There are so many positive health, ethical, and environmental reasons to go vegan: better heart health, higher nutrition, clearer skin, and reducing the impact meat has on climate pollution. But on the other hand — cheese. Luckily, Trader Joe’s understands vegan people’s needs for a healthy, dairy-free cheese alternative, which is why the supermarket chain stocks its own brand of nutritional yeast.
Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast strain that’s packed with vitamin B12. It usually comes in flake form and has a few grams of protein per serving. It’s a secret weapon among vegans, used to replicate the flavor of cheese in many recipes. But even if you’re not vegan, you can enjoy the nutty, cheesy flavor of nutritional yeast and its health benefits.
The Trader Joe’s-brand nutritional yeast comes in four-ounce bags and retails for $3. Not sure what to do with it? Sprinkle it on salads or other recipes as you would regular cheese, or try any one of these vegan ideas: make a dairy-free cheese sauce, toss it in marinades, or create an Asian-inspired sauce.
Prices and products may vary by Trader Joe’s location.
— Additional reporting by Haley Lyndes