Nutritional Yeast for Meat Eaters

penguinmama87

After reading about it a bit here, I elected to buy some nutritional yeast and try it out to up my protein levels. I don't obsess about my macros (currently set at 40 carbs/30 protein/30 fat), but I have noticed over time that protein is the thing I'm most likely to be short on at the end of the day, and since I'm beginning to do some strength training I'd like to get more consistent on it. I'm not vegan or vegetarian, though my meat consumption is limited.

So far I've tried it on popcorn (seems to be the default) and I thought it was really good! I can see why it's used to replace that kind of cheese flavor, although to me it's definitely distinct. I've read a bit about how to use it, but honestly most of the articles read more like promotional material, so I'd rather hear from real people about what you've used it on. Most of what I've read talks about sprinkling it like a seasoning, but what about baking it in bread (not to replace the active yeast to make it rise, but as an add-in)? Or in baked oatmeal, which is my usual breakfast?

What else can I use it in or on? I don't see myself making things like plant-based "cheese" sauces with it, though I might give it a whirl as a cooking challenge sometime.

MaltedTea

I put it over my omelettes, sprinkle over salads, add over rice, mix in in with salsa, etc. It's pretty diverse that way.

janejellyroll

Well, I use it mainly for "cheese" sauces so there goes my main suggestion . . .

I'll put it on pasta and also use it to finish a lot of soups (adding about 1/4-1/2 cup to soups where I think it will help the final flavor, like chowders and such).

I have never tried mixing it with salsa like @MaltedTea suggested, but I'm going to have to try that now. It sounds delicious!

mjbnj0001

I'm fully omnivorous now and for a long time, but I was vegan in the 70s/80s, when I first encountered yeast. I've been using nutritional yeast for years as a protein boost. "Cheesy," yes, but not cheese, and with a distinct flavor which can come to forefront pretty easily. I've been full-time baking the household bread for several years now, and have used it to boost the protein content of the bread. My preference for THIS function, though, is unflavored whey, which, in a 2-3 scoops per loaf dose, only subtly impacts the flavor of the bread, while giving it a 2g+ protein boost per slice. It does tend to impact the browning of the loaves (more browning, sooner), as it is dairy. 90% of the time, my "standard breakfast" consists of old-fashioned oatmeal, yeast and unflavored whey, microwaved, with cut apple topping. Here, the yeast is included for both protein and nutrients, such as B vitamins.

Over the years, I've done the "cheese sauce," popcorn, pan sauce, meatloaf/veggie loaf, etc., inclusions/uses of whey and/or yeast. Some are more successful and/or palatable than others. The stuff is actually pretty versatile. I'm not one to paper over the aesthetic alterations in my foods that inclusions can cause, just because they have other virtues, and try to find neutral or positive impacts. I find in an otherwise rich or hearty flavored sauce, such as homemade tomato sauce for pasta, you can add yeast without negatively impacting flavor or texture too much (how much varies with the sauce and your preferences). It can, because of the "cheesiness," give some of the flavor notes of grated parmesan cooked into the sauce.

rosebarnalice

I eat oatmeal and nooch almost every morning! Love it!

I use it in soups, stews, casseroles etc for both flavor and texture. A small amount will make things like tomato-based veggie soup a bit thicker and creamier-- makes them "feel" heartier without adding a lot of calories, and a hefty amount will add more of that "cheezy-ness" to something like a vegan lasagna dish when I don't want to use high-calorie cashew or soy-based cheese substitutes.

AnnPT77

What others have said, plus I pretty much always mix some in when I eat cottage cheese, odd though that may sound.

Thoin

I, of course, use it for popcorn. Basically the way I use it is if Parmesan would go well on the food so would Nutritional Yeast.

NVintage

"What else can I use it in or on? I don't see myself making things like plant-based "cheese" sauces with it, though I might give it a whirl as a cooking challenge sometime."

If you ever do,this is so delicious with rice and vegetables!

From The Grit- a fabulous restaurant in Athens, GA. When cooked correctly, tofu can be reminiscent of succulent fried chicken. the secret is to get the water out and the flavor in. the grit's method is to cook it twice. The essentials are a non-stick skillet, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast.

