What is nutritional yeast? And why do vegans eat it?

Humans have been enthralled with the powers of yeast for centuries - we’ve been using yeast to make and consume wine and bread for about 9,000 years. Nutritional yeast, or nooch as it’s called, is derived from the same yeast strain that ferments bread and wine (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Nutritional yeast made its way into the food system in the 1920s, starting with Marmite and Vegemite, gaining traction with the hippie movement in the 1970s when Bob’s Red Mill began marketing it as a health food supplement for non-meat eaters when they started adding B vitamins, particularly vitamin B12 to the mix. 

Consider this information from the Food Revolution Network: “Nutritional yeast contains a wide variety of important nutrients. Non-fortified nooch contains a variety of B vitamins, protein (a whopping eight grams per serving — or about a tablespoon and a half), and varying amounts of sodium, potassium, iron, calcium, and other minerals. Some nooch also contains vitamin B12, which can be challenging to get on a plant-based diet, along with higher amounts of other nutrients.”

Known for its cheesy, somewhat nutty flavor, nooch is often used in vegan recipes to add that delicious, rich, umami flavor to cooking. I love nooch and sprinkle it on top of almost anything, from popcorn to pasta, but one would certainly not mistake the taste of nooch for traditional cheese products. That being said, if you’re open to trying new things and looking for opportunities to add plant-based cheese options to your diet, nooch is a great way to hit the mark while adding some vitamins to your diet.

Check out these cheesy nooch recipes for yourself and let me know what you think!

• Cheesy Cashew Sauce

• 2 Minute Cheesy Topping

• Or check out these 23 nutritional yeast recipes