They’re the unsung stars of the salad bar. The hidden heroes of the produce aisle. And a secret source of some of the most essential nutrients that you’re almost certainly NOT getting enough of.
I’m talking about humble mushrooms. They’re one of the easiest and most overlooked ways to round out your meals… adding texture and flavor to your dishes and giving you a SUPER boost of necessary nutrients.
In fact, mushrooms might be one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. And they manage to deliver all that nutrition without the unwanted extras some folks want to avoid coming along for the ride.
They’re ridiculously low in calories, free of unhealthy fats, and light on sodium. Oh, and did I mention they’re dirt cheap, too?
Frankly, it’s downright puzzling why we all don’t eat MORE mushrooms. Sure, they’re a fairly common pizza topping. But mushrooms still aren’t a weekly staple on most folk’s menus.
However, that might be about to change in light of new research. Scientists have now confirmed that our fungal “grown in the dark” friends are a verifiable SUPERFOOD.
Mushrooms are a hidden source of vital nutrients
It’s time to make some room for more mushrooms on your menu. Because the new report finds many types of common fungi aren’t just loaded with vital nutrients. They’re also packed with the ones that aren’t always easy to find in a standard diet. And all you need is half a cup to top your levels off.
The new study finds four ounces of the most common “supermarket” mushrooms – including white, cremini, and portabella – will provide you with a healthy shot of…
- potassium
- copper
- phosphorus
- selenium
- zinc
- riboflavin
- niacin
- choline
Many of us have suboptimal levels of one or more of these nutrients. And those deficiencies often get worse with age.
For example, one study found that about 40 percent of seniors don’t get enough zinc from their diet. While up to 90 percent of the general population falls short in choline and a similar amount doesn’t get enough potassium.
Fill in nutritional gaps with fungi
As we get older, it’s not only harder to get many of the nutrients you’ll find in abundance in mushrooms, it also gets tougher to absorb them. Of course, that means you need to take in more than you would when you were younger just to ensure your get the minimum of what you need.
Eating more mushrooms can help fill in those nutritional gaps. Fungi deliver the antioxidants and micronutrients your body requires to do everything from boosting immune function to supporting healthy blood pressure and fighting off cancer. (Click here to find out how fungi fans may have a 52 percent lower risk for cognitive impairment.)
And they do it with only about 20 calories per half a cup. Calorie for calorie, I don’t think anything else out there can deliver that same nutritional punch.
And remember, mushrooms don’t just have to be a pizza topping or salad bar add-on. With the pandemic still going strong, it’ll be a long time before most of us hit the salad bar again anyway. But there are DOZENS of other ways to use them, from casseroles to stews to roasted veggie mixes.
I’ve been working mushrooms into my own breakfasts at least twice a week lately. Sometimes, it’s in an omelet with onions and peppers. Other times, like this morning, I just toss them in a bit of olive oil, Himalayan salt, and freshly ground pepper and cook them on their own for a perfect bite-sized side dish.
So go ahead and toss some mushrooms into your cart on your next shopping trip.
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