Ways to use nutritional yeast

Nutritional Yeast. What is it? What a horrible name? Do you eat it? These are very common and legit questions and here is the deal.

According to Wikipedia:

Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast , usually Saccharomyces cerevisiae . ^[1] Along with edible mushrooms , it is a fungus . The scientific work of Louis Pasteur made it possible to isolate yeast in pure culture form. ^[2] Nutritional yeast is produced by culturing the yeast with a mixture of sugarcane and beet molasses for a period of 7 days and then harvesting, washing, drying and packaging it. It is commercially available in the form of flakes or as a yellow powder similar in texture to cornmeal , 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 . ^[3]

It is a source of protein and vitamins, especially the B-complex vitamins, and is a complete protein . It is also naturally low in fat and sodium and is free of sugar , dairy , and gluten . Some brands of nutritional yeast, though not all, are fortified with vitamin B12 . When fortified, the vitamin B12 is produced separately (commonly Cyanocobalamin ) and then added to the yeast.[ citation needed ].

So… now that you know what it is and why it’s good for you, here are a few things you can do with it.

Nutritional yeast has a thin texture and a cheesy or nutty flavor that makes it a great cheese (esp. parmesan) substitute.

Ways to use nutritional yeast:

1. Sprinkle it on popcorn with a little olive oil and salt to give it a cheesy flavor.

2. Add it to cooked broccoli or on the top of veggie lasagna.

3. Mix it into scrambled eggs with a little spinach for a tasty and filling omlette.

4. Sprinkle it on some fresh pasta from the farmer’s market.

5. Mix it with a little peanut butter and sugar for the center of a homemade pb cup.

Really you can sprinkle it or use it in place of parmesan in any recipe for a slightly different flavor and taste! It’s great if you have having vegan company over!