Mushrooms have long been a “love it” or “hate it” food. Their culinary history is steeped in both truth and fiction, but one thing is for certain, they are definitely magical. Here is a brief overview of why they should be a part of your diet. As with all fruits and veggies, please source local and organic where possible.
What mushrooms do:
• Support immune function
• Promote cellular growth
• Protect against environmental stressors
• Help the body’s detoxification process
• Preserve cellular structure
• Support healthy gut flora
• Aid digestion
Other Miracles of Mushrooms
Help in the Fight Against Cancer
Current research shows that a diet that includes plenty of mushrooms can help slow down the development of certain cancers, including breast cancer, which is 70% hormone dependent. Mushrooms are one of the very few non-meat sources of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been shown to block aromatase, a protein necessary for producing estrogen in women. CLA is also found in dairy products, beef, and lamb.
A Great Source of Key Hard-to-get Nutrients
An average Portobello mushroom has 21% of the daily required intake of selenium and 33% of copper; it has as much potassium as a medium-size banana. Other varieties are just as rich in minerals and mushrooms retain their nutrients when stir-fried, oven baked or grilled.
Calorie Swapper
When ground beef was swapped out for mushrooms in lasagne, burger entrees and chilli, adults consumed 400 fewer calories per day, according to a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study. Researchers estimate that swapping mushrooms for ground meat in one meal every week, you can lose five pounds in a year!
Easy Recipe: Grilled Portobello Cheese Burgers – Indoors and Out
-Clean and remove stems from the mushrooms
-Drizzle the mushrooms with white balsamic vinegar and olive oil, a pinch or oregano, cayenne and salt and pepper. Leave for a minimum of one hour.
-Preheat the oven. Broil directly in the middle of your oven, not too close to the heat, with aluminum foil or tray underneath to catch drippings, medium heat, inside up, until edges start getting soft, about 3-5 minutes depending on heat. Flip and continue on other side 2-3 minutes, softening the mushroom but not making it limp. Adjust time to match heat and mushroom size.
-Grill them directly over low to medium heat, gills up, until edges start getting soft, about 3-5 minutes depending on heat. Flip and continue on other side 2-3 minutes, softening the mushroom but not making it limp. Adjust time to match heat and mushroom size.
-Top the mushrooms with cheese the last 30 seconds to 1minute of cooking depending heat, just enough to melt but not brown. Blue cheese is a fantastic pairing for the earthiness of the Portobello, but nice organic cheddar will please everyone in the family!
-While cooking the mushrooms, prepare your bread/bun (we recommend a light toasting) and all the other toppings like you would any other burger, add everyone’s favourites and serve immediately.