Enjoying the paleo diet is rather easy since you don’t have to part with so many things you are used to eating. The only things you have to say goodbye to are things that are no good for you.
The idea behind the paleo diet is that people nowadays are struggling with weight because they are not eating right. Cavemen had a small fat percent in the body – meaning, their diet was balanced to perfection.
The paleo diet itself is more of a lifestyle – since it requires changes for the better – not only for the time being. The idea is to have a healthy body, and weight loss will follow.
Do keep in mind that you will be faced with problems when eating the paleo diet. Don’t worry – it happens with any type of diet. For example, can you eat yeast extract on paleo?
It may seem to you that you cannot – or that you can, but all in all, you don’t know for sure. To find out can you eat yeast extract on paleo, among many more things, continue reading our article!
See Also: Can You Eat Yeast On Paleo?
Can You Eat Yeast Extract On Paleo?
You already know that it can be rather tough to change your eating habits – especially if you didn’t look to change them up until now. Paleo is pretty easy to follow once you get the hang of it – but it can be difficult in the beginning, like everything else.
The important part of following a diet is following it word for word. If you’re not sure about a particular food item, you should always take your time to check it out before you eat it.
The same thing is with the yeast extract. It may seem safe – but is it? Can you eat yeast extract on paleo?
So, without any further ado, yes, you can eat yeast extract while on paleo. It’s completely safe and may even be healthy for you.
Yeast extract is safe to consume on the paleo diet, just like the regular yeast. It may seem like cavemen didn’t consume yeast at all – but that’s not true.
Cavemen didn’t consume yeast or yeast extract in the exact form, but they consumed yeast in food. Vegetables don’t contain much yeast, but they do contain a modest amount.
So, there is nothing wrong with using yeast extract when you’re on paleo. It could even be beneficial to your health, and it’s good to know you can use it even when following the paleo diet!
One more thing: while yeast extract is excellent to use on standard paleo, it’s not suitable for the AIP diet. AIP stands for autoimmune protocol – meaning, it’s a diet suitable for reducing inflammation. The AIP diet can also reduce other symptoms caused by autoimmune disorders.
What Is Yeast Extract?
Yeast extract is a familiar term for many people – but let’s explain what yeast extract is for those that may not know. Yeast extract consists of cell contents of regular yeast, but without the cell walls.
Yeast extract is commonly used as a food additive or flavoring, or even as nutrients for bacterial culture media. Yeast extract is often used to add a savory flavor and even an umami taste.
It can be found on the ingredients list many crackers, snacks, gravy, stock, broth, and even frozen foods. Because of vitamin B12, yeast extract is an important part of vegans’ and vegetarians’ diets.
Yeast extract contains glutamic acid – an amino acid responsible for the umami, savory taste – and it can be even found in various other fermented foods. Glutamic acid is also found in cheese, mushrooms, meat, and veggies like tomatoes and broccoli.
Yeast extract has three most common forms – liquid, light paste, and dry powder. Despite looking similar, yeast extract shouldn’t be confused with nutritious yeast, as it’s not the same.
Yeast extract is made by heating yeast cells – until they rupture. Once the cells rupture, the cells’ digestive enzymes break the proteins in the yeast down.
The proteins are made into simpler compounds like amino acids and peptides. This process is called autolysis.
Once the process is done, the cell walls are separated with centrifuge force. Then, they are filtered out and spray dried.
Using Yeast Extract In Cooking Paleo Meals
When you start cooking paleo meals, you will find it’s not as easy at the start. Many ingredients that people usually use to cook with are not allowed on paleo.
That can result in some frustrations first, but don’t let that stop you. The first thing you should keep in mind is that you shouldn’t use regular cooking oil.
Regular cooking oil is not going to cut it when you’re following the paleo diet – and it doesn’t offer any health benefits. You should swap it out for some omega-6 rich oils like peanut oil and grapeseed oil.
Also, if you’re on a low-sodium diet, the yeast extract can deepen the taste of any dish you like. Thankfully, there is a whole lot of different ways you can use yeast extract when you’re on the paleo diet.
You can add it to stews, soups, various sauces, marinated meat, and savory meals. The versatility of the yeast extract allows you to use it any way you like – since it just adds some more flavor to the meal.
Since the taste is somewhat savory, it will work best in soups and sauces. However, don’t let that stop you from using yeast extract in a meal that is more unorthodox than that.
Nutritional Value Of The Yeast Extract
When it comes to nutrition, yeast extract doesn’t offer a lot of nutrients. The first thing and the most important thing about the yeast extract is that it adds taste to the meal.
Let’s check out the nutritional value of 1 teaspoon of yeast extract:
| Calories | 11 kcal |
| Total fat | 0.1g |
| Total carbohydrate | 1.2g |
| Dietary fiber | 0.4g |
| Sugars | 0.1g |
| Sodium | 177.7mg |
| Potassium | 126mg |
So, we can see that in just one teaspoon, yeast extract contains a solid amount of dietary fiber. Fiber is necessary for every diet because it boosts metabolism, and aids weight loss.
Apart from that, yeast extract doesn’t contain much carbs or fat, which is a good sign. If you’re looking to drop some pounds, you should keep away from carbs!
Benefits Of Using Yeast Extract
Using yeast extract doesn’t offer some great health benefits per se, but it doesn’t mean it’s not useful. Using yeast extract in your meals can be a great addition for a few reasons, and we’ll talk more about those in this section.
Sugar Reduction
Because the yeast extract brings a long-lasting sensation to the table. Using yeast extract can make the caramel, vanilla, or chocolate taste even better.
When you add yeast extract to dessert, it can reduce sugar up to 30%. That is, without losing the sweet note from the meal.
Salt Reduction
Salt is something many people avoid – many disorders require a low-sodium diet. That’s where yeast extract comes in – since it adds flavor without the extra sodium.
Since it’s savory and umami, it gives the meal amazing flavor notes. If you can’t handle excessive salt, consider using yeast extract more often.
Fat Reduction
With certain fats and oils comes taste. That taste comes with a cost of extra calories and it’s generally unhealthy.
The richness of taste achieved with fats can be achieved with peptides in yeast extracts. You can use up to half less oil to achieve that perfect texture and taste perception when using yeast extract to make up for oil.
So, we can safely conclude that using yeast extract for foods saves up on calories. If you are looking for weight loss tips, using yeast extract could be helping you become slimmer!
Do keep in mind that yeast extract is not another name for nutritional yeast. Nutritious yeast may offer real benefits to your health – much more than yeast extract.
These two are not to be considered synonyms. Nutritious yeast isn’t ‘extracted’ – it’s used in its full, but dried form.
Can You Eat Yeast Extract On Paleo? – Final Words
To conclude, you can eat yeast extract while on paleo. It’s perfectly safe to do so, and it can be useful, too!
Yeast extract adds some fullness to any flavor, and some savor, too. It will work great in dishes as well as some desserts.
Do keep in mind that the yeast extract doesn’t offer many benefits to your health besides reducing the need for oils, sugar, and salt. If you’re looking for a product that will provide your body with some nourishment, you should be looking for nutritious yeast in your local supermarket.