Archive for the ‘Mushroom News’ Category

The Mushroom Council and Partnership for a Healthier America

When we think about kids, food and nutrition, one topic comes to mind lately: childhood obesity. According to the CDC, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled over the past three decades, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese. It’s a serious problem that calls for serious efforts from our government, food companies, corporations and ourselves to solve.

Today the Mushroom Council is proud to announce that we’ve joined with the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) as a key sponsor of the inaugural “Building a Healthier Future” Summit and true partner in PHA’s mission to end childhood obesity.

We are involved for one simple reason – we believe mushrooms can be part of the solution to improve the health of children and families across the country. Our mushroom growers are proud to help families put healthy foods on their tables, offering low-calorie, nutrient-rich produce that can easily be added to their favorite meals. One easy example: replace some of the higher-calorie items in a recipe with finely diced mushrooms to help cut calories in dishes like burgers, tacos, spaghetti or sloppy Joes.

Highlighting all of the reasons and ways our loyal fans have come to love mushrooms, we’re bringing mushrooms’ outstanding nutritional benefits and meaty, satisfying texture straight to Washington for the inaugural summit, November 29-30. We’ll be dishing up some of our favorite mushroom recipes for more than 600 like-minded attendees. Guests of the event represent foundations, advocacy groups and businesses committed to finding solutions to childhood obesity from every angle, as part of the larger hope to end this crisis within a generation. Stay tuned to the Channel for more updates from the event!

The Doctor is In!

Take three mushrooms, and call me in the morning

Most doctors don’t make house calls, but lucky for us, Dr. Oz does! This week he invited one of our favorite dietitians, Liz Ward, onto the show to talk about the mighty mushroom. Watch the video to learn more about three different kinds of mushrooms – white buttons, creminis, and maitakes – and fun ways to cook with them to get more nutrients onto your plate!

Tasting is believing! Try one of the recipes mentioned on the show with your family today:

Like what you see?

Check out the Facebook page for Liz’s new book, MyPlate for Moms, for more nutrition and cooking tips.

‘Shrooms Shine in Sunny San Diego

The Mushroom Council recently travelled to sunny San Diego to meet and mingle with nearly 10,000 of the best and brightest nutrition and health professionals at the American Dietetic Association’s Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE).

We hosted a booth on the expo floor where attendees could stop by, learn about the health benefits of mushrooms, chat about nutrition and sample our healthy Mushroom Tacos with Salsa Verde. These weren’t your ordinary tacos, though… We put our own spin on a traditional all-beef taco filling by using a blend of 75 percent mushrooms (a mix of buttons and creminis) and 25 percent beef.

And how did it taste? Incredible! By chopping up mushrooms extra fine, mimicking the texture and consistency of ground beef, the blend was seamless and delicious. Plus, the resulting dish has less calories, fat and sodium than the original all-beef filling.

Food is just one component of FNCE. Keeping with the nutrition tradition, we also dropped in on educational sessions covering all aspects of health and nutrition. Here are some highlights from the experts on key learnings and trends/tips:

  • What’s new in healthy foods, ABC15 –Michelle Dudash, RD, highlights some food trends from the conference including our scrumptious Mushroom Tacos (we hope these become a trend!)

We had a great time seeing familiar FNCE fun-guys and making new friends.  Thanks to everyone who visited our booth. Can’t wait to catch up with you all again in Philadelphia for FNCE 2012!

Mr. Food Celebrates Mushroom Month!

Our friend and fellow fun-guy Mr. Food recently traveled to the Mushroom Capital of the World, Kennett Square, PA., to celebrate National Mushroom Month. After a couple days in town soaking up local inspiration, he whipped up two new easy-to-make mushroom recipes: Mushroom Lovers’ Chicken and Overstuffed Portabellas. Try your hand at them this month, and tell us what you think!

Also, check out Mr. Food’s blog detailing his mushroom-centric travels. Have you got any trips on the books for National Mushroom Month?

Mushrooms in the News

Mushrooms add the ‘meat’ If you needed an excuse to add mushrooms to your menu, the Bismarck Tribune makes the case.  Not only do mushrooms offer something toothsome and remarkably “meaty”, but they give off bursts of flavor with every bite.  As the journalist describes, “Mushrooms are also fantastic little sponges, soaking up the briny, salty or savory flavors of liquids in a dish and happily releasing them as you chew.”  With three recipes included, you won’t be hard pressed for options.  The difficult part is deciding which to try first!

