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With its cheesy, nutty, and savory flavor, Nutritional Yeast is a dairy-free seasoning that should be in everyone’s pantry–whether vegan or not.
These nutritional yeast recipes are going to make you a believer with their amazing flavor!
Nutritional yeast is a healthy culinary must-have. If you aren’t familiar with its flavoring superpowers, that is going to change right here, right now.
We’ve got it all with these delicious nutritional yeast recipes. Everything vegan–from parmesan cheese to quiche to breakfast scramble. And, you’re going to love it all!
What is nutritional yeast?
Nutritional yeast, unlike baker’s and brewer’s yeasts, is a deactivated yeast used for seasoning.
It’s an inactive form of the yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Though it is the same strain of yeast bakers use to leaven bread, nutritional yeast has been pasteurized to dry out the yeast. This process helps to extract its nutritional benefits.
Nutritional yeast is exclusively for seasoning and cannot be used for leavening in baking. Even so, it can normally be found in the baking section of many grocery stores. I usually purchase my nutritional yeast online.
What does it taste like?
Known by vegan enthusiasts as nooch, this seasoning yeast has a nutty, cheesy flavor and is yellow in color. It can be purchased in flakes and granules as well as a powder that can be used interchangeably.
Nutritional yeast can be used in recipes the same way you might use grated cheese to add flavor to foods like popcorn, baked potatoes, and pizza.
Uses for nutritional yeast
Sprinkle over salads, roasted vegetables, pasta, rice, popcorn, and more
Use in vegan cheese sauce recipes
Stir into soups and stews
Add to casseroles and other dishes
Two types of nutritional yeast
There are two types of nutritional yeast available — unfortified and fortified.
Unfortified- This type only contains the vitamins and minerals that are naturally produced by the yeast cells as they grow. No additional additives or salt are included.
Fortified- This is the most common type found in grocery stores, and it has synthetic vitamins added during the manufacturing process. They will be listed on the ingredient list.
Is nutritional yeast good for you?
Nutritional yeast has many health benefits. It contains all nine essential amino acids and the fortified type can be a source of some vitamins and minerals.
It is considered safe for most people, but those who are on certain medications or who are sensitive to yeast products may need to talk with their healthcare provider.
Another lesser-known fact is that nutritional yeast is high in purines and may cause an abundance of uric acid which can lead to gout flare-ups if consumed in larger quantities. This actually happened with my husband who had never experienced gout before and hasn’t again after limiting his nutritional yeast intake.
This post may contain affiliate links.Read my full disclosure here.
Nutritional Yeast Recipes
These delicious recipes range from vegan cheese sauces to breakfast casseroles and quiche. It's the nutritional yeast that adds all the flavor, so pull out that container and give some of these a try! Click on each of the photos, recipe titles, or 'Get the Recipe' buttons to see full recipes with ingredients, measurements, instructions, and a print button.
This simple and delicious Savory Spice Blend Seasoning is perfect to keep on hand to add flavor to dishes in place of salt. It livens up even the blandest recipes.
“Nutritional yeast is high in purines. Large quantities of purines in the diet create an abundance of uric acid, which has been associated with several ailments, including gout. Furthermore, over-reliance on a single food in the diet may eventually cause sensitivity or possibly even an allergy to that food.” —GrassRootsVegan
Other great vegan recipes
30-Minute or Less Recipes
Black Bean Recipes
Gluten-Free Recipes
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Nutritional yeast can trigger or worsen symptoms associated with IBD. Trigger headaches or migraine attacks: Nutritional yeast may trigger migraine attacks in some individuals with migraine susceptibility because of the presence of tyramine (derived from the amino acid, tyrosine).
People can add it as a savory seasoning to a variety of dishes, including pasta, vegetables, and salads. Some ways to use nutritional yeast include: sprinkling it on popcorn instead of butter or salt. mixing it into risotto instead of Parmesan cheese.
No consensus exists regarding how much nutritional yeast a person can eat daily. But eating even a 5 g serving per day can benefit you. However, you may want to start with 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast per day. You can increase that amount if you do not have any reaction.
Also, check the packaging if you're interested in buying nutritional yeast with vitamin B12, as not all brands are fortified. Store nutritional yeast in a tightly sealed bag or jar in a cool, dark place (or in the refrigerator), and it should keep for about two years.
Nutritional yeast is a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory plant compounds. Every day, our cells work tirelessly to protect themselves against free radicals, molecules that can damage and ultimately destroy the healthy cells in your body.
In large doses, it can cause digestive discomfort or facial flushing due to its high-fiber and niacin content, respectively. Nutritional yeast may also contain tyramine, which may trigger migraine headaches in some individuals.
Some research has suggested that nutritional yeast may be irritating to those with Crohn's disease and other types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). In general, adding too much fiber to your diet too quickly can cause issues like gas, bloating and cramping, according to the Mayo Clinic.
In addition, nutritional yeast has been shown to benefit human health, particularly by helping improve gut health due to its presence of probiotics. It's also an easily accessible food source of protein, which plays a role in filling nutritional gaps to help keep the immune system in tip-top shape.
You also want some nutritional yeast. This seasoning is packed with vitamin B12 and also adds a cheesy/nutty flavor to the savory oatmeal, so I like to pile it on. It's one of my favorite seasonings ever, so of course I had to include it in this recipe.
A type of seasoning, nutritional yeast contains nutrients like folate, vitamin B12, and fiber. Some of its potential health benefits are digestive and immune system support. Because nutritional yeast has fiber, it's a good idea not to eat a lot in a short period to avoid digestive issues like bloating.
Unfortified nutritional yeast does not contain added vitamins or minerals. Rather, it contains the vitamins and minerals that are produced naturally by the yeast cells as they ferment. If you aren't trying to get more vitamins and minerals into your diet, you can opt for this unfortified type of nutritional yeast.
Nutritional yeast is produced specifically for the nutritional benefits that it provides. It also provides a great taste. Cheesy and nutty, it brings a depth of flavor to our raw food recipes. Note it is not raw as it has to be pasturized to kill the yeast.
To preserve all the B vitamins, store in a dark glass or a ceramic container to keep it protected from the light. Since it's a dry product, you want to lid tightly sealed to keep moisture out — as long as nutritional yeast stays dry, it can last for up to two years.
In a blender, combine tahini mixture, bell peppers, onions, garlic, basil and nutritional yeast. Blend until creamy. Gently mix red bell pepper sauce into spaghetti. Top with nutritional yeast and fresh basil, then serve hot.
Add a sprinkling of nutritional yeast flakes, stir for a few minutes, then spoon small amounts of the cream onto your pizza. Don't forget to make a tasty passata, and add your choice of vegetables! For our pizza base, we used our Canterbury Baking School sourdough pizza base recipe.
Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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