Nutritional Yeast! So good AND good for you!

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CoryIda
CoryIda Posts: 7,887 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am a big fan of nutritional yeast, but most people I know have never even heard of it!

My favorite way to eat it is on popcorn, but I don't eat that very often anymore. I put some on my sandwich today and it provided awesome flavor to an otherwise pretty bland lunch (whole wheat bread, turkey, tomatoes). Other great uses for it include sprinkling it on salad, drizzling a little EVOO on whole grain pasta or rice or whatever grain you make and then tossing some yeast in for flavor, and sprinking on toast (I also like it on peanut butter toast but that's another thing I don't have very often).

Nutritional yeast has a slightly cheesy, slightly nutty flavor. It is gluten free, dairy free, and is an excellent source of protein, especially for vegetarians. It also is packed with fiber, folic acid, and vitamins, especially B-complex vitamins.

It also has only 45 calories and 1 gram of fat in approximately 2 heaping tablespoons.

For more info: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/1323565/2

Anyone else tried it in or on any other foods? I was thinking of adding some to my chicken broth the next time I make soup!

Replies

  • springgrl
    springgrl Posts: 168 Member
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    I use it with Miso pretty routinely to make my veggie broth. Basically boil some broth friendly vegetables in around 6-8 cups of water, strain, add 2-4 tbsp of miso and around 1/3 cup of nutritional yeast.
  • BOGmama2010
    BOGmama2010 Posts: 599 Member
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    I use 2 T of it with a block of light tofu, broccoli, onions, mustard, and a little salt for a main dish. My sons are allergic to cheese, so I use it in a cashew cheese sauce as well (with tahini, cashews, onion and garlic powder, water, salt, lemon juice) but that one isn't very low fat or low calorie.
  • LaSirena29
    LaSirena29 Posts: 84
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    I'm a huge Nutritional Yeast fan. So much so, people are probably sick of hearing me talk about it. I always add it to my popcorn. I use it in place of Parmesan cheese, sometimes mixed half & half. The first time I ever used it was in a recipe for veggie pot pies. You added the yeast to thicken the gravy. I've been hooked ever since. Other ways I eat it:

    Toss veggies with olive oil & roast them. Toss with yeast when they come out of the oven (particularly good with mushrooms)
    In my mashed potatoes
    Stir into dips & dressings for veggies
    Stirred into soups & broths (thickens soups)
    Sprinkled on scrambled egg whites

    I haven't tried it on sandwiches, but now I'm going to. My favorite part of eating it on popcorn is licking my finger & sticking it in the leftovers in the bottom of the bowl (that might gross some of you out, but I've washed my hands & I'm the only one eating it:blushing: ).
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    I LOVE this stuff! I haven't done too much experimentation, but I use it in my Seitan recipe ( http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=15959&p=1 ), and I also mix it with canned tuna and egg whites to make a tuna pancake that is much more pancake like that it is without the yeast.
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,887 Member
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    I haven't tried it on sandwiches, but now I'm going to. My favorite part of eating it on popcorn is licking my finger & sticking it in the leftovers in the bottom of the bowl (that might gross some of you out, but I've washed my hands & I'm the only one eating it:blushing: ).

    I do the same thing!

    I'm allergic to milk products so I also like that it has a slightly cheesy flavor. :)
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    I use 2 T of it with a block of light tofu, broccoli, onions, mustard, and a little salt for a main dish. My sons are allergic to cheese, so I use it in a cashew cheese sauce as well (with tahini, cashews, onion and garlic powder, water, salt, lemon juice) but that one isn't very low fat or low calorie.

    Ooh - I may have to try that sauce! I've been trying to find a nutritional yeast sauce that doesn't include flour... sounds like this might be a winner! I hadn't though to mix it with tahini - I have some in my fridge now (homemade).
  • Deborahmarieoneill
    Deborahmarieoneill Posts: 8
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    Is marmite a nutritional yeast? I love marmite, but is very salty.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    Is marmite a nutritional yeast? I love marmite, but is very salty.

    Marmite is a yeast product, made from a yeast extract. Nutritional yeast is a complete, deactivated yeast that is not salty at all (only 5mg per serving - 2 Tbsp).

    http://www.bulkfoods.com/yeast.htm

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