Want to boost your meals with B vitamins, protein, and a cheesy flavor without the dairy? Put Cheesy Dust on it and call it a day.
As a Registered Dietitian, I’m always trying to encourage my clients to boost their plant-based sources of protein along with the overall nutrient density at meal time — what better way than a not cheese cheesy dust. I know, an inactive yeast that kinda tastes like cheese doesn’t sound super sexy, but nutritional yeast is one of the top plant-based proteins you should be eating if you aren’t already!
Put Cheesy Dust On It
There are many keys to living a healthy lifestyle and more importantly, eating healthy. One tip we share often is how can you make vegetables exciting to eat — I know, exciting might be a far-off term for some of you and that’s okay, but let’s make that a goal!
Having a group of recipes that are memorized so that you can make them on the fly whenever you need to, is one of many keys to keep you eating healthy. This Cheesy Dust is definitely one of my personal recipes I have stashed away in my memory as something I can make very quickly to add to anything from salads to roasted vegetables as a way to jazz them up, boost the nutrient-density especially those B vitamins, while also giving variety to whatever you’re cooking up.
The many ways to enjoy and use Cheesy Dust
Consider this your introduction into all things cheesy dust and how you can use it — from salads to soups, yes soups! A typical serving of Cheesy Dust is a heaping 2 tablespoons- 3 tablespoons.
- Soups: try adding cheesy dust to your favorite soup or stew either as a topping or stir it right in to boost the protein and B vitamins
- Salads: even if you’re enjoying a salad as a side dish, who says you can’t give it an optimizer option and boost the protein and nutrients? Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons per salad as a topping, or toss to coat the greens. Note, nutritional yeast has this amazing ability to “stick” and coat greens when there’s liquid present, like a vinegar and olive oil — and it’s delicious
- Nourish Bowls and bowl meals: the same use as a salad
- Stir-fry: same use as a soup, you can use it as a topping or add it to the skillet when you’re cooking everything
- Popcorn: first make the popcorn, then in a large mixing bowl or serving bowl, sprinkle the Cheesy Dust on top, toss and voila, you have cheesy popcorn!
- Roasted Vegetables: same with the popcorn, prepare the vegetables and give them a good dusting and you’ve just transformed plain roasted vegetables into cheesy roasted vegetables
The Health Benefits of Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast is a staple food in plant-based diets due to its cheesy flavor, versatility, high amounts of B vitamins, and protein content. Nutritional yeast contains no dairy or active yeast, and it’s found in a powder/flake form that creates a paste when mixed with liquid. It’s great for making dairy-free sauces, dressings, and more.