Table Talk: Mushrooms really are magical Some people love mushrooms and some people love mushrooms.  Debbie Salomon of the Burlington Free Press is definitely one of the latter.  Really, what’s not to love?  Low in calories, high in taste, satisfying texture and versatility are just a few of mushrooms’ strengths.

The Magic of Mushrooms From nutrients to disease fighting phytochemicals, mushrooms have it all. Indeed, this brief from Reader’s Digest is probably the tightest, most credible, fact-filled description of why everyone should eat mushrooms, for the health of it.

Never underestimate the power of mushrooms As this Miami Herald article points out, “those ancient healers might have been onto something” when prescribing mushrooms to patients.  The article notes that white button mushrooms have been shown to help boost the body’s immune system and the mushroom family as a group contains the nutrients necessary to help prevent skin aging.  That’s one beautiful food!

Your Questions Answered: Keri Glassman Talks “Superfoods” and Nutrient Preservation

Today we are thrilled to have author and nutrition expert Keri Glassman answer nutrition questions submitted by our amazing fans and followers on Facebook and Twitter. Fresh off the release of her new book, The O2 Diet, Keri dishes with us on nutrition, superfoods and her tips for maintaining a healthy diet. And we can’t help but notice she’s a big fan of mushrooms. We had some really excellent questions come through- too many for one post.  Keep an eye out for Part II next week!

Q: It feels like everyone is talking about “superfoods.” What are some examples, and what makes them special? Stephanie (Los Angeles, CA)

A: I like to think of superfoods as nutrient-rich foods that provide incredible health benefits and should be included in a balanced diet. Personally, I focus on those that are high in antioxidants. When you consume nutrient-rich foods, you feel good, you look better, and as a result, you are more likely to live a healthier lifestyle.

When I hit the grocery store, the following must-have foods are always in my shopping cart:

  • Mushrooms are a best-kept secret to make any diet possible thanks to their flavor, value, nutrition and versatility. I toss a handful into whatever I’m cooking; they are low in fat and calories, but will fill you up. Mushrooms are also the only source of vitamin D in the produce section
  • Olive oil, avocados and nuts are a great way to add healthy fat into your diet.
  • Berries! On their own, in a smoothie, for a snack or dessert – you can’t go wrong.
  • Spices go a long way when you’re cooking. They add flavor without adding calories, and can help you feel more satisfied as a result. Chile pepper, cinnamon, cumin, rosemary – go nuts and reap the benefits, they’re usually heart healthy and full of antioxidants!
  • Green tea is always at the top of my list. It’s rich in antioxidants called catechins, which stimulate the body to burn calories and decrease body fat.

Q: I’m always afraid that I’m cooking the nutrients out of my mushrooms. What is the best way to preserve the nutrients in veggies when I’m cooking? Do mushrooms lose their nutritional value when dried? — Linda (San Jose, CA) & Kathi (Kennett Square, PA)

A: Before you step into the kitchen, check out some easy tips on how to prepare mushrooms to ensure you’re cooking them properly. When it comes to drying foods, this process usually increases the nutrient count because by removing water you increase the concentration of other nutrients per gram. So when considering the same volume of fresh or dried mushrooms, the dried mushrooms will have more nutrients than their raw counterparts because the water weight has been removed.

Write for the Mushroom Channel!

For the last year, the Mushroom Channel has hosted posts from some truly incredible contributors. Kath from Kath Eats Real Food, Jenna from Eat Live Run, Susie from We Are Not Martha, Rachel from A Southern Fairytale, and Luisa from The Wednesday Chef just to put names to a few of the words that have graced these pages with delicious recipes and photos. We’re now looking to expand that program significantly.

Several of you have asked how you could become featured contributors to the Channel and we’re excited to announce that we’re opening up 10 contributing spots in April.

These are paid positions.  Consider the Mushroom Channel as the perfect outlet for all of your marvelous mushroom discoveries. We’re also interested in sending traffic your way from our various sites. All of your posts will feature a short bio that links back to your personal blog and your post will be linked to via both the Mushroom Channel’s Twitter and Facebook pages.

