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You may have heard about nutritional yeast, but you might not know all the reasons it’s so great.In this post, you’ll learn all the things to love about nutritional yeast along with answers to some of the most common questions on how to make the most of it.You’ll be sure to want to add it to yourshopping list by the end!
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Top 15 Reasons to Love Nutritional Yeast
1. It Helps Recreate Vegan Comfort Foods
One of the most popular uses for nutritional yeast is to recreate vegan versions of cheesy comfort foods.The most popular being the comfort food staple mac n’ cheese.There are tons of recipes out there, but the basic principles are always the same, and once you’ve mastered a base recipe, you can adapt it to fit your own tastes.
- All you need to do is blend up soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, and some lemon juice with enough water to blend.
- The combination of neutral flavored fat from the cashews, umami from the yeast, and acid of the lemon will create a flavor profile and texture that’s extremely similar to cheese sauce.
- Additional ingredients such as boiled potatoes, carrots, onions, and miso paste can be added to enhance or modify flavors and textures.
___TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW__<blockquote data-instgrm-permalink=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BiLupR7HGN7/” data-instgrm-version=”9″ style=” background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);”><div style=”padding:8px;”><div style=” background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;”><div style=” background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;”></div></div><p style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”><a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BiLupR7HGN7/” style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;” target=”_blank”>A post shared by Vegan Food Videos (@veganfoodvideos)</a> on <time style=” font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;” datetime=”2018-04-30T05:48:29+00:00″>Apr 29, 2018 at 10:48pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><p> <script async defer src=”//www.instagram.com/embed.js”></script></p_RAW___
2. Gluten Free Way to Thicken Up Soups and Sauces
Nooch can thick up soups and sauces without having to add flour or make a roux.It’s an especially
great alternative if you’re gluten-free! Using it this way is simple and easy.
- Take whatever liquid you want to thicken and slowly add drops of nutritional yeast and stir.
- Repeat this process until desired thickness is reached.
- Be careful about adding too much at once because the you can always add more, but you can’t take any away!
3. Affordable and Lasts a Long Time
Nutritional yeast has been commonly mistaken as an expensive ingredient, but it’s actually extremely affordable if you know how to buy it.
Now, you may have noticed shaker bottles in your local grocery store, and they may have been a little pricey.
The best thing to do is to buy bulk pails (of 5 pounds or 10 pounds) from sites like Amazon or Jet for a one-time cost of around $50-$60.Then, store it in a cool dry place in the bucket and place a portion of it in an easy to access small container that you can use for dispensing.
This is the way I’ve been doing it for years and usually end up buying one bucket annually.
4. Packed with Nutrients
Nutritional yeast is packed with vitamins and isusually fortifiedwith B12, an essential nutrient produced by microbes.
It’s also a great source of vitamins and minerals including Magnesium, Copper and Manganese and a very good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, and Zinc.
Be sure to check the label, though, because levels of each nutrient vary depending on the brand and how it’s fortified.
5. Funny & Catchy Names
Nutritional yeast has some catchy nicknames like “Yeshi,” “Hippie-Dust,” and, the most popular, “Nooch.”
Really, what othercondiment or seasoning can you say that about?
6. Makes Easy Popcorn Seasoning
It makes a great popcorn seasoning and is even offered by some movie theaters. Many people like to use ingredients like coconut oil, olive oil, or even vinegar (a low-fat option) in order to make the nutritional yeast stick to the kernels.
Of course, your imagination is the limit here. Experiment with adding different seasonings both sweet and savory to compliment the nooch.
7. Replaces Parmesan Cheese
If you blend it together with cashews and salt it makes a substitute for Parmesan cheese that actually tastes better than the real thing! Just like with the cheese sauce, you’re using the cashews for the fatty flavor profile and mouth-feel, but you don’t add the liquid.
This gives it a crumbly texture so that it can still be sprinkled.
8. It Has Umami
It’s got “umami” – a 5th taste that many people don’t know about (just like sweet, sour, saltiness, and bitterness). It’s one of the few plant-based umami-tasting foods outside of mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, ripe tomatoes, and some fermented items.
9. Helps Cut Salt Intake
If you’re trying to cut down on salt, you can use nutritional yeast to reduce the amount of salt you put on your food and have it taste just as good.
From my experience, I’ve found that I can reduce the amount of salt I use by around half. From there, I just like to sprinkle in a bit of nooch until I reach the flavor profile that I’m looking for.
What I’ve found is that by using small amounts, it can make things taste more salty without imparting the cheesy flavor from larger amounts.
10. Can Help Meet you Meet Daily Fiber Requirements
Nutritional yeast has around 4 grams of fiber per serving (unlike cheese which has 0).
