Nutritional Yeast
It’s the ‘Secret’ to our G.O.D Vegan Cheese… But What is it & Where Did it Come From?
Nutritional Yeast* is obsessively loved by Vegans everywhere because it’s SUPER yummy and nutritionally dense, including some powerful vitamins that can be limited on a vegan diet…. vitamins that Vegans (and Non-Vegans) need.
*Affectionately know as ‘Noosh’
It has a cheesy, nutty flavor and can be used as a seasoning, topping, or ingredient in various recipes… it’s the ‘Secret‘ to our Vegan Cheese in the Garden of Dreams… in our Vegan Cheese Paninis… in the Vegan Cauliflower Cheese in our Buddha Bowl… and one of the ‘secrets’ to our delicious vegan bacon in the Vegan Fuel-Up Breakfast.
Nutritional Yeast: Including ALL Nine Essential Amino Acids, Making It a COMPLETE Protein
Essential Amino Acids are not synthesized by mammals and therefore must be obtained through dietary sources. These amino acids are crucial for various bodily functions, including building and repairing tissues, producing enzymes, and maintaining our overall health.
A complete protein source contains all nine essential amino acids in sufficient quantities, which Nutritional Yeast does.
Nutritional Yeast is a Vegan Staple for it’s high nutritional content, being especially RICH in the B Vitamins: B1, B3, B5, B6 and B7. Nutritional Yeast is often also fortified with Vitamin B12 but this one does not occur naturally.
The B Vitamins are a group of eight water soluble vitamins that are essential vitamins to humans health and well being (and to stay young).
Vitamin B6 is essential for healthy mind and body, boosting immune systems, protecting hearts and regulating the brains happy chemicals… boosting serotonin production, the happy chemical in your brain.
It helps our bodies to store energy from protein and carbohydrates and aids in the formation of haemoglobin, supplying our bodies with oxygen. Vitamin B6 is a vital element in many enzyme reactions as well as protein and blood cell metabolisms.
Vegetarians and vegans should be aware of where they are getting B6 from because it is mainly obtained from meat products
Nutritional yeast is also naturally super high in Molybdenum.
Molybdenum is an essential mineral (brain damage and death occur without it!) I’d call that essential!
It’s roll is to ease apart proteins into amino acids for absorption… as well as breaking down alcohol and other toxic substances that enter the body (Detox).
If you’re eating ‘Noosh’ (Nutritional Yeast) you’re likely getting plenty of this miracle mineral while enjoying it.
That ‘Cheesy’ Flavour of Nutritional Yeast
It is the natural Nutritional Yeast flavour that gives the cheesey taste in our G.O.D Vegan Cheese.
It’s an AMAZING seasoning that can simply be sprinkled on many dishes, used in Vegan Cheese Sauces… in fact it’s uses are many and up to the limit of your imagination.
Add it to chili, oil, coconut yogurt, salads… I’ve yet to find something it doesn’t go with.
Nutritional Yeast:
- High in Protein (All essential Amino Acids)
- Rich in B Vitamins
- High in Zinc and Molybundum.
But what is this stuff… where did it come from?
But what is it, you may ask… Nutritional Yeast is a deactivated (dead) yeast, often the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain.
The use of yeast can be seen as far back as the ancient Egypt… where it was used for leavening bread.
Deactivating yeast to create ‘Nutritional Yeast’ (the inactive counterpart to bread yeast) was discovered about 100 years ago…
Washed, pasteurized and heat-dried. The final pasteurization and drying deactivates the yeast so it can no longer be used as a raising agent.
Nutritional yeast is made through a multi-step process:
- Yeast Cultivation: A specific strain of yeast, often Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is grown in a controlled environment. The yeast is fed a nutrient-rich medium to promote rapid growth.
- Harvesting: Once the yeast has reached a desired level of growth, it is harvested. This involves separating the yeast cells from the growth medium.
- Deactivation: The harvested yeast is then deactivated, typically by heat or acid. This process kills the yeast cells, preventing them from fermenting.
- Drying: The deactivated yeast is dried to remove excess moisture. This can be done through methods like spray-drying or drum drying.
- Fortification (Optional): Some nutritional yeast products are fortified with additional nutrients, such as vitamin B12, zinc and selenium. This is done to enhance their nutritional profile and make them more appealing to certain dietary groups.
- Packaging: The dried and (optionally) fortified yeast is then packaged into containers for sale. It is often sold in flakes or powder form.
How is it so good for us?
Once the yeast is deactivated, it releases amino acids.
Because yeast needs the same vitamins and amino acids as we do. Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (nutritional yeast) makes it’s own ‘amino-acids’ and vitamins… ones that we need and benefit from while nomming the Noosh.
Promoted (and rightly so) as a health food, sometimes Nutritional Yeast is ‘fortified’ with synthetic vitamins.
So you may think you’re simply buying a natural ingredient and actually you find its fortified* with synthetic ingredients.
*fortified means ‘Strengthened’ but what if that’s the opposite of what’s happened!
What if synthetic nutrients, artificially made in an industrial process… are actually Bad! (explore that rabbit hole as you wish).
The Garden of Dreams Nutritional Yeast
We believe Nature knows best.
That’s why the Garden of Dreams Nutritional Yeast is 100% whole food with zero synthetics added.
Our Nutritional Yeast is made by Engevita, the first Nutritional Yeast producer in Europe… produced to a high standard… known and loved worldwide.
It’s organic and GMO free.
Enjoy it in the Garden of Dreams vegan dishes… take it home with you to make your meals more tasty… or take it out with you, to season more of your food.
Ask at the counter for more information.