We’re looking for food bloggers with an eye for photos and a healthy level of curiosity.  Posts could range from a great new mushroom recipe of your own to an old family favorite or even a profile of a restaurant dish.  Creativity is encouraged and the editorial staff at The Mushroom Channel is more than happy to work with you if you’ve got grander ideas.  Compensation details are readily available, just send your question to mushroomchannel@gmail.com and we will respond promptly.

How It Works:

1) Submit a sample post with a photo and mushroom recipe to mushroomchannel@gmail.com.  Tell us a little bit about yourself in your email and please include a link to your blog. Posts tend to be 250-300 words if you need a frame of reference and it’s okay if the recipe is something you’ve posted in the past. Deadline for submission is April 6, 2010.

2) When we go through the entries, we’ll be looking for the following in all contributors:

  • Someone who knows how to engage an audience
  • Posts at least weekly on their personal blogs
  • Past mushroom content (Every other post doesn’t need to be about mushrooms, we just want to know that our contributors are fans.)
  • Clear, illustrative photos
  • A unique voice

We’ll be looking for a few of these among individual contributors:

  • Health backgrounds (RD in particular)
  • Parents with advice on healthy meals kids love
  • Frugal-minded fresh mushroom lovers

3) Selections will be made by Friday, April 16th and announced on the Channel. From there a member of the Mushroom Editorial staff will be in touch to sort through compensation and assign deadlines for your four posts in the next eight months.

Weekly Links: Mushroom News from Around the Web

Get healthy Tri-State: Keep the comfort, lose the calories The Herald-Dispatch knows that cold winter has many of us reaching for warm comfort foods like chili, pasta and beef dishes. While that sounds like the right food to trigger a warm feeling, consuming so much saturated fat isn’t your healthiest option. If you swap out mushrooms instead of meat in your comfort dishes you’ll find yourself with a source of ergothioneine—a compound that helps prevent plaque from forming in arteries. Now that’s comforting way to warm up this season!

Where to trim fat and calories at the Thanksgiving feast During and after your Thanksgiving feast, cutting the fat and extra calories from your holiday meals doesn’t mean cutting the taste. Many of us try to feel less guilty by eating vegetable or fruit side dishes, but forget that adding a stick of butter for flavor doesn’t help our waists much. The Dallas Morning News shares ways to enjoy your holiday and weekend indulgence, like delicious stuffing, while still being conscious of where its going.

Morels are very special mushrooms With such a wide variety of mushrooms to choose from—porcinis, trompettes, chanterelles, maitake and morels—it can be hard to pick a favorite. It can be even more daunting to find some of the more rare varieties that come with a higher price tag. If you do happen to use these special varieties while cooking or enjoy them while dining out, Olive Nation’s blog can help you choose the right pairing for each type. They offer suggestions for using the right sauce, vegetable or wine. The blog also includes tips for handling and preparation.

Tuna and Mushroom Potato Pot Pie Does your family have a favorite pie recipe that’s become a tradition around the dinner table? Bits of Taste was introduced to traditional pies by her mother-in-law and took a chance on making a modern version that not only added fiber to her family’s diet, but was also suitable for a picky eater. For fans of the traditional shepherd’s pie, this recipe is similar except that she has swapped minced mutton or beef for a healthier tuna.

Preventing The Swine Flu: A Comprehensive Approach There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to keeping everyone healthy and immune to influenza according to Mark Hyman, MD, at the The Huffington Post. Not everyone will find the same results from vaccines and treatments, thus the best approach is one that involves keeping healthy through a variety of means.  Hyman provides an overview of things to consider when getting a vaccine and offers alternative ways that support your immune system naturally, such as immune-enhancing mushrooms.

Second time around: What to do with those Thanksgiving leftovers If you find yourself in abundance of turkey leftovers don’t think that the most exciting use for a turkey is over. Silive.com has plenty of ideas for re-using leftovers that will still be as good as the original holiday meal. Whether you want to bake, throw together a quick pasta or warm up with soup, Silive.com has you covered through the weekend of leftovers.

