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 The Cardiologist's Wife - The Overlooked Mushroom The more I read and study about nutrition, the more I realize the important role food plays in determining our good health. Just as your car won’t run well without the correct fuel and oil, your body won’t run and may even break down without the proper fuel it needs. It is never too late to learn more about food and good nutrition and to give up living off the food like substances on the grocery shelves. We often take some foods for granted; eating them without considering whether or not they have any beneficial nutrition. Mushrooms are one of those overlooked foods. They show up on the salad bar, we toss them on pizza or stuff them for appetizers but we never really think about them. After reading this, I hope you find more ways to add mushrooms to your regular diet. Mushrooms are very low in calories but are an extremely good source of 15 different vitamins and minerals, including several that are difficult to get in most foods, like selenium, potassium, copper, iron and phosphorus. One cup, or 5 medium sized mushrooms, have about 20 calories, 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of protein and are fat free, cholesterol free, gluten free and low in sodium. While mushrooms are grouped with vegetables, they are technically classified as fungi. They contain two types of fiber which provide bulk in your diet, making you feel full, thus helping maintain a healthy weight. The choline in mushrooms helps improve sleep, learning, memory and reduces chronic inflammation such as arthritis. Other antioxidants like selenium, potassium and vitamin C protect against inflammation, some cancers, regulate blood pressure and cholesterol and improve our immune response to infection. Mushrooms are the only vegan non-fortified dietary source of vitamin D, which is usually found in animal sources and inhibits the growth of cancer cells. It is best to buy mushrooms from the grocery store or another reputable source as wild mushrooms can be very toxic and cause severe illness or even death. Store fresh mushrooms in the refrigerator because they will become discolored and harden at room temperature. There is no need to wash them; just brush off any bits of the dark compost they are grown in before chopping and cooking. Best of all, mushrooms are delicious and quick to prepare! Slice them raw and toss onto a salad, stuff portabella mushrooms with chopped veggies, cheese or meat and bake or grill them for an easy main dish. Add them to scrambled eggs or quiches. Just don’t overcook them because some of the flavor and nutrition is lost the longer they cook. Try the following way to cook mushrooms as an easy side dish for almost any meal. Garlicky Sautéed Mushrooms [+] add comment |