Having a vegan diet means that you only intake food of plant origin, but also dietary supplements that will provide some essential nutrients that are lacking in plant-based foods. This is a known fact but is not a problem to mention it one more, for all those who are contemplating to start this kind of diet and lifestyle.

Vegetable food, minimum of 5 meals a day, properly timed and quantified – the key is a vegan diet. Those who know more about the nutrition say that it will affect your hair, skin and general state of the body and mind.

The vegan diet is based on cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Meat (as well as fish and seafood), eggs, milk and dairy products and even honey are not consumed.

But, those who switched during life on this diet may often wonder what they can eat and what they cannot eat, and we can say right now; this is not an easy task.

This is especially hard having in mind that it is so hard to avoid some food items that are a staple in your home.

For many, this item is Marmite – many love it, others cannot stand it, but for those who love to eat it and are on a vegan diet, is Marmite vegan is the question they desperately need an answer.

Maybe they do not have to give up their favorite spread.

But first, we must see what it is, what its ingredients are and is it classified as vegan.

Its discovery was related to health, not for the nutrition

One thing is very interesting when it comes to this sweet -it is discovered accidentally. The scientist who has discovered is named Justs Herr Liebig. He discovered it by accident (he found yeast that is one of the main ingredients), but he died before this discovery gained popularity, that is massive, especially in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand and Australia.

A couple of decades later, the Marmite Food Extract Company were established in Burton, and it becomes producing the Marmite as we know it today. It gained enormous popularity in the UK, and later the factory in London because people want it a taste of it so badly, that just one factory could not supply the market.

In fact, Marmite is yeast, or its primary ingredient is yeast. But how is made it is a secret, for sure, even today, when there are so many alternate versions.

The general way to make yeast extract is by added salt to the yeast, if it is, for example in water. The yeast starts to absorb itself, and then it is melted and blended with other elements added to improve the quality or sum nutritional substance.

The Marmite comes in glass containers of 70grams, 125grams, 250grams or 500grams.

It is a sticky and gooey dark substance that is most often spread on bread, and the label is very distinctive with the picture of the ‘marmite’ – a regular casserole plate.

On the market, you can find Marmite that has a reduced amount of salt

There is one kind of Marmite that is labeled as XO or extra old, and it is the Marmite that is old, mature. It has a stronger flavor.

It can be even made with peanut butter, and there are so many Marmite spreads to buy on the market- all of them are made to suit the current market. You can find Marmite Mini Cheddar Bites, and Walkers Marmite flavored crisps, Marmite-flavored popcorn and chocolate Marmite Flatbreads.

So, as you can this spread has been a loved item since 1902, this was the year in which the Marmite Company introduced the United Kingdom to its spread of the same name, which became very popular in that country and in many of its colonies.

In Australia, it is one of our favorite spreads, but you will find it there under the brand name Vegemite (we will address this spread a bit later).

Marmite spread is made from brewer’s yeast, and its taste is very debatable. In fact, the motto of this company is that you will either like it, or you will hate it. Have you ever tried it, and what you think of it?

It is easy to consume, and it is not pricey.

Here is one interesting story that is related to the notoriety of Marmite – a couple of years ago, the law in Denmark prohibited the sale of vitamins in and this popular spread was pulled off the shelf, causing a great resentment in England that there were even proposals to boycott some great Danish products like bacon and Lego. All of this caused outrage, and there are so many petitions that flooded the world to give back the favorite yeast spread.

Of course, as we know not, the case of Marmite is positively resolved, and the company that sells this spread in Denmark had to seek special approval for the sale, so after a few years of Marmite, it again found itself off the shelves to the delight of many, especially Englishmen living in Denmark.

Ingredients

To dig deeper into the vegan story, we must look at the ingredients list and find out what they are and are they vegan.

Here we will look into the ingredients list of the regular version of Marmite, we are emphasizing this because on the market there are numerous versions of Marmite, and the ads in it is what can make a difference is it vegan or not. These types are enhanced in some way, and when you buy Marmite you need to look at them, but we are talking here about the basis of this spread.

First, we see here the yeast extract that most commonly is made out of wheat or rye (vegan for sure). Is yeast as the main ingredient is not a plant, but is not an animal, so by looking at it, it is vegan (even if it is not a plant-based, in fact, it is a fungus).

