The Valuable Health Benefits of Nutritional Yeast! - My Ethical Earth
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health benefits of nutritional yeast

The Valuable Health Benefits of Nutritional Yeast!

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Every Vegan Home Needs Nooch!

health benefits of nutritional yeast

You may be wondering, what is nooch? It is a tasty additive with many health benefits called nutritional yeast.

Vegans affectionately call this  secret ingredient “nooch”.  The reason for the nickname is obvious,  the name “nutritional yeast” doesn’t conjure up thoughts of tasty food! 

This delicious additive is a staple in most Vegan households. An inactive yeast, it is nutrient-rich, has a cheesy, nutty flavour and is used in many recipes. Not to be confused with “normal” active yeast, which is not very tasty at all!

Where to find Nutritional Yeast

Until relatively recently, nutritional yeast could only be found in health food stores or online. With the amount of Vegans growing exponentially over the last few years (to over six hundred thousand in the UK, according to the Vegan society), and the health benefits of nutritional yeast becoming more widely acknowledged.

It is now available in most large supermarkets. I would still suggest buying online in bulk, it works out far cheaper and lets face it, it’s going to get eaten! When buying in bulk it usually comes in a large, resealable bag, I prefer to decant mine into jars though to ensure it keeps fresh.

Detailed Health Benefits of Nutritional Yeast

The health benefits of nutritional yeast are well documented, this tasty additive is highly nutritious, as the name suggests, and nutritional yeast has many health benefits, which could see an increase in energy and support for the immune system. Packed with B vitamins, zinc, protein, selenium and antioxidants, studies suggest it may also lower cholesterol, protect against oxidative damage and promote healthy skin, hair and nails.

Nooch is dairy, soy and (usually) gluten free which makes it perfect for people who suffer with food intolerance or allergies. It is also low in fat and contains no sugar. So it is great if you love cheese but are watching your weight.

A quarter cup of vitamin B-12 enriched nooch typically contains:

  • 60 calories
  • 3g fibre
  • 85mg thiamine
  • 8g protein
  • 70mg riboflavin
  • 90mg vitamin B-6
  • 60mcg vitamin B-12

It also boasts vitamin B-3ma, potassium, calcium and iron.

Adults need about 2.4mcg of vitamin B-12 each day, which makes nooch a staple in the Vegan house and as B-12 could potentially be lacking in the diets of some Vegans.

How Nooch is Made

Nutritional yeast is made by culturing a single-celled organism named Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, a member of the fungi family, like mushrooms, which is grown on a nutrient medium for a number of days. The nutrient medium is a glucose, usually in the form of beet molasses.

Once it is ready it is then harvested, washed, dried and deactivated using heat. When it has been deactivated it means it doesn’t grow like activated yeast so you can’t use it for baking purposes. This process of deactivating does not remove any of the health benefits of yeast and preserves the vitamins and minerals.

What do I Cook with Nutritional Yeast?

So we’ve established the health benefits of nutritional yeast, but the truth is that is not why most people use it, they use it because nooch is delicious! Just a small amount added to a dish enhances the flavours to give it a “deeper” taste, add a cheesiness or thicken soups and sauces.

I had guests visiting last night and we had a couple of glasses of wine, ok, maybe a few more than a couple, so this morning we needed something tasty, healthy and filling to help ready us for the day. Everyone voted for cheesy scrambled tofu on toast so I got inventive! 

Vegan scrambled tofu
Vegan scrambled tofu

We mixed a couple of packs of silken tofu up with a healthy scoop of nutritional yeast, a teaspoon of turmeric and black salt to taste. (Black salt, also known as kala mamak, is a kiln fired rock salt with a sulphurous smell that gives things a very eggy taste).

 

We fried it up in a little oil and it went down a treat on toast with a bit of tomato sauce, like low fat scrambled egg with all the benefits of nutritional yeast. I’ll definitely make it again.

 

We wrote a blog on this. Click here for the recipe 

Ideas on Cooking with Nooch

There is so much you can do with nutritional yeast, It adds a new dimension to mashed potatoes, giving it a cheesy taste without compromising the health of your meal. So the next time you make a shepherds pie, try making cheesy mash for the top to make it that little bit extra lovely while adding some beneficial nutrients to your meal. The same applies to adding it to béchamel sauce, you can turn your delicious lasagne into an outstanding one without having to increase the amount of fat by adding cheese.

For movie nights you could try drizzling a little olive oil and salt on popcorn and then generously sprinkling with nooch for a cheesy popcorn. That always goes down well in my household and is regularly requested by guests, it can be quite addictive! For the chilli heads amongst us, adding a little dried chilli to the mix takes the cheesy popcorn to a whole new level. But make sure to label the chilli popcorn so unsuspecting friends don’t grab a handful of the hot stuff in error!

Another tip I find really handy is how to make a healthy, Vegan “parmesan” for sprinkling on rich tomato pastas or a spaghetti bolognaise. You simply blend nooch with raw almonds and a dash of salt, that’s it! Add more or less nooch depending how cheesy you want it to be. This adds to the a beautiful flavour to your meal along with all the health benefits of nutritional yeast.

With nooch you can be inventive in your kitchen, making delicious, healthy meals to impress friends and family. Let your imagination loose, there is so much fun to be had with this versatile ingredient. Enjoy!

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