Mushrooms continue to dominate their reign as a food of choice because they are so nutritious, versatile, flavorful, and long-lasting.
Chefs are adding more mushrooms to menus, adding portobello, maitake, royal oyster, and lion’s mane. Mushrooms are stuffed as an appetizer, sautéed in salads and pastas, and presented in the middle of a sandwich or in the middle of the dish. Some restaurants even harvest their own mushrooms on-site.
Growing your own mushrooms has become a trend, with several mushroom grow kits available to get you started. Or you can sign up for the foraging movement and hunt your own mushrooms; However, it’s incredibly important to know what you’re picking up, as some types are poisonous. Famed James Beard Award-winning TikTok author Black Forager (Alexis Nikole Nelson) can help you safely navigate the woods when looking for mushrooms. Grocery stores also offer a growing variety of new mushrooms. You may be more familiar with Yetton mushrooms, but look for cremini, shiitake, trumpets, chanterelles, enoki, and other types.
Mushrooms aren’t just in the new produce aisle. You can find mushroom snacks, such as crispy mushroom chips from Popadelics and seven other flavors of mushroom jerky from Moku Foods. Another company called Pan’s brought its shiitake mushroom jerky to the TV show “Shark. “Tank” and six other flavors are now available at retail outlets nationwide. These plant-cured meats offer umami flavor and moist texture, but they have less protein than classic jerky.
Ready-to-use mushrooms can also be found in the freezer aisle, such as Shroomeats mushroom dumplings and shiitake mushroom burgers.
[Read: How You Can Easily Adopt a Vegan Diet. ]
Benefits of Mushrooms
Mushroom snacks and recipes can be tasty, but that’s not the only explanation for why they’re a wonderful addition to your diet. Whether you buy mushrooms, grow them yourself, or look for them in the field, here are five wonderful qualities of mushrooms:
— Nutrient-rich plant fertilizer.
— Satiating meat substitute.
— Health- benefits for science.
— Sustainably grown.
— Tasty and flexible ingredient.
[READ: What Are the Benefits of Cordyceps Mushrooms?]
Nutrient-rich plant fertilizer
Mushrooms are the epitome of a nutrient-dense food, which means you get a lot of nutrients in exchange for very few calories. Raw mushrooms contain between 19 and 31 calories per 3-ounce serving and are fat-free. For example, five medium-sized raw mushrooms contain only 20 calories. Mushrooms contain minerals such as selenium and copper, as well as important B vitamins.
When exposed to ultraviolet light, mushrooms become a smart source of vitamin D, making it one of the few vegan food resources for the “sunshine vitamin. “For example, mushrooms exposed to UV rays provide 400 IU of vitamin D per serving (4 to five mushrooms or portobello), which are found on the label. Otherwise, mushrooms that are not exposed to UV rays contain less than 10 IU of vitamin D per serving.
Finally, mushroom fiber acts as a prebiotic that stimulates the growth of the gut microbiota, as revealed in a 2017 study in the International Journal of Molecular Science. A type of soluble fiber found in mushrooms, called beta-glucans, is similar to the main fiber in oats, which serves to control blood sugar and cholesterol.
Satisfactory Meat Substitute
With their meaty texture and chewy bite, mushrooms have the impressive ability to mimic meat. They started with a roasted portobello mushroom replaced by a burger. Today, the maitake mushroom, also known as the “hen of the woods”. on menus as a vegan edition of fried poultry sandwiches, pulled pork, shawarma, fried poultry steak and other dishes.
It’s not just 100 percent plant-based foods. The Blended Burger Project® started by the Mushroom Council is a movement that promotes the combination of finely chopped new mushrooms with ground beef for burgers, meatballs, tacos, sloppy joes, meatloaf and much more.
A company called Both recently introduced a 50/50 burger with 50% ground beef and 50% vegetables, adding roasted mushrooms. Mush Foods is also looking to incorporate the concept of hybrid meats with its 50 Cut blends made from beef, chicken and red meat. or fish and mycelium, which are found in the root form of mushrooms. Mycelium is a fibrous, protein-rich element that is temporarily the preferred choice for meat.
At Natural Products Expo West, MyForest Foods sampled plant-based bacon called MyBacon made with oyster mushroom mycelium. The company describes it as having “the taste, texture, and joy of genuine bacon,” and I found it strangely good. plant-based steaks and mycelium-based poultry chops that convincingly resembled cuts of whole-muscle animal protein.
Mycelium is the main element in a wide variety of plant-based foods, from meatless burgers, deli meats, and dry snacks to vegan seafood, cheeses, and eggs.
[See: The best plant-based proteins. ]
Science-Based Benefits
Mushrooms, long respected in classical medicine practices around the world, continue to be the subject of clinical research. Promising evidence suggests a positive effect of mushrooms on immune function, gut health, and weight management. Mushrooms contain prebiotic fiber and bioactive plant compounds. such as polyphenols and flavonoids that are linked to those benefits.
Studies have shown that mushrooms, when substituted for meat, can promote weight loss, promote satiety (or feelings of fullness), and improve nutrition. Some mobile and animal studies point to other potential benefits, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. , the evidence is preliminary.