This can help people meet their 31.5g recommended fiber intake, a goal which most fall short on.This is especially great for people who do not consume certain whole grains or certain fiber-rich vegetables and are hard-pressed to find reliable daily fiber sources.(1)
11. 8g of Protein Per Serving
Since it has around 8g of protein per serving, it’s a quick way to turn something like a pasta dish into a meal that’s well-rounded in macronutrients without doing anything complicated.
You can blend up some nooch with some hardened leftover bread for cheesy breadcrumbs that you can use on almost anything!
Additionally, you can use it to bread things like tofu as shown in the video below from Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen.It can be used to complement other “crisp-generating” ingredients like cornstarch or any standard batter.
13. Makes Veggies Delicious – Instantly
If you’ve got some steamed vegetables like kale or broccoli, adding some nutritional yeast to it will not only make it cheesy, but will also give it a creamier texture since it will adhere to and dissolve in the moisture.
___TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW__<blockquote data-instgrm-permalink=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BkTqk8BHCbB/” data-instgrm-version=”9″ style=” background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);”><div style=”padding:8px;”><div style=” background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.83333333333333% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;”><div style=” background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;”></div></div><p style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”><a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BkTqk8BHCbB/” style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;” target=”_blank”>A post shared by Cara Clark (@caraclarknutrition)</a> on <time style=” font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;” datetime=”2018-06-22T00:44:03+00:00″>Jun 21, 2018 at 5:44pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><p> <script async defer src=”//www.instagram.com/embed.js”></script></p_RAW___
14. It’s Low in Calories
Two tablespoons of Nooch is only around 60 calories, so you don’t have to feel guilty about liberally sprinkling it on your food. Since it’s so strong, you’re unlikely to even use that much.
15. It’s Good for Some Pets!
Dogs and cats can enjoy the benefits of nutritional yeast too! It’s especially useful if your pet is a finicky eater, but of course be sure to speak with your vet before introducing new things into their diet. Our companion animals tend to be much more sensitive to dietary change than we are, so it is important to figure out what’s best for their individual needs. (2)(3)
Now – let’s move onto some common questions about nutritional yeast…
Nutritional Yeast Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 80
- Carbs: 14g
- Fiber: 5g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 9g
- Calcium: 10mg
- Copper: 0.2mg
- Iron: 0.7mg
- Magnesium: 24mg
- Manganese: 0.1mg
- Phosphorus: 200mg
- Potassium: 370mg
- Selenium: 28 μg
- Sodium: 5mg
- Zinc: 3.8mg
- Vitamin B1: 12.3mg
- Vitamin B2: 12.2mg
- Vitamin B3: 74mg
- Vitamin B5: 1.5mg
- Vitamin B6: 14mg
- Vitamin B12: 30 μg
- Folate: 900 μg
- Vitamin A: 0 IU
- Vitamin C: 0 mg
- Vitamin D: 0 IU
- Vitamin E: 0 mg
- Vitamin K: 0 μg
Nutrition Facts Per 3 Rounded Tablespoons Serving SizeVitamin levels vary based on brand and varying vitamin fortifications
How is Nutritional Yeast Made?
The process of making nutritional yeast starts with Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is a species of yeast that’s normally used in the process of making alcoholic beverages.
When making nutritional yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is grown on diluted molasses (and sometimes cane sugar) in large vats where it won’t ferment as it would if you were making alcohol.
Then, it is dried and powdered and sold as nutritional yeast for it’s nutty and cheesy flavor.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae first came to the market as Brewer’s Yeast. In the beer making process, this organism is used to turn sugar into alcohol during the process of fermentation.
Since it is packed with B-vitamins (besides B-12 which may be added in later), Brewer’s Yeast is often sold as a supplement, popular because it doesn’t have the same pleasant taste as nutritional yeast.
Side Note: Trying to figure out how to go vegan in a healthy and sustainable way?
Check out this vegan starter kit
Another great additional resource from Red Star can be found here.
Nutritional Yeast Flakes vs Powder
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There’s really no difference between nutritional yeast flakes and powder. The only thing that separates them is the particle size.
In fact, when buying nutritional yeast flakes, you may notice that the bottom of the container has turned to powder simply from settling.
In terms of making a sauce, there won’t be any practical difference as both the flakes and the powder will both dissolve just the same.
However, it can be argued that the powder offers additional flavor when sprinkling because it sticks to food much easier and may be perceived as more concentrated on the tongue.
Either way, the differences are extremely minimal.
What is the Best Way to Store Nutritional Yeast?
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The best way to store nutritional yeast is in an airtight container. By limiting the amount of air exposure, it stays fresher longer.
Personally, I like to use a resealable vacuum container.
This makes it easy to access.
It keeps very well in a place that’s dark and cool like a kitchen pantry or cupboard.
Nutritional Yeast Shelf Life
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