Nutritional Yeast

Health BenefitsA tablespoon-sized serving of nutritional yeast has just 20 calories, yet packs in a surprisingly dense amount of protein. (This varies from brand to brand; the Bragg brand has three grams of protein per serving.) Although the yeast has a naturally savory quality, it has no sodium. Many (but not all) nutritional yeast brands are fortified with vitamin B12, an essential vitamin that promotes a healthy nervous system and prevents against anemia. Vitamin B12 is typically found only in animal products (e.g. dairy), so fortified nutritional yeast is a reliable source of the nutrient for vegans. How to Eat ItUse nutritional yeast the same way you would a grated cheese. Sprinkle it over anything from salads and roasted veggies to pasta and rice for a subtle, savory flavor boost. Toss a couple of tablespoonfuls with a little bit olive oil, salt, and freshly popped popcorn for a “cheesy” snack that to rival even the most addictive flavored chip or corn puff, minus the dairy or fluorescent-orange food coloring.

Since vegan diets restrict the consumption of dairy products (including cheese), nutritional yeast is commonly called for in vegan versions of recipes that are traditionally made with lots of cheese. Do a quick Google search for vegan mac and cheese, pesto, enchiladas, or risotto, and chances are a good number of those recipes will include nutritional yeast.

Adding a small amount of nutritional yeast to a dish enhances the flavors present and helps form a rich flavor base. If for some reason you can’t find nutritional yeast or can’t use it, you can safely leave it out of recipes where it’s used in small amounts as only a flavor enhancer; in some cases, miso or soy sauce can be used in a 1:3 ratio (1/3 of the amount of nooch called for), though both add sodium, so you may need to reduce the salt. In recipes where nutritional yeast provides the bulk of the flavor, such as vegan cheese sauces, it’s best not to attempt to substitute it.

What It Isn’t ?
Nutritional yeast is not the same as brewer’s yeast, which is a product of the beer-making process and is very bitter. It’s also not Torula yeast, which is grown on paper-mill waste and is also not very tasty. And please do not try to substitute active dry yeast or baking yeast, which taste bad and will probably make a huge, frothy mess because their yeasts are alive.

Does it Contain MSG?
No. The savory, umami taste of nutritional yeast comes from glutamaic acid, an amino acid that is formed during the drying process. Glutamic acid is a naturally occurring amino acid found in many fruits and vegetables and is not the same as the commercial additive monosodium glutamate.
How Do I Use It?If you’re new to nutritional yeast, it’s better to try it a little at a time rather than to dive right into a recipe that uses a lot of it. Try some of the suggestions below, using just a little until you develop a taste for it:

Sprinkle it on popcorn.
Stir it into mashed potatoes.
Add a little to the cooking water for “cheesy grits” or polenta.
Sprinkle on any pasta dish.
Make almond “parmesan” by blending nutritional yeast with raw almonds in a food processor.
Add a tablespoon or two to bean dishes to enhance flavors.

For an Eggy-Cheesy Flavor:Nutritional yeast contributes a lot of flavor to these tofu-based “egg” dishes.

Vegan Omelette for One
Mini Crustless Tofu Quiches
Ridiculously Easy Curry-Scrambled Tofu
Vegan Zucchini Frittata
Monterey Frittata
Scrambled Tofu with Porcini Mushrooms
Asparagus and Mushroom Quiche
French Toast

For a Cheesy Flavor:In many of these recipes, nutritional yeast is a central ingredient adding much of the flavor. Leaving it out isn’t advised.

Easy Macaroni and Cheeze
Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
Gluten-Free Chickpea Crackers
Roasted Eggplant Pesto
Polenta Lasagna
Easy Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
Pumpkin and Black Bean Casserole
Fettuccine No-Fredo with Broccoli and Sautéed Mushrooms
Golden Potato and Tempeh Casserole

For a Savory or “Poultry” Flavor:
These recipes use small amounts of nutritional yeast to form a flavor base and are good for beginning users.

Seitan Scaloppine with Lemon-Olive Sauce
Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Cabbage “Noodle” Soup
Colcannon Puffs
Quick and Easy Potato Soup
Roasted Beet-Tofu Burgers
Spinach and Artichoke Pie
Green on Green Soup
Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
Black Bean and Summer Squash Enchiladas

Nutritional Yeast flakes are excellent source of protein, dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals. Making its primary grown nutritional yeast from pure strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown on sugar cane molasses. After the fermentation process is completed the yeast is harvested, thoroughly washed, pasteurized, and dried on roller drum dryers.

Features:

1. Nutritious: providing plenty of protein, vitamin B, minerals and dietary fibre;
2. Abundant in selenium, iron, zinc, yeast glucan, which can fortify immune system;
3. Digestion improvement;
4. Natural and healthier;

Applications:

1. as the food supplement or functional food;
2. as the raw materials of all kinds of foods, such as biscuits, beverage, desserts;
3. as the raw materials of functional foods, such as immunity fortifying foods, weight-losing foods and anti-aging foods etc.

It is popular with vegans and vegetarians and may be used as an ingredient in recipes or as a condiment.

While it contains trace amounts of several vitamins and minerals, it is only a significant source of some B-complex vitamins. Sometimes nutritional yeast is fortified with vitamin B12.

Nutritional yeast has a strong flavor that is described as nutty, cheesy, or creamy, which makes it popular as an ingredient in cheese substitutes. It is often used by vegans in place of cheese. It can be used in many recipes in place of cheese, such as in mashed and fried potatoes, and atop scrambled tofu. Another popular use is as a topping for popcorn.

In Australia, it is sometimes sold as “savoury yeast flakes”. In New Zealand, it has long been known as Brufax. In the United States it is sometimes referred to as “hippie dust”, or “yeshi”, an Ethiopian name meaning “for a thousand”.
Though “nutritional yeast” usually refers to commercial products, inadequately fed prisoners of war have used “home-grown” yeast to prevent vitamin deficiency. Nutritional yeast is different from yeast extract, which has a very strong flavour and comes in the form of a dark brown paste