If you’ve been hearing about nutritional yeast a lot lately, you are not alone. While nutritional yeast has been around for a long time, the rise of veganism has put this product in the spotlight possibly more than ever. So what is nutritional yeast, and do you need it in your life, even if you’re not a vegan? Let’s take a look.
What Is Nutritional Yeast?
The scientific name for nutritional yeast is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This is the same type of yeast used for brewing beer and for baking, but the yeast is processed differently for each use. In nutritional yeast, the yeast cells are not alive in the final product.
Nutritional yeast comes in both Fortified and Unfortified varieties. As you might imagine, unfortified nutritional yeast contains only the vitamins and minerals found naturally in the yeast, while fortified varieties are enhanced with additional nutrients during the manufacturing process. You’ll be able to tell if a yeast is fortified or unfortified by the ingredients list on the packaging.
You can find nutritional yeast in grocery or health food stores in the following forms:
- Powder
- Granules
- Flakes
Benefits of Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast has loads of health benefits, which I’ll get to in a second, but first, if you’re following any sort of healthy living diet, you’ll appreciate knowing nutritional yeast is:
- Fat-free
- Sugar-free
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
- Low in sodium
- Low in calories
- Generally safe (unless you have a yeast allergy)
- Easy to find and use
And nutrtional yeast can add extra:
- Protein (it contains all 9 essential amino acids that humans need to get from food)
- B vitamins
- Trace minerals like zinc, selenium, and manganese
- Antioxidants
- Flavor
According to studies, other potential health benefits of nutritional yeast may include:
- Helping to protect your cells from free-radicals, thanks to powerful antioxidants
- Lowering your cholesterol
- Boosting your immunity
How To Use Nutritional Yeast
Sold on the benefits of this easy-to-add nutritional supplement? Here’s how to incorporate it into your daily life.
- Sprinkle it on or in just about anything
- Use it to thicken sauces and dressings
- Create a “cheese” sauce (many vegans love this and you can find simple recipes all over the web)
Be sure to refer to the product packaging or website for serving sizes and other suggested uses. Get creative! There are loads of options.
Do you use nutritional yeast regularly? What’s your favorite way to use it? Leave a comment below. I love hearing your ideas!
Here’s another great product to add to your daily diet.
Love decadent chocolate flavor but worry about added sugar? Try Cacao Bliss from Earth Echo. It’s made from ceremonial-grade raw cacao infused with potent superfoods to support natural energy, mental clarity, and a healthy inflammatory response.* You can use Cacao Bliss to create warm or cold drinks, whip up incredible healthy smoothies, and you can even bake with it. Order your pouch of Cacao Bliss here.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
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