerging allergen in children. A US case series describes children reacting to foods containing green peas or pea protein, with no US prevalence data. A case report describes a 20-month-old girl with Down syndrome and food protein-induced enterocolitis who reacted to green peas and had them removed from her diet. In 57 Staphylococcus aureus outbreaks in southern Brazil in 2000 to 2002, potato salad with homemade mayonnaise was the vehicle in 11 percent. That was potato salad, but pea salad is dressed the same way, and nothing here shows it is any safer. We could not yet quote a rule on how long a mayonnaise salad may sit out of the fridge or how long homemade pea salad keeps, so keep it in the fridge rather than out on the table.

Sources

1. psd-daily-r7-08 · food composition data
   Pea salad | Energy 180 KCAL per 100 g | Total lipid (fat) 14.02 G | Protein 2.98 G | Fiber, total dietary 2.7 G | Sodium, Na 253 MG | Vitamin K 52 UG | 1 cup 214 g: 385.2 KCAL, 30.0 G fat, 541.4 MG sodium
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, code 75416500 Pea salad (fdc_id 2710056) · checked 2026-10-01
2. psd-daily-r7-01 · randomized crossover trial
   Eighteen healthy subjects participated in the test, which consisted of broccoli as a control (CON) meal, broccoli with oil (OIL), and broccoli with mayonnaise (MS), consumed in random order. ... The incremental areas under the curves (IAUCs) of serum lutein/zeaxanthin and beta-carotene concentrations were higher after the MS meal than after the CON meal. IAUCs after the OIL meal exhibited no statistically significant differences from the CON and MS meals.
   J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2009 · checked 2026-10-01
3. psd-daily-r7-02 · randomized crossover trial
   In a human study, diets were provided in the form of (1) carrot as a control (CON), (2) carrot juice (JU), (3) carrot with oil (OIL) and (4) carrot with mayonnaise (MS). Following collection of fasting blood samples, nine adult males consumed one of the four diets in random order. ... The incremental areas under the curves of serum β-carotene concentration were higher following MS than following both CON and JU.
   J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2011 · checked 2026-10-01
4. psd-daily-r7-03 · randomized crossover trial
   Subjects underwent a randomized double-blind crossover trial, consuming diets supplemented with 20 g/day of either soybean oil-based mayonnaise (SB-mayo) or palm olein-based mayonnaise (PO-mayo) for 4 weeks each with a 2-week wash-out period. ... Treatments resulted in significant reductions in TC (diff = -0.25 mmol/L; P = 0.001), LDL-C (diff = -0.17 mmol/L; P = 0.016) and HDL-C (diff = -0.12 mmol/L; P < 0.001) in SB-mayo compared to PO-mayo without affecting LDL-C:HDL-C ratio (P > 0.05).
   Lipids Health Dis, 2016 · checked 2026-10-01
5. psd-daily-r7-07 · cross-sectional study
   This cross-sectional study was conducted on 504 participants with type 2 diabetes who were part of the Sabzevar Persian Cohort study that was initiated in February 2018. ... Green peas intake was also inversely associated with DBP (R = -0.092, P = 0.039).
   PLoS One, 2025 · checked 2026-10-01
6. sf-left-r2-8 · agency advice
   Stick to the "two-hour rule" for leaving items needing refrigeration out at room temperature. ... Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C).
   US FDA, Are You Storing Food Safely? (consumer update) · checked 2026-10-08
7. psd-daily-r7-06 · retrospective outbreak analysis
   Among foodborne outbreaks for which aetiology was determined, S. aureus was identified as the responsible agent of 57 foodborne outbreaks ... The main involved food vehicles were meats servings (35%), followed by pastries (25%), cheese (23%), pasta (11%) and potato salad with homemade mayonnaise (11%).
   Braz J Microbiol, 2013 · checked 2026-10-01
8. psd-daily-r7-04 · case series
   Allergy to legumes, specifically to green pea and dun pea, have been emerging. There is currently no data on pea allergy in the United States. As such, and with the progressive increase in pea/pea proteins inclusion into foods, we present in this case series children with allergic reactions to foods containing green peas or pea-protein.
   J Allergy Clin Immunol Glob, 2023 · checked 2026-10-01
9. psd-daily-r7-05 · case report
   After discharge, she exhibited an FPIES symptom as a consequence of ingesting green peas and miso; hence, we recommended the elimination of peas, in addition to soy, milk, and egg yolk, from her diet.
   JMA J, 2025 · checked 2026-10-01
10. sf-eggsafe-r6-peasalad-1 · agency advice
    For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served — like Caesar salad dressing and homemade ice cream — use either shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method, or pasteurized egg products...Certain people are at greater risk for severe illness and include children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems (such as transplant patients and individuals with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes).
    US Food and Drug Administration, What You Need to Know About Egg Safety · checked 2026-10-08
11. sf-vkw-r1-12 · drug label
    The amount of vitamin K in food may affect therapy with warfarin sodium. Advise patients taking warfarin sodium to eat a normal, balanced diet maintaining a consistent amount of vitamin K.
    Warfarin sodium, FDA-approved label, drug interactions section, effective 2026-06-25 · checked 2026-10-08