Weekly Links: Mushroom News from Around the Web

Barbeque mushrooms: An incredible edible egg-cup We typically don’t think of including mushrooms in our everyday breakfast meals. When we see mushrooms at breakfast, its usually the “meat” of a breakfast burrito or a savory addition to an omelet. Well, its time to spruce up your mushroom breakfasts with this barbecue idea from The Home of Eggs. This barbecue mushroom egg recipe even includes a YouTube clip to show you how easy it is to grill a mushroom on your own.

Nature’s Hidden Source of Vitamin D Why is Vitamin D so important to our health? Is the sun the only source of Vitamin D? The Seattle PI answers these questions in their latest post and shares an alternative way to find Vitamin D when we’re limited on sun exposure. The post even includes a recipe for ginger shiitake rice adapted from Gourmet Magazine. Yum.

15 best (and worst) foods for immunity It’s officially cold and flu season—so how are you keeping yourself healthy? Have you thought about how  your diet may make you a germ magnet? MSNBC listed the 15 best and worst foods for your immune system based on their germ-killing abilities. Check them out and stay healthy everyone.

Seriously Meatless: Wild Mushroom Stuffing Thanksgiving is a week away! If you’re having food safety concerns or stressing over making a meal that’ll please a crowd of both vegetarians and omnivores, check out Serious Eats’ stuffing. It’s made outside of the turkey and serves up to 8 people.

Recipe ideas that use your Thanksgiving leftovers Some say that the best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. If you find yourself with plates of extra food after the holiday, check out My San Antonio’s ideas for what to do with those leftovers. It’s recipes for using up turkey, potatoes, cranberries and stuffing which sound just as delicious as the original meal itself!

Weekly Links: Mushroom News from Around the Web

Seasonal Influenza and H1N1 Today As H1N1 becomes more prevalent all around us, many people look for ways to boost their immunity to protect themselves. While basic measures can be taken to prevent the seasonal flu as well, Healthy News Digest reports on the extra steps that can be taken to strengthen the immune system. Dr. Cheri Quincy also shares a little background on how far we’ve come in fighting the flu since a pandemic in 1918 that killed 50 million people in twelve months.

‘Eat on $30 Challenge’ proves it’s possible to keep grocery costs low Kristina McLean took an interesting challenge to live on a $30 per week grocery budget while still eating well balanced meals. Using up food she already had, growing items in her garden and incorporating local ingredients was eye-opening, but more importantly, she learned to change recipes to fit her budget. Calculating everything down to cost-per-ingredient, McLean put together a low-cost Mushroom Barley Soup recipe you can totally afford to try.

Family Meals Matter: Meatless meals are healthy meals The Wichita Eagle reports on economical ways to eat and provide food for the whole family. Now it’s suggesting an economical and healthy way to stay full without the meaty ingredients we know and love.  It reports “even planning one or two meatless meals per week can help families save money without sacrificing taste or nutrition.” Best of all you can swap out meat for their recipe of cheese and spinach stuffed Portabella mushrooms.

Marvelous mushrooms Have you ever tried a “steak-like” mushroom the size of a saucer? The Portabella mushroom, a meaty variety perfect for adapting to many ways of cooking, is just that. Although its exotic looking, the Courier Journal explains that its simply a white button mushroom with “big size and flavor.” It’s large size is nothing to be afraid of however, it allows for more varied uses like stuffing. The Courier Journal includes their pick for Portabella use: KT’s Portabella Pasta. Enjoy!

Just Asking… Alicia Silverstone How many of our followers were once avid watchers of “Clueless”? Alicia Silverstone has come a long way since that time making a big change in her life in order to go vegan. The Wall Street Journal interviewed Silverstone about her new vegan cookbook which definitely includes mushrooms. She says, “one of my favorite dishes to serve at a party is the leek, pesto, mushroom crostini.” If any of you pick up her book, let us know if you test out her crostinis!

In Season: Stock up on fresh mushrooms Did you know that mushrooms have a season? Well, that season is now. Whether you’re into picking up produce at the local farmers market or the supermarket it’s always best to pick up what’s in season. The Dallas Morning News is telling us to stock up now on fresh mushrooms for upcoming occasions like Thanksgiving where they become a nice addition to side dishes and dressing.