I’m here to tell you how our crackers and chunks will make you happy and give you a good nights sleep. Trust me on this.

Name a nut, seed, vegetable, legume, or anything that grows from the ground or a tree and you’ll likely be able to list off a dozen reasons why they are good for you: high in zinc, high in magnesium, loaded with protein, full of fibre… we’ve heard it all before. 

But two things often get overlooked in the nutrition brag: tyrosine and tryptophan. 

Tyrosine and tryptophan have two very important roles. They make you happy and they help you sleep. In this day and age, I think most of us could put our hand up for a bit of a boost in both areas, wouldn’t you agree?

 Tyrosine is an amino acid. It increases brain chemicals that improve your mood, boost your focus and mental clarity, and help you stay productive in stressful situations. Eating tyrosine-rich foods has shown to be effective for people who suffer from depression. 

Tryptophan is another amino acid that is used to produce serotonin. Serotonin is one of the essential neurotransmitters that influence mental health. It is known as the “feel-good hormone”, but the brain can’t make serotonin unless tryptophan is first present. Elimination experiments have been done to show that tryptophan has a beneficial impact on sleep, depression, learning, memory skills, visual cognition, and feelings of happiness and well-being.

So where do we get these two powerhouse amino acids? It turns out pepitas are the highest source of plant-based tryptophan, containing twice the amount as turkey (and much more digestible too). Pepitas also come in as a strong second behind spirulina for tyrosine. 

Other leading sources of tyrosine and tryptophan are chia seeds, spirulina, sesame seeds, flax seeds and almonds (all ingredients we include in our crackers and chunks). Top our crackers with some avocado, leafy greens, spinach, and onion and you’ll really be giving yourself a boost of happiness or a good nights sleep.

Below are some of the products we make at Kitz that are loaded with tyrosine and tryptophan. We can’t guarantee you’ll become the worlds biggest optimist or will never toss n' turn in your sleep again — but we can guarantee your body and your mind will thank you with each little bite. 

• Savoury 4 Seed Crackers
• Gourmet 4 Seed Crackers
• Pineapple, Pepita, Almond Chunks
• Activated Salad Sprinkles
• Dulse and Spirulina Raw Pizza Base
• Fresh Herb Dulse and Spirulina Crackers