Food & DrinksMushroom Nutrition: Benefits Of Mushrooms And Interesting Ways To Add Them To Your Diet

Mushroom Nutrition: Benefits Of Mushrooms And Interesting Ways To Add Them To Your Diet

NDTV Food Desk  |  Updated: June 06, 2019 17:03 IST

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_{Mushroom Nutrition: This edible fungus has a lot of health benefits and uses}

Highlights

• Mushrooms are quite popular as healthy foods
• Mushroom has numerous health and beauty benefits
• Coffees to soups, sauces, mushrooms can be added to a range of dishes

Edible fungi mushrooms have been consumed by humans for centuries. These nutrient-dense foods have innumerous varieties and although their popularity depends on the price and availability, mushrooms are generally considered healthy. The popularity of edible mushrooms also depends on the absence of toxins and how enticing the taste and smell of certain mushroom species is. From the most common white mushrooms to the prized and rare truffles, a range of mushrooms are consumed around the world, not just for their creamy, earthy flavour, but also because of their numerous health benefits, that many of us are aware of.

Mushrooms have increasingly come to be categorised as vegetable, although some vegetarians may still not consider consuming them, due to their soft, meat-like texture. They are added to numerous dishes like pastas, pizzas, burgers, patties, quiches and omelettes etc., but not all of these dishes are very healthy. However, there are some healthy ways of including mushrooms in your diet, without adding empty calories to your meals. Mushrooms can enhance the taste of any dish they are added to, due to their creamy flavour. Let's look at some of the health benefits of mushrooms, before we move on to healthy ways of adding them to our diets.

Mushroom Nutrition Facts And Values

White mushrooms are extremely low in calories- a 100 gm of the fungi packs just 22 calories! They also contain negligible fat and cholesterol, but are rather rich in protein (3.1 gm per 100 gm) and healthy carbohydrates (3.3 gm of carbs per 100 gm), according to data by United States Department of Agriculture. They also contain iron, magnesium and Vitamins C, D and B-6. They are also rich in potassium, which is an important nutrient for maintaining heart and brain health, as well as promote weight loss.