Nutritional yeast (or nooch, if you’re a hardcore vegan) is one of my favorite vegan seasonings. It’s a simple way to give any dish a cheesy, savory flavor that many compare to parmesan cheese.
It’s also pretty affordable too, so there’s no good reason not to try it! The only question is, “Where can you find and buy nutritional yeast?”
Thanks to the vegan diet’s growing popularity, nutritional yeast is available in most large grocery stores and online grocery stores.
It can typically be found on the seasonings aisle or baking aisle, depending on how your particular grocery store is laid out.
You may have some difficulty finding nutritional yeast at smaller grocery stores or grocery stores located in more rural areas. However, it’s widely available at most major grocers, so finding some high-quality nooch shouldn’t be too much of a challenge.
Today’s post is all about nutritional yeast: where to find and buy it. Below, I’ll show you some of my favorite grocery stores to buy nutritional yeast from, explain where to find it in-store, and go over alternative options like buying it online or getting it delivered to your home.
Isn’t it time you added a bit more flavor to your vegan cooking?
Can You Buy Nutritional Yeast In Grocery Stores?
Nutritional yeast is one of my favorite food additives. I put it on everything from simple rice and beans to vegan soups, vegan burgers, and more! It may smell a bit weird in the jar, but once it’s sprinkled on your food, the taste is out of this world.
Although you might think that specialty vegan seasonings like nutritional yeast would be hard to find or only available at specialty retailers, this isn’t the case. You can walk into just about any reputable grocery store and find some high-quality (or at least decent quality) nooch!
You just have to know where to look…
Which Grocery Stores Carry Nutritional Yeast?
Depending on what part of the country you live in, you may find different brands of nutritional yeast at different retailers and grocery stores.
To help make things a little easier for you guys, though, I decided to show you a brief list of my favorite grocery stores to buy nutritional yeast at, along with the brands each store commonly sells.
1) Whole Foods Market
I like to refer to Whole Foods as “The Apple Store of grocery stores.” From the super-friendly employees to the fancy shelving, lights, and higher-than-average prices, Whole Foods Market is one of my favorite guilty pleasures (I know, I know; go ahead and make fun of me).
While their nooch may be a bit more expensive than I’d like, they do have some pretty high-quality nutritional yeast products, including:
- Red Star Nutritional Yeast
- Whole Foods Market Bulk Nutritional Yeast
- Bragg Premium Nutritional Yeast
- Frontier Co-Op Nutritional Yeast (including several blends of nutritional yeast with added seasoning)
I really enjoy Frontier Co-Ops nutritional yeast seasoning blends, as they add an extra layer of complexity to virtually any dish. The other brands also have a good reputation and have been around for a long time.
2) Harris Teeter
Harris Teeter is another one of my favorite grocery stores. It offers a selection that’s very similar to Whole Foods but slightly more affordable. Harris Teeter is mainly located on the East Coast in Washington D.C. and southern states, but if you live close to one, it’s worth checking out!
Harris Teeter typically carries the following brands of nutritional yeast:
- Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Yeast Flakes
- Bragg Premium Nutritional Yeast
Both Bob’s and Bragg’s nutritional yeast taste very similar, so either one is a good option.
3) Walmart
Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of Walmart. Long lines, packed aisles, and a relatively small selection of vegan-friendly foods usually make it the last grocery store on my list.
However, I have to give Walmart credit for slowly starting to include more vegan options in their stores.
Surprisingly, they also sell nutritional yeast flakes on their seasoning aisle! The brands I’ve seen in Walmart include:
- Great Value Nutritional Yeast (Not very flavorful, so I don’t recommend it)
- Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Yeast Flakes
- Red Star Savory Nutritional Yeast
- KAL Nutritional Yeast Flakes
Other than the Great Value brand, the other brands of nooch sold by Walmart are all good-quality, great-tasting products. Depending on how well-stocked your local Walmart is, though, they may not have the good brands in stock.
4) Target
As far as discount retailers go, I usually like Target. However, most Targets don’t have a very good grocery section, let alone a lot of vegan options.
