Popular among the vegan community because it is a non-animal and non-dairy product, nutritional yeast offers a variety of health benefits, and can add a great nutritional boost to food!

Known for its cheesy taste, it’s a great source of vitamin B-12. In fact, it only takes between ½ to 1 tbsp to meet the daily requirement for the vitamin, and it’s also a good source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, chromium, selenium, 18 amino acids, protein, folic acid, biotin and more, according to a recent report by Ecorazzi.com.

Nutritional yeast is also gluten-free, low in fat and contains no added sugar or preservatives. And for those worried about “yeast” in the title, it’s actually deactivated unlike Brewer’s Yeast, according to the site.

Here are a few ways to incorporate it into you life:

Garlic Bread – Turn that garlic bread into a cheesy alternative by sprinkling nutritional yeast on top.

Popcorn – Because of its cheesy taste, it make an excellent addition to popcorn.

Pizza – Add it to the top as soon as the pizza comes out of the over, according to the article.

Bread Crumbs – It can be used in place of bread crumbs, whether its as a coating or mixed into a veggie burger.

Pasta – As a replacement for parmesan cheese, sprinkle nutritional yeast on top – and add some garlic powder and olive oil.

Roasted Vegetables – Sprinkle it on top of the hot veggies and it melts to become a cheesy flavored sauce.

Cooked Spinach – Often paired with cream and cheese, nutritional yeast is a great addition and lower in calories. Add a tablespoon or two to cooked spinach for a new twist.

Pesto Sauce – There are a lot of vegan recipes for pesto sauce that replace the traditional use of cheese with nutritional yeast.

Mashed Potatoes – Stir it in for a new twist on a classic mashed potato recipe.