It is better to exchange meat for mushrooms because these fungi contain considerably fewer calories than meat: 22 kcal per 100 grams compared to 127 kcal for 100 grams of lean steak. Fresh mushrooms are very nutritious but low in calories. This makes them extremely suitable for a diet.
Mushrooms are absolute slimmers
Mushrooms are neither vegetables nor fruits, they represent a separate botanical group. Edible mushrooms are generally low in calories but rich in protein, minerals and dietary fiber.
In relation to mushrooms, our eastern neighbors often use the nickname “meat from the forest”. If we look at the protein content of this crop, it quickly becomes clear why it owes its name:
- mushrooms contain not less than 4.1 grams of protein per 100 grams;
- in addition, mushrooms provide vitamin D, B2, niacin, folic acid and pantothenic acid;
- they are also rich in minerals, especially potassium, iron, copper and manganese;
- and despite their nutritional wealth, fungi are absolute slimming: mushrooms provide only 22 calories per 100 grams.
Please note: sauces can increase calorie content
Mushrooms have almost no calories of their own. They are almost entirely made of water, so there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, as long as they are not fried in fat and very salty.
Mushrooms are low in fat and carbohydrates, but provide many essential amino acids and fiber. But pay attention to the sauces with mushroom dishes because they can sometimes significantly increase the calorie content of the dishes.
Why eat more mushrooms?
Mushrooms are packed with healthy nutrients. Only when looking for them in the wild is it necessary to be careful because of the risk of confusion. Losing weight, getting valuable nutrients, strengthening your bones, fungi can achieve all that, as various studies show.
Grilled, fried or in risotto, mushrooms enrich the menu and provide the body with a variety of nutrients. Scientists from Boston recently investigated what exactly makes the “meat from the forest” so healthy. They mentioned 4 main reasons why we should put more mushrooms, shiitake or oyster mushrooms on our plate:
Losing kilos and maintaining weight
White mushrooms instead of red meat, that’s what the participants in the study were fed for a year and that made it a lot easier for them to lose kilos and prevent the yo-yo effect.
Valuable nutrients
Because mushrooms contain so many beneficial nutrients, they automatically assure fans of these mushrooms an adequate supply of essential components for a variety of bodily functions.
Strengthen bones with natural vitamin D
Mushrooms as a natural dietary supplement against osteoporosis? The American study showed that dried mushroom extract has as much effect on the condition of bones as vitamin D in pill form.
Strengthening the immune system
Two to three servings of dried shiitake mushrooms per week to strengthen the immune system. Dried mushrooms have proven useful as a shield against salmonella in research mice.
Not all mushrooms in nature are edible
Mushrooms, by the way, belong neither to the plant nor to the animal kingdom, but represent their own kingdom in the family tree of existence on earth.
Especially in late summer and autumn, countless mushroom lovers swarm out and search for mushrooms and mushrooms in nature. But beware: not all mushrooms are edible, some are even poisonous. Many edible mushrooms have dangerous look-alikes that bear a confusing resemblance that can lead to poisoning.