What Makes Mushrooms a Superfood
Photo by Jannis Brandt
How Superfoods Contribute to a Healthier Lifestyle
As more consumers focus on choosing foods that fuel their body, support immunity health, and taste delicious, superfoods are taking center stage. We are happy to note that mushrooms are on the list of superfoods you should include in your daily diet. That’s great news since mushrooms are delicious and can be added to countless meals, from breakfast omelets and decadent pasta sauces.
South Mill Champs is one of North America’s largest mushroom growers, supplying over 110 million pounds annually of the best quality minimally processed mushrooms throughout North America. We pride ourselves on continuing to find innovative ways to help you make a health-conscious lifestyle as easy as possible.
Adding superfoods into your diet as often as possible is a central building block of a healthy lifestyle. With options like our mushrooms, that’s easy to do. But, do you know which foods fit into that category? And why?
What Are Superfoods?
Superfoods are foods that give your body an extra boost of nutrition. Superfood lists seem to vary from year to year, but mushrooms are always a staple. Superfoods all have a few things in common. They are usually plant-based foods, with the addition of omega-rich seafood, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. The common denominator is that all the foods on the lists are nutrient-dense and provide a wide range of health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory properties or antibacterial components.
The Foods Most Frequently Included on Superfood Lists
Photo by Maddi Bazzocco
Most people know that they should eat fruits and vegetables, but some fruits and vegetables are simply more nutrient-dense and potent than others. A few of the most common superfoods include the following.
- Mushrooms. These fungi have been touted for centuries for their medicinal benefits, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Unlike other kinds of superfoods, almost all varieties are exceptionally potent and healthful.
- Avocados. These green orbs are high in magnesium and help regulate blood pressure. Don’t let the high fat content stop you; like nuts, it’s all fat that is good for you.
- Berries. All berries have high fiber content and abundant levels of antioxidants. However, blueberries stand out among others for their boosts to health.
- Broccoli. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are high in fiber and lower your risk of cancer. They also taste good.
- Salmon. Fresh-caught seafoods are high in omega 3 fatty acids, which lower heart attack risks. Of these fresh caught fish, salmon is among the healthiest.
- Garlic and onions. Garlic and onions are often overlooked, but these members of the allium family are noted for their antibacterial and antiviral benefits.
- Kombucha, kimchee, and other fermented products. Drink them alone or add them to a smoothie, these products offer innumerable probiotic benefits.
What Makes Mushrooms a Superfood
Photo by Harshal S. Hirve
Mushrooms possess several attributes that qualify them as a true superfood, and over 400 species of mushrooms are identified with medicinal properties. Chinese medicine has a long history of using these fungi for their antiviral and antimicrobial benefits as well for the anti-inflammatory properties that contribute to overall health.
Mushrooms not only provide you with B vitamins such as niacin and riboflavin, but are also excellent sources of three essential antioxidants, glutathione, ergothioneine, and selenium.
Additionally, they are an excellent source of vitamin D and potassium. B vitamins benefit the body in several ways, including converting our food to energy for distribution to cells and helping regulate the nervous system and maintain overall cell health. The vitamin D present in mushrooms not only helps to strengthen bones, but it also regulates the production of proteins that your body needs to kill bacterial and viral infections.
Glutathione and ergothioneine are antioxidants that, when teamed together, can reduce the signs of aging caused by effects of physiological stress. The benefits of mushrooms in reducing oxidative stress in the body can be an essential component of an anti-aging lifestyle. Including them in your diet may help in delaying or reducing the impacts of age-related diseases.
Although our bodies do not produce selenium, it is a nutrient that is critical to our metabolism and thyroid function. It is important to include this antioxidant in your daily diet, as it helps negate the impacts of oxidative stress on your body. Adequate levels of selenium are necessary to help the body effectively fight off viral infections.
Another one of the benefits of mushrooms is the impact on brain decline associated with aging. A study by researchers in Singapore found that seniors who included at least two weekly servings of mushrooms in their diet may reduce their risk of mild cognitive issues by 50 percent. Additionally, glutathione and ergothioneine are thought to help prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Mushrooms are also used as a companion in the treatment of breast cancer due to their anti-inflammatory properties. As you can see, mushrooms are beneficial to your overall health and should be included in your diet in a variety of ways. The good news is that South Mill Champs has a wide variety of ways to make adding mushrooms to your diet easy and delicious.
Ways to Add Mushrooms to Your Everyday Diet
When you think of mushrooms, you likely think of using them for salads, steaks, or in an omelet. You can reap the nutritional benefits of mushrooms by thinking creatively. The meaty texture and umami flavor of mushrooms make them an excellent protein replacement for red meat in a recipe.
Consider making your next burger a portabella mushroom burger or replacing a portion of the meat in your turkey burger with diced mushrooms. You can easily use Tuesday Taco as an opportunity to increase your antioxidant intake with this taco recipe. You can add nutrition and cut calories by making mushrooms the center of your pizza night.
Mushroom superfood powder is also an excellent way to upgrade your morning coffee’s nutritional value. A teaspoon will turn your regular coffee into an earthy treat bursting with nutrients. You can also add the powder to smoothies, cereals, and entrées. Our line of mushroom snacks is another way South Mill Champs makes eating healthy easier.
We offer a variety of portable, tasty treats that are easy ways to include nutrition into your on-the-go lifestyle. Keep plenty of them around the house for a delicious and nutritious snack when you want it.
What are Shroom Snacks?
As you begin to look at ways to incorporate mushrooms and other superfoods into your daily routine—don’t forget our healthy snacks!
Snacking is now a mainstay in the diet of most consumers. We eat on the go or tend to graze more often during the day. It is vital to make your snacks are as nutritionally dense as possible. South Mill Champs offers mushroom crisps and jerky all easy and delicious snacks, packed with nutritional benefits.
We developed the Shrooms line as an exciting and somewhat adventurous way for mushroom lovers to incorporate more of that savory taste into their snacking options.
The Shrooms Product Line Includes:
SHROOMS Crisps
Available in a variety of flavors to fill all your crunch cravings, Shrooms Crisps come in spicy jalapeno, sea salt, mesquite barbeque, and pizza flavors. This crispy mushroom snack offers all the crunch you expect from a potato chip but with less fat and more nutritional value.
SHROOMS Jerky
The great taste you expect from jerky but with a boost of antioxidants, the Shrooms Jerky line is another tasty way to add mushrooms to your diet. The jerky is composed of two types of mushrooms—shiitake and portobello. The mushrooms are deeply marinated for 24 hours a day to enhance the flavor profile. The options are roasted teriyaki portobello, honey chipotle shiitake, and original portabella.
Get the Health Benefits of Mushrooms with Shroom Snacks
Including superfoods into your daily diet is an excellent way to proactively increase your quality of life and fight the negative impacts of stress on your body. Shroom snacks are a simple way to ensure that you reap the benefits that mushrooms provide, including improved brain function and blood pressure regulation. They have antioxidant and antiviral properties and offer weight control benefits.
The Shroom Crisp snacks are a convenient option to take along on hikes, easy to pack in a school lunch, and make an excellent topping for salads if you are looking to add a little crunch.
Next time you are looking for something to hold you over until dinner or you need a boost after your workout, try Shrooms Snacks.
Start on your journey toward better health and longer life by incorporating more superfoods into your diet. Check out our recipe section for more ideas on how to incorporate mushrooms into your cooking.