Post written by VegBlogger. Follow me on Twitter.

Using Vegan Nutritional Yeast 

Have you tried using nutritional yeast flakes yet? If not, you should give it a shot. I use the Red Star nutritional yeast flakes and try to keep them in the house at all times. You never know when you are going to need them!

If you haven't used them before you may be wondering why you should consider adding some to your pantry. Fair enough, I used to wonder the same thing several years ago before I finally found some and started using them. They come in handy for several reasons, including:

• They are used in a lot of vegan recipes, especially for vegan macaroni and cheese ones.
• Adding some of these flakes to your food is a great way to add a lot of nutrition, as they are loaded with some good things, including vitamin b12 (see the nutrional facts per serving below).
• They also contain essential amino acids, vitamins, fiber, and protein.
• Using them usually provides a cheesy flavor, which you may be missing, especially if you have recently went vegan.

The two main ways that I use the nutritional flakes is in making vegan macaroni and cheese and on my popcorn. When I make popcorn I usually sprinkle some on the top of the bowl, mix it up, and taste... it's great! It makes it seem more like a cheese popcorn, yet I know it's loaded with nutritional goodness, without the dairy industry cruelty. You can also use it in making vegan French toast.

If you'd like to try a vegan macaroni and cheese recipe with them, try this one, or you can do a google search for others. Speaking of vegan macaroni and cheese, have you tried the Road's End vegan mac and cheese? If not, give it a try, it's very good (and has almost 4 grams of fiber per serving)! Sometimes I like to make it just plain, other times I use it as a quick base to a casserole and add things like onion, green pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, and diced tomatoes.

If you aren't sure where you can buy nutritional yeast flakes near you, check out the Red Star site, where you can add your zip code to get a list of places it is sold. You can also order it online. Of course, Red Star isn't the old brand around, but I just haven't tried any of the others. I've been buying this brand for several years and have been happy with it, so there's been no need to make a change. Enjoy!

Red Star Nutritional Flakes - Nutritional Information:
Serving Size: 1 1/2 Heaping tbsp.
Calories: 47
Carbohydrates: 2% DV*
Fat: 1% DV
Sodium: 0mg
Protein: 8g
Fiber: 16% DV
Calcium: 1% DV
Iron: 3% DV
Thiamin: 640% DV
Riboflavin: 565% DV
Niacin: 280% DV
Vitamin B6: 480% DV
Folic Acid: 60% DV
Vitamin B12: 133% DV
Biotin: 7% DVZinc: 21% DV
Selenium: 32% DV
Copper: 6% DV
Manganese: 5%