5 Great Things About Mushrooms

Mushrooms are delicious and nutritious                                      Image:Marie Vonow

I like mushrooms, especially on toast for breakfast. I got some button mushrooms at the farmers' market on Saturday, lovely fresh ones at a good price.  When I was a child we often found mushrooms growing in paddocks and at the side of the road. Sometimes a few would pop up on the back lawn. They were larger than button mushrooms, with a stronger taste and were usually dark brown underneath. We don't often see mushrooms growing 'wild' like this these days and I have heard that's because of the increased use of herbicides.

I enjoy mushrooms raw or cooked. They are nice in some salads, made into soup or cooked with meat. Cooked with a little chopped onion, a bit of cream and a splash of soy sauce they make a lovely sauce to serve with a schnitzel.


Besides the fact that they taste good there are many nutritious reasons to eat mushrooms.

1. Low in fat, low in kilojoules
Mushrooms have a low fat content, I have read in some articles they actually contain no fat. A cup of raw mushrooms contains about 15 calories (60 kj). It varies a little with the variety. Cooked mushrooms are around 77 calories (308 kj) per cup, however this varies depending on whether they are cooked in lots of butter or a drizzle of oil in a non stick pan. Snacking on a few raw mushrooms won't put on weight and has the added benefit of satisfying your need for food for longer than many alternative foods.


2. High in antioxidants
Ergothioneine and glutathione are two of the antioxidants found in high quantities in mushrooms. The amount varies between different species of mushrooms. These antioxidants are thought to help fight the ageing process and the likelihood of getting Alzheimers or Parkinsons Disease in later years of life. More research is being carried out.

Mushrooms are stored in a paper bag so they don't sweat                  Image:Marie Vonow

3. Packed with nutrients
Mushies are a source of B complex vitamins, including vitamin B12 and vitamin D. As well they provide selenium, potassium and copper. They contain riboflavin which is good for red blood cells, niacin which helps digestion and pantothenic acid which helps convert food into energy. Pantothenic acid may also reduce stress and anxiety.


4. Help control blood cholesterol and blood pressure
Mushrooms are good for diabetics because they have a glycaemic index close to zero and contain glucans which aid in controlling blood cholesterol. They also help control blood pressure because they contain potassium and are low in sodium.




5. Contain dietary fibre and protein
Dietary fibre is necessary for a healthy digestive system and 'regularity'.  Mushrooms are useful in a vegetarian diet as they contain protein. However, meat contains much more protein. Beans and legumes contain more protein than mushrooms.


I enjoy button mushrooms which are readily available and within my budget price wise. There are other fancier types of mushrooms, shiitake, oyster, portobello, morel, enoki to name just a few. Perhaps I will try some of these one day.