Nutritional Yeast: What is it and Why Should You Care?
I’ll admit it. I heard about nutritional yeast for years before I considered actually trying it. In fact, it wasn’t until I enrolled in a plant-based eating course as a way to better support vegetarian and vegan clients that I gave it a second look. Tonight, as I was generously sprinkling it on my salad, it occurred to me to put aside the topic I had planned for this week and shed some light on this instead.
Nutritional yeast, apparently also called “nooch” (not by me), has become quite a trend in nutrition circles. I mean, just the presence of a nickname – however ridiculous – tells you that. But is there anything to all the hype?
Turns out, yes.
You may be thinking, “yeast is fine in baking and beer, but I see no need to eat it on its own.” That’s fair. But it might be worth getting the image of rising dough out of your head long enough to consider nutritional yeast as its own thing – in and of itself.
Although it's essentially the same type of yeast that's used in baking and brewing beer, the similarities end there. Nutritional yeast is produced specifically as a food product. It's made by deactivating the yeast cells with heat before being washed, dried, and crumbled into flakes or a powder. More often than not, it’s also fortified with extra vitamins, adding to its already impressive health profile.
People describe nutritional yeast as having a slightly nutty, savory, umami flavor. Some of its nutrition highlights include:
B Vitamins – loaded with B vitamins, which are critical for energy production, among other things. Great source of B12 for vegetarians and vegans. Just 2 tablespoons provides 90% of your daily requirement of folic acid and over 100% of all other B vitamins!
Minerals – rich in important minerals like zinc, selenium, and manganese, all involved in metabolism, immunity, and growth.
Antioxidants – has powerful antioxidants which help protect your cells from damage and disease.
Protein – with all of the essential amino acids, it’s a complete protein; 2 tablespoons has 5 grams!
Beneficial carbs – contains the carbs alpha mannan and beta glucan, shown to have antifungal and antibacterial properties.
With such a great nutrition profile, countless benefits come along. Just a few include:
May help lower cholesterol – beta glucan, also found in oats, has been shown to lower cholesterol.
Shown to boost immune health – beta glucan also activates immune cells and supports the gut microbiome to improve overall health.
Promotes healthy hair, skin, and nails – research has shown that it helps reduce acne, hair loss, and brittle nails.
But all of nutritional yeast’s health benefits will stay sitting on the shelf if you don’t know how to use it. Try these ideas:
Sprinkle on popcorn, pasta, salads
Use as an umami component in soups and sauces
Use to help thicken sauces
Add to smoothies
Make vegan parmesan cheese and use in pesto
In spite of all the benefits, some of you might still be wondering why you would bother with nutritional yeast on your popcorn, for example, if you’re not a vegan or sensitive to dairy.
Well, let me ask you this: Does salt, butter, or a sprinkle of parmesan add a healthy dose of protein, fiber, B vitamins, and folic acid to your popcorn? No way!
But now you know what DOES…. the beloved NOOCH! (ugh, I know, but I needed to find some way to vary the word choice.)
This is a trick I teach my clients all the time. Take something that doesn’t pack much of a nutritional punch – like popcorn – and add something so it does. I call it elevating. You’d be surprised how much benefit you get out of making simple tweaks to what would otherwise be empty calories. Before you know it, you have a snack or meal that packs in tons of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial ingredients while tasting just as good – maybe even better!
If you want to give nutritional yeast a try – and I highly suggest you do – here’s one of my favorite recipes. It’s the perfect sub for parmesan cheese. But I don’t love it because it’s pretending to be something it's not. I love it for what it is all on its own – delicious!
Nutritional Parmesan Cheeast Recipe