Minutes to Prepare: 5
Minutes to Cook: 20
Number of Servings: 2

Ingredients
1 15-ounce block of firm tofu
olive oil
soy sauce
nutritional yeast
1 oz cheddar cheese

Directions
Taken directly from The Grit cookbook

cut tofu into cubes slightly smaller than playing dice. lightly oil a non-stick skillet and place over high heat. allow oil to heat slightly and add tofu. saute, tossing with a non-metal spatula until evenly and lightly golden brown. sprinkle lightly with soy sauce (i skip this step). saute briefly to further brown tofu. remove from skillet, draining and discarding any excess fluid.

rinse and wipe skillet dry, lightly oil and place it over high heat. allow oil to become very hot and add tofu. saute tofu, tossing with a non-metal spatula almost constantly until very well browned. sprinkle with soy sauce to taste. sprinkle with nutritional yeast to coat tofu cubes and, tossing vigorously, saute for a few seconds and remove from heat. serve immediately.

personal tastes with regards to salty soy sauce flavor and amount of nutritional yeast "breading" vary widely. excessive soy sauce will make the tofu too salty, while too much oil and yeast will give a gooey result. at its best, this recipe yields tofu with a slightly crispy, deliciously yeasty exterior and a tender, moist interior.

Shred cheddar cheese on top and put on top of brown rice (not included in calculation). Good with sauteed vegetables!

Number of Servings: 2

Toronto6fan

Popcorn is my fave but I sprinkle it on salads, steamed veggies

AnnPT77

In case anyone's interested, this is a popcorn recipe that involves nooch, but also other seasonings:

http://naturalchow.com/2014/03/healthy-dorito-flavored-popcorn/

I wouldn't say it tastes exactly like Doritos, but I think it tastes pretty good. Some people find the recipe too salty, so cut the salt in half. Me, I love salt very, very much.

penguinmama87

Wow, these are great suggestions! I wouldn't have thought to just add to my regular pasta sauce, so that's an idea I'm definitely going to remember. We observe meatless days regularly as a family and pasta is usually an easy thing that my kids like, so I'd happily experiment with that in addition to soups, stews, bread, etc. I'll try on a few salads, too - I think it might blend really well with some of the sturdier salads I like to make ahead so mealtimes are less rushed.

I have thought about whey powder or other protein powders before but I've hated every one I've tried. Admittedly, my first few experiences did not encourage me to continue trying. I was really encouraged to find that I actually liked the way the yeast tasted.

I could probably be persuaded to make a "cheese" sauce at least once, just because I like trying new things! The tofu recipe sounds interesting, although I don't own any nonstick cookware by choice. I don't mind the taste of tofu, though, as an occasional thing.

The Dorito popcorn is intriguing! I LOVE salt too.

Thank you so much! I'm happy to hear other suggestions if anyone's got them, but I feel like I have a few things to experiment with, now!

BarbaraHelen2013

In addition to what others have suggested, I make various plant based ‘tortillas’ and add Nutritional Yeast to the dough/batter to boost protein and flavour. Especially good with spinach, beetroot or sweet potato tortillas.

Sprinkle on Mediterranean roasted vegetables, before roasting. I also make a ‘vegesan’ (vegan Parmesan) with sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast and garlic powder and herbs) which goes on so many things!

Mix it with breadcrumbs for a tasty, crunchy topping when grilled.

Mix into ricotta, quark or cottage cheese and use in lasagne style vegetable dishes to sub for the béchamel component.

It’s very good added to lentils in any form. I find the tang really blends with the earthy flavour of lentils.

