Cooking with flax seed and nutritional yeast

[natural_mama4]

I want to start using more flax seed and nutritional yeast when cooking. I'm hypoglycemic and I've recently read that the nutritional yeast is very helpful for keeping your blood sugar up and level. I buy flax seed and grind it right before using, and I've been using both flax and nutritional yeast in my homemade wheat bread. I want to use both more often in things like crackers, quick breads, pancakes, etc but I can't seem to find information on how much to use of each, if I can overdo it with the two, and if I should be replacing some or all of another ingredient, or just simply adding them in, or if it just depends on the recipe. Any tips are greatly appreciated!

Thanks
~M~

[Steve Kroll]

I make a lot of homemade bread and always add fresh ground flax seed - even to white breads. You don't want to change the moisture content, so just replace up to a quarter cup of the flour with ground flax. Same with wheat germ. I haven't used brewer's yeast, but I would certainly think the concept is the same.

[CWS4322]

You can mix ground flax seed with yogurt smoothies.

[Dawgluver]

I've added ground flax seed to casseroles, meatloaf, oatmeal bars, yogurt. It can be used as a substitute for eggs in baked goods.

[Barbara L]

Ground flax seed can be added to pretty much anything. I have even added it to spaghetti sauce.

[natural_mama4]

Thanks everyone! I've been replacing 1/4 of the flour with ground flax in my bread and throwing in 2 TB of nutritional yeast. I didn't think about adding flax meal to so many different things. It sounds like adding it in isn't an exact science as long as you keep the moisture content right with baked goods. I wonder if you can overdo it with eating flax?

I'm hoping to hear more about nutritional yeast. I originally read about it when I found it in a lactation cookie recipe, and then found its other health benefits including helping with low blood sugar. The cookie recipe called for 2TB and since the cookie and bread dough amounts were similar I started out with 2TB in my bread. I'm just wondering if I'm using too much or not enough, and if you can overdo eating nutritional yeast.

Thanks again for all the help so far! I stumbled upon this site a couple weeks ago and I love it!

[Steve Kroll]

Originally Posted by natural_mama4

...I wonder if you can overdo it with eating flax?

Like anything else, I think it's probably best to enjoy in moderation. Who knows. Next year they will probably come out with a study showing that flax is bad for you and that we should all be eating more bacon.

[PrincessFiona60]

Nutritional yeast is mostly that wide spectrum of B vitamins, they are water soluble vitamins so it is difficult to get too much. High niacin can cause flushing/ hot flash, but there really is no upper limit noted for the B vitamins. If you like the nutritional yeast, use it.

[natural_mama4]

Thank you everyone!

Does anyone know of a general ratio of how much nutritional yeast to use in recipes to get benefits from it, or would any amount be beneficial? For example is 1 or 2 TB in a 2 loaf bread recipe enough?

[sparrowgrass]

I put nutritional yeast on my popcorn, and a couple tablespoons in mac and cheese (or probably any other cheesy dish) is good.

Ground flax can go in bread, muffins, cookies. Sprinkle it on yogurt or on cereal--hot or cold.