The Benefits of Nutritional Yeast + 10 Ways to Use it

Thursday, January 3, 2013

As some of you may know I gave up dairy about 6 months ago.  This means no cheese and no milk.  Since I have cut it out I feel amazing.  Some of the benefits I have personally noticed are, I no longer have that bloated feeling,  my skin does not break out, I have more energy and I don't get crampy stomach aches like I used to when I would drink milk or eat cheese.

I can honestly say that I do not miss milk AT ALL.  It actually grosses me out now when I smell it, but I do on occasion miss cheese.  And lets be honest, some things like pizza just need cheese.

So let me introduce something that I recently discovered... Nutritional Yeast.  It actually is nothing new and has been around forever but to me this is completely new and awesome.  When added to food it has a yummy cheesy/slightly nutty taste that will blow you non cheese eaters away.  Even if you do like cheese but just want to cut back on calories or make your meals just a little healthier this is for you.

So what exactly is nutritional yeast?  
Nutritional Yeast is a deactivated yeast (not to be confused with Brewer's yeast, which has a completely different taste and purpose).  Nutritional yeast is a living microorganism grown on sugarcane and beet molasses.  When the yeast is ready, it is killed (deactivated) with heat and then harvested, washed, dried and packaged.

Nutritional yeast benefits:
  • Has 6 grams of protein in just 2 tbs
  • Great source of minerals
  • Great cheesy taste
  • Gluten free 
  • Salt free
  • A great source of Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid
Where can you find it? 
Check your local health food store.  That is where I purchase mine.  Some health food stores also carry it in bulk.  You can also purchase it online here.

10 ways to use it: 
  1. Sprinkle it on top of vegetables or cauliflower poppers before you pop them in the oven
  2. Sprinkle it on top of popcorn.  This is beyond delicious!
  3. Skip the cheese and use this on top of low carb pizza
  4. Add it to baked thyme onion rings
  5. Use it in skinny mashed potatoes
  6. Sprinkle it on top of kale chips for the ultimate "cheesy" snack. 
  7. Add it to skinny spaghetti.
  8.  Use it in a creamed spinach recipe.
  9. Add it to soups.
  10. Use it to make cheesy crispy green bean fries.
Those are just a few ideas!  I plan on sharing some really yummy new recipes that incorporate nutritional yeast soon.

28 comments:

Simply LKJ said...

Interesting fact. Both our girls are lactose intolerant (to certain degrees), but you are right...some things, like pizza just need that cheesy taste! I will have to try this.

Emily said...

I grew up with nutritional yeast by my side for every meal and it was not to replace cheese (i ate that too!). It's just so good! I agree that popcorn is one of the best things to put it on. I also recommend eggs of any kind. That's probably my all time favorite. I can barely eat eggs without it now!

Look forward to seeing some innovative recipes!

1914house said...

This is tasty stuff! I sort of forgot about it, so thanks for the reminder. There used to be nutritional yeast shakers at the local movie theater (for popcorn and pizza), but it's not out anymore...boo.

NatalieM. said...

Can't wait to try this! I love all your posts about these uncommon treasures!

Elizabeth @Port Of Thoughts said...

Super interesting and I'm defintely willing to try. I'm a lover of milk and all dairy products and it would be super hard to give up. I am interested in trying though for a bit to see if it helps with some digestion issues. Thanks for the info.

Unknown said...

I have seen many blogs that use this but always wondered its purpose and benefit.

Unknown said...

Interesting, thank you, I have some in the cupboard and was wondering what I should do with it!
x
Natalie

Anonymous said...

Which brand would you recommend for nutritional yeast?

Lindsay @ Delighted Momma said...

Anonymous- I use the Braggs brand that is shown above.

Jenna E said...

hmmm I will have to try this but I do NOT have the willpower to cut cheese out. I am totally in love with the stuff

Laurie said...

Perfect timing! My naturopathic doc has been telling me to cut out dairy to see if my acne clears up and cheese is my one downfall :( I have heard of nutritional yeast and had no idea how to incorporate it into my diet. Thanks!!

Jessica said...

how long were you off dairy before you skin stopped breaking out? I'm on day 3 or 4 of no dairy...

Anonymous said...

Great post! Love this stuff! My favorite way to eat it is on toast (now GlutenFree toast) sprinkled on top of mashed avocado. Yum! I also had a great Nutritional Yeast gravy at a restaurant in Oregon - it came on top of a tempeh/veggie scramble and was awesome!

Selidji said...

I gave up dairy too since I now eat paleo but I LOVE coffee and can't have it without milk. What do you recommend? do you drink yours without milk? Please help! Thanks!

ShellChelle said...

I cut out dairy and meat a few months ago, too. I just made some popcorn and sprinkled it with nutritional yeast, a drizzle of grapeseed oil, and a little sea salt--amazing!! I also make a "non-parm"cheese sprinkle for my pasta out of finely ground almonds and nutritional yeast. It looks like the real thing and tastes great.

Rmichael said...

Lacto vegetarian for 25 years here with 4 Lacto Veg kids and one meat eating huzbear. One guilty pleasure of ours is Mac N Cheese (half whole wheat pasta) with added broccoli, TVP, and Nutritional Yeast. No one knows I've added NY or the WH pasta for that matter. Yum.

Kristina Lynn said...

Don't forget to douse your kale chips with nutritional yeast AND mix it into your mashed potatoes.

Ps. Silk has a soy creamer. Non dairy. Try the vanilla one.

Kristina Lynn said...

Oh, I also read that nutritional yeast can help with breast milk production. :)

Kristina Lynn said...

Don't forget to douse your kale chips with nutritional yeast AND mix it into your mashed potatoes.

Ps. Silk has a soy creamer. Non dairy. Try the vanilla one.

Anonymous said...

Try coconut oil in your coffee. Metabolism boosting and multiple health benefits. :-)

Raghav said...

Healthy yeast counters bad yeast like Candida.

Anonymous said...

Almond or coconut milk are the best

Shamus said...

Remember that nutritional yeast is not naturally high in vitamin B12. Most brands however are fortified with B12.

Unknown said...

I've been taking nutritional yeast for over forty years and even though I still can't stand the taste it has managed to keep my blood sugar level steady. My skin is clear and even though I'm seventy years old I have a full head of dark hair. I mix a heaping tablespoon in orange juice and shoot it down my throat and chase it with more orange juice before I have a chance to taste it. I love the benefits, just have never gotten use to the taste.

Unknown said...

I've been taking nutritional yeast for over forty years and have never gotten use to the taste. I mix a heaping tablespoon in orange juice and shoot it with an orange juice chaser every morning. I began taking it on recommendation of an Internal Medicine Physician at Baylor Medicine back in the early seventies to control my blood sugar levels. And it worked. It is an amazing super food. Plus, even though I am seventy years old I still have a full head of dark hair with very little grey. It's an amazing super food.

Unknown said...

I've been taking nutritional yeast for over forty years and even though I still can't stand the taste it has managed to keep my blood sugar level steady. My skin is clear and even though I'm seventy years old I have a full head of dark hair. I mix a heaping tablespoon in orange juice and shoot it down my throat and chase it with more orange juice before I have a chance to taste it. I love the benefits, just have never gotten use to the taste.

Unknown said...

The link you are using for the nutritional yeast is not working. I will look up another source, but thought you might like to know.

Unknown said...

The link you are using for the nutritional yeast is not working. I will look up another source, but thought you might like to know.

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