What the $%&# is Nutritional Yeast?

If you don't know what nutritional yeast is, you're doing it all wrong. If you're calling it "nooch" by now, you're part of the cool kids club and you can disregard this post..

When people ask me if they think they should go vegan, I always recommend taking baby steps first because there are few people who could go straight to being vegan and make it sustainable for them. I always recommend cutting out all dairy first.. WHAT?

Dairy is by far the most unnatural thing an adult human can consume and definitely the hardest thing to give up for most. That doesn't mean you have to live without a cheesy, creamy substitute. Nutritional yeast is a vegan game changer. It is a form of deactivated yeast and despite its very unappealing name and look, it has a nutty, cheesy flavor and can be used on literally EVERYTHING. Whether you sprinkle it on top of your pasta with marinara sauce, or you blend it with cashews and almond milk to make a melted cheese effect, you can't go wrong. Almost all of my recipes that I create call for nutritional yeast. Besides giving you that cheesy flavor, there are also awesome health benefits!

Nutritional yeast is fortified with B vitamins, Thiamin, Niacin, and Folate. It's low calorie and high in protein. Nutritional facts vary between brands but should be easily attainable. I never worry about my B vitamins because nutritional yeast makes a guest appearance in almost all of my meals.

I remember when I first became vegan and had no idea what Nooch was. I saw a friend eating a salad and she was DUMPING nutritional yeast all into her salad. I was weirded out and definitely confused. It amazes me I lived without it for so long as a vegan! Now I'm the one who goes through about a pound of it every 3 weeks between my boyfriend and I.

Nutritional yeast is really easy to find on the internet but can also be found in Wholefoods, Trader Joes, and Stop and Shop (those are the only stores that I know for a fact carry nooch). I usually order my nutritional yeast from amazon and change it up from brand to brand every now and then. I have not found a noticeable difference between brands in taste so don't stress your choice too much!

Here are some of my top picks for nutritional yeast but not limited to.

Braggs Nutritional Yeast ($9.55)

The perfect size if you want to try out nutritional yeast first without the commitment of having a pound of it in your house! This is usually the brand most stores carry.

Hoosier Hill Farm ($14.24)

Perfect if you want to buy in bulk! This is my top choice and the one I usually buy!

This vegan cashew cheese recipe can be used for mac and cheese, on top a sandwich, a dip, WHATEVER YOUR HEART DESIRES.

Vegan Cashew Cheese Recipe

• 2 cups raw cashews (soak in warm water for at least 15 minutes)

• 1 1/4 cups almond milk

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (add to taste, keep dumping it in until your happy)

• 1 lemon (juiced)

• 4 cloves garlic (peeled)

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• pinch of cayenne

• Himilayan sea salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

• Optional- red pepper or sriracha (I love a kick and need some spice but not necessary)