That being said, I can almost always count on them to have Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Yeast Flakes in stock. So, if you’re in a pinch and need some good-quality nooch, don’t forget to check your local Target!
5) Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s is, hands down, one of my favorite places to buy vegan food. Although Trader Joe’s has locations all over the United States, they tend to be centered around larger cities and towns, which means that you may have some trouble finding one.
If you’re lucky enough to live nearby Trader Joe’s, though, you should most definitely check them out. They’re not vegan-exclusive, but they have tons of great options when it comes to vegan snacks, frozen vegan meals, and vegan seasonings like nutritional yeast.
What makes Trader Joe’s so unique is that each location sells different products, as they tend to focus on buying from local suppliers (another great reason to support them).
However, they also make their own private-labeled Trader Joe’s Nutritional Yeast Flakes which are very high-quality.
Where Is Nutritional Yeast Located In The Grocery Store?
I know my favorite local grocery stores like the back of my hand. I go in and I intuitively know where every single item that I need is. The only exception is when I’m shopping for something new that I’ve never used before. Then, things can get a bit complicated.
I remember when I first found out about nutritional yeast after going vegan. I had absolutely no idea where to look and ended up walking right past it on the aisle five times before I resorted to asking a clerk for help. When they pointed me to the exact spot I’d walked by, I remember how embarrassed I felt.
After that, I’ll never forget where to find nooch in the grocery store…
So, where is nutritional yeast located in the grocery store?
Usually, nutritional yeast can be found in one of three places, depending on the store you’re shopping at:
- On the seasoning and condiments aisle
- On the baking aisle
- On the vegan or specialty foods aisle
Unfortunately, the store clerks may not know what nutritional yeast is or where to find it, so you might be on your own when it comes to shopping. My advice is to check the three aisles I listed above before you resort to asking for help.
Can I Get Nutritional Yeast Delivered To My Home?
With the ongoing pandemic, you may not want to risk leaving your home and walking around a busy grocery store that’s packed with people. Thankfully, most grocery stores now offer sanitary curbside pickup or home delivery!
Home delivery orders are usually fulfilled by third-party delivery services like DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub, Postmates, or Instacart. To get nutritional yeast delivered to your home, you’ll want to download one of these apps and see if they offer local grocery delivery in your area.
If so, you’ll be able to shop the grocery store’s inventory and get your favorite nooch delivered straight to your door. Just make sure to tip your delivery driver to ensure that you get your groceries fast and fresh!
Can You Buy Nutritional Yeast Online?
The advantage of getting your groceries delivered to your doorstep is that you’ll receive them the same day. However, if your area isn’t eligible for grocery delivery or you don’t want to deal with the extra cost of tip and delivery fees, then your next best option is to buy nutritional yeast online.
Amazon has a huge selection of high-quality nutritional yeast brands at very competitive prices. Recently I wrote a review of the best nutritional yeast brands on Amazon that you can read here!
Shopping For “Nooch” | What To Look For
When shopping for nooch, I recommend sticking with high-quality, reputable brands like Bragg, Red Star, Bob’s Red Mill, and others. Stay away from discount brands, as they tend to have a rather bland or off-putting taste.
Other than that, the only two things you should look for are:
- The expiration date
- Fortified nooch
Nutritional yeast does expire, but it usually has a fairly long shelf life. Just double-check the expiration date on the side of the container before you make your purchase to ensure that you have the best-tasting nooch.
Secondly, if you’re looking for some added vitamins and minerals in your nooch, then I recommend looking for fortified nutritional yeast, as it’s more nutrient-dense and healthier.
If you’d like to learn more about nutritional yeast and how to use it in vegan cooking, then take a look at this brief video by vlogger BOSH.TV:
In Conclusion – Where Is The Best Place To Buy Nutritional Yeast?
Thankfully, nutritional yeast is a very popular seasoning, so you should be able to find it in your local grocery store or health foods store.
However, if you don’t feel like leaving the house or you can’t find nooch at your local store, then Amazon is a great place to look for it. With free one-day or two-day shipping for Prime members, you really can’t go wrong.
If you liked this post and want to learn more about nutritional yeast and what it tastes like, then continue reading here!
