Marmite has been on respective tables around the globe since 1902, when the Marmite Food Company opened a small factory in Burton-on-Trent, where it's still made today. Back then, it was made with just four ingredients: brewer’s yeast, celery, salt and spices. Today, this century’s old recipe is fortified with minerals and vitamins, giving more reasons to spread it on your daily bread.
Marmite is good for you
For those on the 'hate it' list, read through some of its health benefits before writing it off.Good for intake of Vitamin B
Vegetarian and low in calories, one serving alone contains up to 36% of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin B3. B vitamins are essential for good liver and kidney function, and they help protect the nervous system.Incidentally B3 (niacin) is a key ingredient in pre-work out supplements, dilating blood vessels to deliver as much oxygen to your muscles as possible, allowing you to work out harder. Two teaspoons of Marmite contains about half the amount of niacin as a typical pre-workout supplement. What’s more, it will give you 50% of your folic acid and 17% of your thiamin. And it contains iodine which helps your body absorb iron. Don't forget that Marmite is high in salt so a teaspoon on your toast is fine but be careful not to get too carried away.
Good for eye and skin health
It's packed with other B vitamins B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin). It is an easy and cheap way of taking these B vitamins and if consumed daily can easily replace pricey supplements.Good for vegans
Vitamin B12 is needed to keep your nervous system running. Plants cannot produce B12 and consequently, vegans usually have to take a supplement. A teaspoon of Marmite has 25% of your RDA.Good for a healthy heart
Marmite is high in Vitamin B1 which suggests it could help prevent heart disease. A recent study at the University of Bristol found that supplementing mice with a chemical similar to vitamin B1 called benfotiamine improved their recovery after a heart attack and lowered their risk of cardiovascular conditions. More research is needed to see if the same theory can be applied to humans, but it’s encouraging nonetheless.Good for pregnancy
Marmite is high in folic acid and provides nearly 50% of the recommended daily allowance per serving.Good for fighting superbugs
Keep your body in fighting shape with a daily helping of Marmite. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation suggested niacin can help the body fight off antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as MRSA.Good for boosting brain power
Marmite increases levels of a brain chemical which can boost brain function and protect against brain disorders like dementia, a study by York University found. To find out more, read this article in HuffPost.Good for getting a good night’s sleep
It’s been documented that magnesium can aid sleep and it’s abundant in Marmite. A heaped teaspoon gives you 10% of your RDA of the mineral. A mug of Marmite tea could well be the route to making insomnia a thing of the past.Good for mosquitoes
Supposedly mozzies don’t lilke Vitamin B. Sadly, we’ve tried eating a teaspoon a day before and during our summer hols, and even though our blood was probably full of Vitamin B, we were still bitten to bits.Good for the environment and your peace of mind
Marmite is eco-friendly, a by-product of brewer’s yeast, which is made from dried malt barley, sourced in the UK. Its black jars can be re-used or recycled.Good for hangovers
Excessive drinking can leave your body short of Vitamin B. Toast and Marmite is our go-to cure, as mentioned above, but in Sri Lanka they are more adventurous, making a Marmite hot drink, combining it with hot water, lime juice and fried sliced onion. This has to be worth a try.Of course, all these claims need to be taken with a pinch of salt, or indeed, a teaspoon of Marmite.
Good for your calorie intake
There are just 22 calories in an 8g portion of Marmite. Given its strength, a little goes a long way. Go one step further than using it on toast or hot drinks, it can be used to perk up many a recipe and is the secret ingredient of many a crafty cook.Marmite recipes
You might find it hard to believe but there are quite a few marmite recipes out there and these are the ones at the top of the list.Nigella's Spaghetti with Marmite
Nigella Lawson has long extoled the virtues of her recipe for spag and marmite, a store cupboard essential and comfort food for the MLs. Nigella found this recipe in Anna Del Conte's memoirs, Risotto with Nettles. Nigella says she hasn't come across a child who doesn't like it. Worth a go for those fussy eaters then?
Olive Magazine
Olive Magazine has a number of recipes to choose from, with cheese and Marmite flapjacks, heading the list as our favourite, a mixture of oats, leeks, seeds, walnuts and cheddar.
Marmite.co.uk
It would be churlish not to check out Marmite's own offering of recipes including cheese whirls, a combination of ready rolled puff pastry, cheddar and Marmite or try baked eggs, where you drizzle marmite into the bottom of a ramekin, top with cheese sauce, egg and grated cheese
delicious Magazine
delicious Magazine offers thirteen ways with Marmite drawn from a number of different blogs. Do try roast potatoes with Marmite and its recipe for macaroni cheese where the Marmite adds a salty intensity to the pasta, taking it to new heights.
Make your own marmite
We couldn’t leave out the star itself. The question is, will your yeast extract be better than the real thing? Try Mrs. Marmite Lover's recipe for DIY marmite with onion, carrot, turnip, celery and brewer's yeast.
Marmite Cupcakes
This might be going just too far, a cupcake with a salted caramel centre and frosting...
Marmite Sandwiches
This simple recipe from Tesco is worth a go – herby cream cheese, refreshing cucumber and punchy Marmite, layered between slices of soft white bread. What's not to love about that?
Updated April 2024
