We cannot really remember the time when Nutritional Yeast didn’t form part of our pantry, or do we want to! All we DO remember is being recommended it by a foodie friend who swore by it, and that was it… the beginning of a beautiful love affair with Nutritional Yeast. *insert love hearts here*
The name does not really help sell it, most people make the automatic connection to mainstream yeast, which is used in bread and beer ie the foods most people avoid when eating ‘healthy’. And I loosely say the term ‘healthy’ ( but, thats a post for another day).
Anyhow, we can confirm that this is NOT that same yeast, just its long lost distant cousing (at best) and this is a proclamation as to why you need it in your life. ASAP.
How is it made?
Nutritional yeast is produced by culturing a yeast in a nutrient medium for several days. The primary ingredient in the growth medium is glucose, often from either sugarcane or beet molasses. When the yeast is ready, it is killed (deactivated) with heat and then harvested, washed, dried and packaged.^
What does it look like?
We prefer using Nutritional Yeast Flakes, but it also comes in a powder form and is a yellowy colour, with a light ‘nutty and ‘cheesy’ smell to it.
What does it taste like?
The taste is hard to describe, mainly because you won’t believe it tastes cheesy without it being ACTUAL cheese. But it does, it gives a rich flavour to a lot of dishes and is used a lot in Vegan cooking. The savoury taste of nutritional yeast comes from glutamic 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. We LOVE it sprinkled in soup, to make Kale chips AND to make Cheesy Nachos ofc.
What are the benefits?
On average, two tablespoons provides 60 calories with 5 g of carbohydrates (of which 4 g is fiber).
A serving also provides 9 g of protein and is actually a complete protein, providing all nine amino acids the human body cannot produce. That’s more than in 1 cup of whole milk (8g), a large egg (6g), or one oz. of beef (7g).
Nutritional yeast is a source of B vitamins, including thiamine, folate, B-6 and niacin. Just 1/2 tablespoon of some brands will provide you with a day’s worth of B vitamins, while other brands offer between 30 and 100 percent of the B vitamins.
^ Sourced from Wikipedia.
STILL NOT CONVINCED?
Check these recipes out, if the above didnt sway you, no doubt these will!
CHEESY KALE CRISPS //
If you’re a sucker for crisps, then look no further. In no less than 3 ingredients, these crunchy Kale crisps alternative will conquer them cravings!
VEGAN CHEESY NACHOS //
Doritos better move over, theres competition in town.
PROTEIN FLAT ROLLS //
Struggle to find Gluten-Free breads which taste good? Try these! Added nutritional yeast for extra (awesome) flavour!
VEGAN CHEESY SAUCE //
Although we dipped our chicken skewers in it, the sauce is Vegan friendly, wahey! Go check out for yourself.
Hope you enjoyed this article and selection of recipes, we hope to be doing more like this in future.
If there is anything you’d like to see us talk about, just comment below, we are happy to hear from you!
Lots of love,
The Muscle Baker <3
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