Here, we can find a certain amount of salt (in it there is chlorine sodium, both are vegan). In some health sense, it is ok to take care not to eat too much of this spread, because salt is not so healthy for you in large quantities.

Also, it contains s concentrate from vegetable that is also vegan.

Now, the main part – Marmite is filled with vitamins – Niacin, Folic acid, Riboflavin, Thiamin and Vitamin B12. They are derived from plants and are vegan. On top of being vegan, they are necessary for your growth and development (have in mind that Marmite was created to treat ill soldiers so that they can take a small amount of this spread and take all vitamins they need).

In the end, in Marmite, you can find some natural flavors – from celery, for example. Once again, it is vegan!

Is Marmite Vegan? 

The regular Marmite is vegan, and there is no doubt about it when you take a look at its main ingredients. But, do not restfully, because on the market there are so many different kinds, along with some “versions from other manufacturers”. There are so many of them, but the Marmite Company is following the leads of the society and in this sense, they made so many beloved versions of this “love it or hate it” spread.

For example, Marmite chocolate is not vegan, because it contains milk or some other animal products, like eggs, etc.

Marmite is vegan, but in Australia, there is one more Marmite called Vegemite – they made it when they could not be supplied with enough amounts of Marmite.

Many wonder how this product became so popular – because it is a waste product, it does not look very appetizing, but it is tasty for many and vegans can eat it too. This just adds up to their popularity.

It is vegan-friendly, as all of the ingredients that are found in it are vegan – this comes for the regular one, not the ones with additions.

Is Marmite Healthy? 

Marmite is a very salty brown paste traditionally served on toast and eaten at breakfast (at least in the UK and Ireland), and there are so many different ways to eat it, and online you can find so many different recipes. When you try it, you will realize that the phrase “you either love it or hate it” also makes sense (it is the brand logo).

Those who have tried it have a lot of opinion on it and all of them say that there is nothing in this world that is similar to it.

This byproduct of beer production is popular that is not related only to the UK and Australia, and the cult following just rises as Marmite is spreading around the world.

Now, we know that Marmite is vegan, it has cult followings around the world, but since it is made for sick soldiers during the WWI, you could guess that it is very healthy.

Marmite is very healthy for humans to eat it, in a sense that it is a great source of a vitamin B (it was used in war to prevent soldiers from getting sick because they do not have enough vitamin B to say it concretely).

It can be used for helping patients that are anemic because it also contains folic acid. It is also used for battling malnutrition (in Sri Lanka it was used to treat people who were poorly nourished because of malaria outbreak).

Summary

The very first taste of the British Marmite spread has created an unbreakable love between some people, and we can say that this is love that lasts to this day – others, hate it. There was even one research that showed are you genetically predisposed to love it or not.

Thinly buttered toast with good black tea is the ideal breakfast for so many people around the world, and others claim that the even better version is the one that is yeast extract from Australia – “Vegemite”, which, despite the difference in taste, is very liked in its own way.

Unfortunately, for some others who have tasted it on some occasion, it caused a feeling of disgust, which is also in line with Marmite’s slogan “Love it or hate it”. Have you tried, and what is your opinion on this product, even if you are not vegan?

It is simply the situation that you have to taste it to know what it is like. Now, for all those vegans who are reading this – you can eat it. I

t is safe, just do not eat it too much because of the amount of salt in it, and take the regular version of it, not some other Marmite with additions, like chocolate (but the peanut butter one is also ok to eat if you are on a vegan diet).

The taste itself is not easy to describe, so it can probably just be loved or disliked. Otherwise, a very thin layer of spread is recommended when digesting for the first time.

As you were able to see, Marmite is vegan, because its yeast concentrate is not animal, it belongs to Fungus. Therefore you can see that vegans can eat it. This product is made from the beer industry in the United Kingdom, from the left-overs that will be put in the garbage.

This also complies with the ethical part of veganism – nothing can be thrown away, and it is very good for the environment.

Many say that Marmite is the best source of some good nutrition that is vegan, and that is a source of vitamins that you can take. From folic acid to vitamin B, there is everything you need in just a small spoon.

Of course, and once again we emphasize that you must not eat too much because of the levels of salt in it; one or two pieces of toast in the morning with a spread of Marmite is great.