**Production Process:**
– Nutritional yeast is produced by culturing yeast in a nutrient medium for several days.
– The primary ingredient in the growth medium is glucose, often from sugarcane or beet molasses.
– The yeast is killed with heat, harvested, washed, dried, and packaged.
– The species of yeast used is often a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
– Cultured strains exhibit different characteristics from those used in baking and brewing.
**Nutritional Value:**
– Nutritional values vary among manufacturers.
– Two tablespoons provide 60 calories, 5g carbs, and 4g fiber.
– A serving offers 9g of complete protein with all essential amino acids.
– Fortified yeast provides 20% of iron, while unfortified provides 5%.
– Unfortified yeast offers 35-100% of vitamins B1 and B2.
**Uses and Benefits:**
– Nutritional yeast is popular with vegans and vegetarians.
– It is a significant source of B-complex vitamins.
– Often used as a cheese substitute in various dishes.
– Can be found in the bulk aisle of natural food stores.
– Contains trace amounts of vitamins and minerals.
– Some brands are fortified with vitamin B12.
– Provides a strong umami taste in dishes.
– Used to prevent vitamin deficiency in inadequately fed individuals.
– Different from yeast extract, which is water-soluble.
**References:**
– FoodData Central #1946780.
– United States Food and Drug Administration resources.
– Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium by National Academies.
– Published articles and books discussing nutritional yeast.
– Manufacturer and brand-specific nutritional information sources.
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– Dney Trist
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**Prominent Vegan Advocates and Celebrities:**
– Dney Trist
– Jon Wynne-Tyson
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– Nava Atlas
– Mayim Bialik
– BOSH!
Nutritional yeast (also known as nooch) is a deactivated (i.e. dead) yeast, often a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, that is sold commercially as a food product. It is sold in the form of yellow flakes, granules, or powder and can be found in the bulk aisle of most natural food stores. It is popular with vegans and vegetarians and may be used as an ingredient in recipes or as a condiment.
| Nutritional value per 15 g | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 250 kJ (60 kcal) |
5 g | |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Dietary fibre | 3 g |
0.5 g | |
8 g | |
| Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
| Thiamine (B1) | 992% 11.9 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 746% 9.7 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | 288% 46 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 347% 5.9 mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 733% 17.6 μg |
| Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
| Calcium | 0% 6 mg |
| Iron | 6% 1 mg |
| Potassium | 1% 25 mg |
| Sodium | 1% 25 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
Bob's Red Mill brand, manufacturer reported values.
See also SR LEGACY data for yeast (active dry #1103594) for an idea about pre-fortification values and nutrients not reported above. SR surveys are performed by unbiased USDA personnel. | |
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. | |
It is a significant source of some B-complex vitamins and contains trace amounts of several other vitamins and minerals. Sometimes nutritional yeast is fortified with vitamin B12, another reason it is popular with vegans.
Nutritional yeast has a strong flavor that is described as nutty or cheesy, which makes it popular as an ingredient in cheese substitutes. It is often used by vegans in place of cheese in, for example, mashed and fried potatoes or scrambled tofu, or as a topping for popcorn.
In Australia, it is sometimes sold as "savoury yeast flakes". Though "nutritional yeast" usually refers to commercial products, inadequately fed prisoners of war have used "home-grown" yeast to prevent vitamin deficiency. Nutritional yeast is a whole-cell inactive yeast that contains both soluble and insoluble parts, which is different from yeast extract. Yeast extract is made by centrifuging inactive nutritional yeast and concentrating the water-soluble yeast cell proteins which are rich in glutamic acid, nucleotides, and peptides, the flavor compounds responsible for umami taste.