Nutritional yeast is a non-active yeast commonly found on molasses and then drained and crushed into flakes or powder. It is known for having a cheesy taste and is high in health benefits. It is mostly used in vegan dishes as a cheese substitute. It has just 20 calories per tablespoon and packed with protein. Many brands are also high in vitamin-B (a vitamin that is found in animal products and therefore is lacked in vegan and vegetarian diets) and gluten-free.
You can easily replace grated cheese in recipes with nutritional yeast. However please note that is strong and therefore a little goes a long way. Some great examples are on popcorn, chips, baked veggies, and pasta.
For more information and recipe ideas here are some great inspiration links:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/get-know-nutritional-yeast
http://vegangela.com/tag/nutritional-yeast-nooch/
http://www.organicauthority.com/11-cheesy-ways-to-use-nutritional-yeast-the-vegan-kitchen-secret/
You can buy nutritional yeast at your local health food store (ie. Wegmans, Whole Foods, Mom’s Organic Market, Harris Teeter…) or on Amazon.
