Food Recommendation of the Week: Try Nutritional Yeast Flakes!

Picture Source: http://creativebioscience.com/blog/healthy-flavorful-cheese-substitutes-and-alternatives/

It may not sound too appetizing, but nutritional yeast is actually a quite flavorful and super nutritious “seasoning.” For vegans, nutritional yeast is really the only source of Vitamin B 12 since that vitamin is typically only found in animal products (yeast is a fungi). This yeast tastes kind of cheesy and salty, so it acts as a great seasoning to flavor pasta dishes, eggs, even popcorn! If you Google nutritional yeast, I guarantee lots of faux-cheese and macaroni and “cheese” dishes will come up.

Why do I love it? I love the stuff because it is a great way to cut sodium out of your diet, by using this to flavor food instead of salt and/or cheese. It is also LOADED with B vitamins, so no need to take that supplement- just add a tbsp of this stuff to your diet! It is also a very dense form of fiber (4 g) and protein (8g) per 2 tbsp serving. This stuff is definitely a super food that everyone should try.

Nutrition info: Serving size= 2 heaping tablespoons

60 calories, 1 g fat, 5 mg sodium, 7 g carb (4 g fiber!), 8 g protein, 4 % DV iron, 640% DV Thiamin, 565% DV Riboflavin, 480% DV Vit B6, 60% DV Folate, 133% Dv Vit B12, and a good source of phosphorus, zinc, selenium, and biotin. Source: http://www.bulkfoods.com/nutritional_yeast.htm

My recommendations: Purchase nutritional yeast in the bulk bins at Whole Foods- that is where you will find the cheapest version. You can also buy it packaged or online, but it will be more expensive. In bulk, it is very cheap and you don’t need to use much to get major health benefits. So, I recommend on your next shopping trip to pick up a little baggy of this stuff and try it on something that you might normally sprinkle parmesan cheese on.

The FIRST ingredient should start with “Whole” when it comes to grains!

Food manufacturers are really good at tricking the public into thinking that the food they are eating is healthy, especially when it comes to grains. In particular, snack manufactures trick those people trying to make health conscious decisions by calling products “multigrain” or even “whole grain” crackers or chips, when they are not even close! For example, Stacy’s Multigrain Pita Chips, “Whole Grain” Ritz Crackers, and Lance Whole Grain Peanut Butter crackers all have “Enriched Wheat Flour” (i.e: white, refined flour) as their FIRST ingredient. Rye is technically a whole grain, but good luck finding a whole grain rye bread at the supermarket. Every sliced rye bread I have found on store shelves has “enriched wheat flour” as the first ingredient. The only true rye bread I have found at a grocery store is the Mestemacher brick of a bread loaf. 

Whole grains are incredibly important to health because of their antioxidant, phytonutrient, fiber, and vitamin and mineral makeup. Whole grains are essential to expedite weight loss and for people looking to maintain weight loss. Eating refined grains won’t do you any good, so do your best to make it a habit to look at the ingredients when purchasing products. Don’t fall into the marketing tricks!

My recommendation: Try new grains! Get more adventurous than just whole wheat flour, whole grain corn, brown rice, and wild rice- though they are all very nutritious. Try quinoa, farro, oats, barley, bulgur, spelt, teff, amaranth, millet, etc- many of which are found in the bulk bins at Whole Foods! I also recommend making your own bread. It really isn't that difficult to do. Try making your own homemade roti, which requires no yeast and can be made in a matter of minutes. Whole Wheat Beer Bread is also a crowd pleaser, and very easy to make (I recommend using ALL whole wheat flour, or whole wheat pastry flour). Becoming more domestic will make you a healthier, richer person!

Make Vinegar Your Favorite Condiment!

         

         Last year I went to an oil and vinegar tasting in Napa Valley that changed my life. Who knew that vinegar is good on its own? There is no need to add oil or anything else if you have a high-quality, well-aged vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is made from white grapes that are boiled down to concentrate the sugars then fermented in wooden casks, similar to whisky or wine. Typically, the longer the aging process, the sweeter the vinegar.

        You should look for vinegar where the only ingredient is vinegar. Many cheaper varieties add some form of sugar through fruit concentrates and/or caramel coloring. 1 tbsp of vinegar has anywhere from 0-25 calories/tbsp… the more concentrated the sugar, the more calories it will have. However, the sweeter the vinegar, the better it tastes, and the less you need.

        My Recommendations: Try finding balsamic vinegar that is aged at least 20 years and attempt to use that on salads without oil (you can use avocado to get in your healthy fats & creaminess!). Aged balsamic is more expensive, but it is definitely worth it for the fabulous flavor it brings to food. Add balsamic to eggs, salads, pasta, whatever needs more flavor! Doing this is a great way to add flavor to food without adding fat, salt, or artificial ingredients. You can also experiment with other types of vinegars such as white balsamic, apple-cider, orange-muscat and more! I do not recommend experimenting with vinegar if you have issues with reflux or IBS, as vinegar (acid) will just irritate those conditions.