Nutritional Yeast: Your New Best Friend

Don't be thrown off by the name "nutritional yeast."  This tasty product has been used for ages - particularly among the vegan and vegetarian community - but is becoming increasingly popular among omnivores.

Nutritional yeast is essentially yeast - the kind that helps bread rise.  However, it does not taste like yeast.  The strong, beer-like flavor is substituted for a nutty, cheesy one once the active yeast has been deactivated. This deactivation process kills the yeast with heat, then it is crumbled into flake or powdered form.

 

Its name is very appropriate - nutritional yeast is a great source of protein, containing essential amino acids; it's full of vitamins, especially B-complex vitamins (and is often times fortified with vitamin B-12), and it's low in fat and sodium.

Not sure how to use nutritional yeast?  No problem.  You can start out using it as a cheese-flavor substitute - think of swapping out your grated parmesan cheese for some nutritional yeast flakes to sprinkle on pasta and pizza.  It can be used as a flavored thickening agent when making gravies, sauces, and macaroni and cheese dishes.  Use it with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and tahini (sesame seed paste) to make a homemade salad dressing.  The possibilities are endless!

If you're in the market for some nutritional yeast, Bob's Red Mill sells it, which may be available in your grocery store.  Otherwise,  local health food stores tend to carry it in bulk.  St. Louis residents frequent Local Harvest for their nutritional yeast fix.

Go forth and discover your favorite use for nutritional yeast!

Sources: BulkFoods.com and Huffington Post