You may have noticed bags or bins filled with yellowish flakes labeled "nutritional yeast" in your health food store. Distinct from brewers' yeast, used for making beer, and baking yeast, nutritional yeast is a food product that adds a cheesy flavor and depth to many foods. Nutritional yeast is a complete protein favored by vegans, but it can be an asset to anyone's diet.
Production
Nutritional yeast is a living microorganism grown on sugarcane and beet molasses. It grows like a fungus, feeding off sugar to reproduce. Once the yeast is grown, it is harvested, washed, dried and packaged. Health food stores offer nutritional yeast prepackaged or in bulk. Nutritional yeast is pasteurized, so it is not a raw food.
Benefits
Nutritional yeast offers 8 g of protein in just 1 ½ tbsp. Unlike many vegetarian proteins, nutritional yeast contains all the essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own. Nutritional yeast also provides 133 percent of the daily value of vitamin B-12, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Vitamin B-12 is a vitamin hard for vegetarians, especially vegans, to obtain without supplementation because it is most widely found in animal products. Nutritional yeast also provides well over the daily value of most other B vitamins, including thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and B-6. It is a source of folate, with 60 percent of the daily value, and zinc, with 21 percent of the daily value. People who are sensitive to other types of yeast usually tolerate nutritional yeast, as it does not contain Candida albicans. Nutritional yeast also contains almost 4 g of fiber per 1 ½-tbsp. serving. The majority of the fiber in nutritional yeast is a specific type that enhances immunity and lowers cholesterol.
Uses
Mix nutritional yeast with butter or olive oil and salt to use on top of air-popped popcorn. You can add nutritional yeast to gravies to add depth of flavor. Add it to macaroni, along with flour and butter, to create a vegan mac and cheese, or sprinkle it over vegetables as you would Parmesan cheese. Whip nutritional yeast into smoothies to boost nutrient values, or add it to the crust of pizza to enhance the pie's cheesy flavor.
Considerations
Store nutritional yeast in a cool, dark place, because light can degrade the B vitamin content of the product. Both fortified and unfortified versions of nutritional yeast are available. Fortified versions contain over 100 percent of the daily value for iron and might be essential if you follow a strict vegan diet. Nutritional yeast is also affordable, especially considering its nutrient content.
Member Comments