What is Nutritional Yeast?

This isn’t your grandma’s yeast. Here’s everything you need to know about this cheesy, nutty plant-based ingredient.

What the heck is nutritional yeast, anyway?

Often called “nooch,” nutritional yeast is a dried, inactive form of the yeast strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. You can find both non-fortified and fortified nutritional yeast. The fortified version provides a healthy dose of B vitamins including B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12. Vitamin B12 is a go-to ingredient for plant-based eaters since it is typically only found in animal foods (plant lovers rejoice!).

Nutritional yeast must be…nutritious?

Nutritional yeast packs a ton of benefits. Not only is it loaded with B vitamins—but 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast offers 5 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and a pinch of iron and potassium too. With just 3 grams of carbohydrates and zero sugar, it’s vegan, keto, and gluten-free.

Nutty, cheezy, umami feels

Let’s move on to the good part: the taste. That cheezy goodness in nutritional yeast comes from glutamate, an amino acid –– while the drying process (toasting the yeast) gives it that pleasant hint of nuttiness. So what does this mean? Nutritional yeast flakes make a killer plant-based substitute for cheese. You can use it to add a blast of flavor to popcorn, create a cheese-sauce alternative, or sprinkle it on veggies and grains to take things to the next level.

We take care of food so food can take care of you. Stock up on our deliciously nourishing nutritional yeast bestsellers on daily-harvest.com.

Sources

Unless otherwise noted, nutrition information is sourced from USDA FoodData Central and reflects the reference amount customarily consumed. These are standardized servings and not necessarily the amount present in the highlighted Daily Harvest recipes. Nutrition information for Daily Harvest products can be found on packages and under "Nutrition Facts" for each product at "dailyharvest.com". Vitamin and mineral functions are sourced from Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center.

Carolina Schneider, MS RD

Nutritionist

Carolina Schneider, MS, RD is a Registered Dietitian and founder of Hungry for Plants. She specializes in plant-based nutrition and has followed a whole-food, vegan diet for nearly a decade. With a background in journalism, marketing and public relations, Carolina is adept in creating nutrition content for health and wellness companies that prioritizes the brand’s positioning to consumers. Her experience, combined with her passion and knowledge, equip her to help companies successfully communicate the nutritional benefits of their products to consumers. Originally from Brazil, Carolina is fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish. Carolina received two degrees in Journalism and Public Relations, which have given her the tools to become a writer and excellent communicator. Additionally, Carolina has years of professional experience in marketing, specifically in the food industry, giving her the knowledge to help brands best position their products to reach new customers and improve brand loyalty. Carolina obtained her Master of Science degree in Nutrition & Dietetics, and is passionate about nutrition science and helping individuals improve health and wellbeing through food.