I’ve not added it to standard bread dough but did recently add some to some English Muffins I made to make a cheesy version. That worked exceptionally well! 😋

Basically, assuming you like the base flavour, you can throw it into most savoury food! To my palate it boosts the umami in a lot of vegetarian and vegan food for a very modest calorie count.

penguinmama87

Well, I got brave and put some in my baked oatmeal recipe this morning! I use this recipe as a base, but I've fiddled with it over the years - I replace the brown sugar with a reduced amount of maple syrup, add some flax seed, and use whatever fruit I have around. This time it was blueberries. I used about five tablespoons, which actually only weighed a little bit more than the standard serving size of 16g. I expect to get eight or so servings out of it (I go by weight, and it also depends how much the kids eat - sometimes they are into oatmeal, but sometimes they think it's the worst ever.) The taste is subtle but I can tell it's there if I'm looking for it. I wasn't sure since this recipe kind of straddles the line between sweet and savory, but I think it works, so I'll keep doing it!

LoveyChar

Not trying to take over, but you all have me wanting to try nutritional yeast now 😃! Can you buy nutritional yeast at the grocery store or do you need to go to a vitamin/supplement/health food store?

AnnPT77

LoveyChar wrote: »

Not trying to take over, but you all have me wanting to try nutritional yeast now 😃! Can you buy nutritional yeast at the grocery store or do you need to go to a vitamin/supplement/health food store?

In the US, at most grocery stores. Look in the health food or supplement sections, typically. In more health-food-oriented stores, it may be near other seasonings and spices. (It is in my local healthy-ish general grocery; can't remember where it is in Whole Foods.)

LoveyChar

AnnPT77 wrote: »

LoveyChar wrote: »

Not trying to take over, but you all have me wanting to try nutritional yeast now 😃! Can you buy nutritional yeast at the grocery store or do you need to go to a vitamin/supplement/health food store?

In the US, at most grocery stores. Look in the health food or supplement sections, typically. In more health-food-oriented stores, it may be near other seasonings and spices. (It is in my local healthy-ish general grocery; can't remember where it is in Whole Foods.)

Thank you!

penguinmama87

LoveyChar wrote: »

Not trying to take over, but you all have me wanting to try nutritional yeast now 😃! Can you buy nutritional yeast at the grocery store or do you need to go to a vitamin/supplement/health food store?

Oh no worries at all! We're all here to learn.

I bought mine online; needed a little bit more to hit the free shipping option so I figured I'd give it a go.

stephie_nyc

Oooh I haven't had nooch in so long. Used to be a staple. Now I want some.

I like it on my salads. I use La Morena chipotle sauce as a dressing when it's mixed with nutritional yeast it gets a thicker texture and that cheesy taste. It's great in eggs too. I also liked it sprinkled on cucumbers as a snack.

ridiculous59

I used to eat nutritional yeast a lot, when I was eating a 100% plant based diet a long time ago. I've since returned to being an "omnivore" so had forgotten about it, till I happened upon this thread. So then I had to go out and buy a bag! I put some in the bowl of homemade broccoli soup I had for lunch yesterday and it was definitely a nice addition. Thanks for starting this thread

MikePfirrman

I use it mostly on popcorn (my wife and daughter go nuts over it) and in my vegan mac and cheese. If you've never had vegan mac and cheese, it's amazing if you make it right. A few yukon golds, half an onion, a few carrots and some garlic roasted. Add the roasted veggies, a whole can of coconut milk (full fat), 2 TSP or so of Nutritional Yeast, a tsp or so of mustard, hot sauce to taste and around a cup of soaked cashews (the amount of salt I add depends on if I can find raw cashews, which can be tricky to find). I also add in a tsp of tapioca or potato starch (I'm celiac).

I fry the cheese sauce and prepped mac (I have to use GF) in a large skillet with vegan butter until browned at the bottom. Then put in bowls and spinkle with GF breadcrumbs and more melted vegan margarine.

Not exactly low calorie but it's amazing. I'll sometimes take the carrots out and add in green chilis or drizzle with truffle oil.

stacydc83

I love nutritional yeast! It tastes amazing on salads, and I add it my spaghetti sauce, it's become a staple for my sauce

concordancia

I got it for my husband when he had to go dairy free. He mostly uses it on pasta, to replace his parmesan. I occasionally add it to salads or sandwiches, since we rarely have cheese in the house these days.

penguinmama87

One other success I had this week with it was adding to my regular veggie dip, which I normally make with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and whatever spices I feel like. It added a really nice flavor and the kids really liked it too.