So, what is 'Nooch'?
You may have heard the term Nutritional yeast floating around if you are heading down the vegan path, it’s also known as savoury yeast flakes or nooch in vegan lingo.'
When I first saw it, I thought it looked like fish food and couldn’t understand why people would eat it. But it is amazing and is now one of my stables in my diet!
So, What is nutritional yeast?
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast, from a strain of yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This is the same species as bakers/brewer’s yeast but is no longer a living yeast, grown on a sugar medium before it is dried and processed into a food product.
The yeast is yellow in colour, looks similar to fish food, it has a strong flavour which is nutty and ‘cheesy’. It’s gluten free and vegan.
It’s not a typical ingredient you will find in the supermarket and you will need to head to a health food store or purchase online.
Why use nutritional yeast?
It’s perfect for vegans, vegetarians or people with dairy intolerance; It’s a safe, tasty substitute for cheese in many recipes.
It does not contain any animal or dairy products, no starch, wheat, gluten, soy or corn. No artificial colours or flavours and is low in salt.
This is my favourite ‘cheesy’ ingredient. In this nutty cheesy flavour and has 8-10 grams of protein per 2 tablespoons!
It’s a great source of Vitamin B-12 which is usually added to the yeast to fortify it, 18 amino acids that provide complete proteins, packed with vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins like folate, B6, thiamine and niacin, and other minerals like magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, selenium, zinc and is a great source of dietary fibre (beta-glucan fibre).
“A 2013 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that athletes who ate beta-glucan fibre derived from nutritional yeast for 10 days before strenuous exercise had higher circulating immune cells two hours after exercising, suggesting their immune systems recovered faster from the stress of exercise. In another study which tested the effectiveness of beta-glucan in combating the common cold, participants given the beta-glucan supplements had a lower rate of infection with the common cold than those who received a placebo.”
Ways to use Nutritional yeast
As the nooch is dry and flaky, you need a bit of liquid to go with it (unless the food is moist already).
You can use on:
Bread
Any meal as a cheese substitute
Any rice or pasta dish
Thicken and flavour Soups
With beans or curry mix
Scrambled Tofu
On popcorn, just sprinkle it on for a tasty and nutritious snack
With peas, corn or carrots
On salads as a condiment
On greens or roast veggies
As a ‘cheesy’ sauce or nacho cheese sauce
As a cheese replacement in pesto
Mac and cheese
Pizza
Use instead of breadcrumbs
On Kale chips
Mashed potato or cauliflower mash
Bean dip