A recent review of 34 studies suggests that mushroom intake could improve mood and cognition; The degree of improvement varies and depends on the population tested, the intervention dose and the type of mushroom. In addition, psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound found in some mushrooms, has also been the subject of new studies on treating intellectual fitness conditions, adding to depression and anxiety.
The mushrooms are also processed for functional ingredients, adding reishi, chaga, cordyceps, lion’s mane, and turkey tail. Functional mushroom products range from powders, capsules, and gummies to energy bars and beverages of all kinds, such as coffee, tea, juices, and drinks. and energy drinks.
The products claim to have “adaptogenic” properties, meaning they help lessen the negative effects of stress on the body. Some products tout its ability to improve brain health and improve immunity.
Although the idea of functional mushrooms and modern mushroom powders, such as lion’s mane supplements, is gaining traction, it’s best to eat genuine mushrooms, says registered dietitian Jaclyn London, a New York-based author, consultant, and podcast host.
“Most of those powdered mushroom products fall into the category of nutritional supplements, the safety of which is not regulated or tested for efficacy by the FDA,” he says. “Although all ingredients are safe, there is no research framework, adding randomized controlled clinical trials, which show that powdered mushrooms provide any of the claimed benefits to those who take them. “
Sustainably grown
The unique way mushrooms are grown and recycled makes them one of the most sustainably produced foods in the country. Compared to other crops, mushrooms require minimal water and energy. They also require a small area to grow, which helps conserve the soil while still achieving the highest quality. Yields: A million pounds of mushrooms can be grown annually on just 1 acre of land.
Mushrooms can also be grown indoors year-round, so growers don’t have to adapt to weather situations or seasons. Plus, if you upgrade mushrooms with meat, you’ll further reduce the carbon footprint of your food.
Tasty and flexible ingredient
Mushrooms are also an incredibly flexible item that can be added raw to salads, grilled, baked, combined in stir-fries or cooked in soups, and added to meals as a main course or entrée.
Mushrooms offer an umami flavor profile, a complex savory flavor that is a favorite of chefs. Umami is considered to be the fifth fundamental taste, along with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. This same flavor is found in meats, fish, and cheeses. .
How to Eat Mushrooms
To start eating more mushrooms, Jenny Linford from the cookbook “Mushrooms” suggests these ideas:
— Add dried mushrooms to stews, soups, sauces, and gratins.
— Add sautéed mushrooms to mac and cheese and pasta dishes.
— Grill or sauté large, flat mushrooms (like portobello) and use them to make a mushroom burger, topped with caramelized onions and cheese slices.
— Make a mushroom risotto with a combination of new mushrooms and dried porcini mushrooms (soaked in water to reconstitute).
— Sauté sliced mushrooms in butter or olive oil, adding a little cream and chopped chives to get aged mushrooms on toast.
— Fill the jumbo mushrooms with a combination of breadcrumbs, pesto and grated Parmesan cheese and bake until cooked through.
— Top pizza with garlic-sautéed mushroom slices.
— Garnish salads with thinly sliced mushrooms.
— Use reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms, ginger and scallion as a vegetarian topping for potsticker ravioli.
Also, experiment with The Blend™ by combining chopped mushrooms with minced meat. The Mushroom Council recommends a 1-to-3-meat mushroom for burgers, meatballs, and meatloaf, a 1-to-1 mushroom for sandwiches, tacos, and burritos, and a 3-to-1 mushroom meat for chiles and salsas.
For more tactics for using The Blend and other mushroom recipes, champignoncouncil. com.
Common Types of Edible Mushrooms
— White button. This is the most popular in America, has a mild flavor and is small to medium in size.
Also known as “baby bellas,” those mushrooms resemble white buds but have a soft brown lid and a deeper, earthier flavor.
These mushrooms are golden in color with umbrella-shaped caps and curved stems.
With long, white stems and small white tops, these mushrooms can be eaten raw or cooked.
Also like the “hen of the woods,” those mushrooms have a head that resembles flowering leaves and have a rich, woody flavor.
The cap of these mushrooms has an oblong, fluffy shape. You have to be careful with them, as some other mushroom nicknamed “false morel” contains potentially harmful toxins.
– Oyster. These delicate-tasting mushrooms get their call from the fact that their shell resembles an oyster in color and color.
They have a rounded, reddish-brown cap with a thick cylindrical stem.
A substitute for classic burgers, they have a large, thick brown lid with a rich, juicy flavor. They can be served with roasted vegetables interspersed or on their own with goat cheese and balsamic vinegar.
Often in Asian cuisine, they have a dark brown umbrella-shaped cap and a thin, cream-colored stem.
Raw or cooked mushrooms?
Is it better to eat raw or cooked mushrooms? In fact, you can enjoy mushrooms raw, especially in salads, although it would possibly be beneficial to cook them. The flavor regularly improves when you cook the mushrooms, and they will most likely be less difficult to digest when cooked than when raw. There is some evidence to suggest that some nutrients in mushrooms are better absorbed when cooked. A study indicates that grilling and microwaving helps maintain the nutrients in mushrooms to a greater extent than boiling and frying them.
Five Reasons to Eat More Mushrooms, published in usnews. com