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!
