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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…
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.
The simplest application is to use nutritional yeast the same way you would grated Parmesan cheese. Toss a couple of tablespoonfuls with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and freshly popped popcorn for a “cheesy” snack with a subtle nutty flavor to rival even the most tempting flavored chip or corn puff.
Nutritional yeast has a mild taste, making it perfect for pairing with bold spices like onion and garlic powder. But feel free to add other seasonings to this mix too, like chili powder or dried cilantro.
Too much nutritional yeast added too quickly to one's diet can cause problems with digestion, such as abdominal cramps and diarrhea. A high-fiber diet is good for digestive health.
It's safe to use nutritional yeast in moderation, typically up to several tablespoons (10–30 grams) per day. It would require relatively large amounts of nutritional yeast to exceed the tolerable upper intake levels (UL) for the various vitamins and minerals it contains.
As you'd probably guess since it's sold in bulk bins, nutritional yeast does not need to be refrigerated. It can be stored anywhere cool and dark to preserve its B vitamins. A ceramic jar in the pantry or on the countertop works fine. Since it's a dry product, the key is keeping moisture out.
Most importantly, the garlic should be sautéed brown. Make sure it does not get burnt or else the taste of this spaghetti aglio e olio will have a burnt taste too. I added nutritional yeast to get a little cheesy flavor to this recipe. Therefore, add it in the oil itself so it gets mixed very well.
Sometimes finding substitutes for animal products is tricky. That's where nutritional yeast comes into play. In cooking, nutritional yeast is used to replicate the flavors of cheese in vegan dishes. It can also be used as a topping for extra flavor, or used to thicken sauces or soups.
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.
Nutritional Yeast: If you need to, you can choose not to add it in. However, since we are not using butter in these potatoes, the nutritional yeast is adding another layer of umami flavor that I absolutely love. Try not to skip if you can!
With every tablespoon of nutritional yeast, you give a nutritional boost to your diet. And yes, all these nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, as well as aroma and flavor resist heating.
Nutritional yeast is not a substitute for active yeast, which is often used when baking bread. However, it can be used in baking to add nutrients and flavor to the foods. When baking with this ingredient it is best to think of it as a seasoning, not as something that changes the chemical component of the food.
If you want your oats cheery, stir in 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast, or some grated vegan cheese. To maximise the creaminess, stir in a couple spoonfuls of unsweetened plant based yoghurt of your choice.
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.
You also do not want to add excessive nutrients at the beginning of fermentation. Large additions of nutrients early in the ferment may lead to overvigorous fermentations and alter the aroma compounds produced by the yeast. In addition, residual nutrients in the wine may contribute to microbial spoilage during aging.
Nutritional yeast: eating just 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast contains more than the full daily value (DV) for vitamin B12 and 480% of the DV for vitamin B6. Studies have found significant correlations between B12 and duration of sleep, while B6 helps boost serotonin levels, which, when depleted, disrupt sleep. 3.
How to use nutritional yeast. Sprinkle nutritional yeast on anything you'd normally top with parmesan, or add it to sauces, soups and dips. You usually need about half the amount of nutritional yeast as you would parmesan—just taste as you go.
Introduction: My name is Margart Wisoky, I am a gorgeous, shiny, successful, beautiful, adventurous, excited, pleasant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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