What Is Nutritional Yeast?

I remember when I first saw nutritional yeast as an ingredient in a recipe. I found the name more than a little off-putting, and I couldn’t imagine what this would add to my dish except for vitamins — maybe. But if you haven’t tasted it before — spoiler alert – it’s actually delicious!

 I recently picked up this bag at Trader Joes and tried it and to my surprise LOVED it!

What Is Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional Yeast is a deactivated yeast related to brewer’s yeast, which is used as a fermentation agent in beer making. The yeast is grown on a food source — some brands use molasses — then harvested, heated, dried and crumbled. This process deactivates the yeast, and creates a wonderfully nutty, tasty and versatile ingredient.

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.

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It’s Called Nutritional Because…

Just one tablespoon of nutritional yeast can contain*:

• 180% Daily Value B1 (Thiamine)
• 160% Daily Value B2 (Riboflavin)
• 70% Daily Value B3 (Niacin)
• 140% Daily Value B6 (Pyridoxine)
• 40% Daily Value Folic Acid
• 40% Daily Value B12
• 3 grams protein
• 1 gram fiber

B vitamins help support the immune and nervous systems and help us convert food into the store of energy that we depend on each day. 

Come on, Does It Really Taste Good?

Nutritional yeast tastes as delicious as it is nutritious. I sprinkled on my salad, and rice an beans so far but Ive heard its delicious on pop corn too!

Where Can You Buy Nutritional Yeast?

You can find Nutritional Yeast in the bulk bin section. The beauty of buying it that way is that you can buy just 1/4 cup to try it out or more than a pound if you love it as much as I do. You can also find packaged nutritional yeast, like Bragg Nutritional Yeast Seasoning, in the spice aisle. I found mine at Trader Joes!

Special Diet Concerns for Nutritional Yeast

Most nutritional yeast is vegetarian, gluten-free and paleo-friendly. Some nutritional yeast can be grown on whey, so be sure to look for a dairy-free or vegan label on the package if you have an allergy.

How to Use Nutritional Yeast

Start with small amounts of nutritional yeast when modifying your favorite recipes. Stir a few tablespoons into a pot of soup, taste, and add more until it’s just right for you. You can also sprinkle over your popcorn or favorite pasta — just like you would Parmesan cheese,

Let me know how you like it!

Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet Hash

Ahh since being diagnosed with celiacs Im on a mission to find yummy recipes I can make that the whole family will love and this one did just that!

The yummy combo of sweet potato, cheese, cilantro and turkey sounded odd at first but they all blended so well together. Next time I would double the amount of protein though so that there would be more meat than carbs in general.

Ingredients

US CUSTOMARY - METRIC

•  2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
•  1 lbs grass-fed extra-lean ground turkey
•  1 tsp garlic clove — minced
•  ½ cup onions — diced
•  ½ cup yellow pepper — diced
•  1 ½ cups sweet potato — diced
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•  A pinch of smoked cumin
•  A pinch of smoked paprika
•   ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
•  Fresh cilantro for garnishing

Instructions

1. In an skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add ground turkey and garlic. Use a wood spoon breaking up the turkey while it cooks. Stir occasionally and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add onions and yellow peppers and cook until onions are soft.
4. Add the sweet potato and other spices.
5. Cover the skillet and cook until they are tender. Don’t forget to stir occasionally. If necessary, add more olive oil or a little bit of water to cook the sweet potato faster.
6. While the sweet potato is cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
7. When the sweet potato is tender, add shredded cheese and bring the skillet to the oven to melt the cheese* (see note below).
8. When the cheese melts, remove from the oven, and garnish with cilantro.

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