Mushrooms offer consumers health benefits
Mushrooms may not be first in the minds of consumers when it comes to superfoods, but marketers say there is a great story to tell.
“The health benefits of mushrooms have gone fairly untold, but we are working to change that,” said Devon Kennedy, national marketing manager for the Leamington, Ontario-based Highline Mushrooms.
Kennedy said mushrooms are a superfood and are packed with vitamins and minerals. Research shows that mushrooms:
- Decrease the risk of cancer.
- Lower sodium intake.
- Promote lower cholesterol.
- Protect brain health.
- Provide a source of vitamin D.
- Stimulate a healthier gut.
- Support a healthy immune system.
Mushrooms are a natural meat extender or substitute, Kennedy said.
Rather than eating processed meat alternatives, consumers can choose healthy mushrooms, he said. Mushrooms have a meaty texture and umami flavor, Kennedy said.
“Meat intake can be reduced or replaced by adding mushrooms to recipes,” Kennedy said, noting that home chefs can use half the amount of ground beef in tacos and add diced mushrooms, which reduces the cost, increases the nutritional value and adds to the flavor.
Lindsey Occhipinti, marketing manager at Monterey Mushrooms Inc., said mushrooms are becoming recognized as a more important part of a balanced, nutritious diet.
“For us, it’s no surprise,” she said. “The high-vitamin D mushrooms in your grocery store have numerous cancer-fighting properties, [three times] the vitamin D of fortified milk and more selenium than any other fruit or vegetable.”
Monterey Mushrooms has created an e-book to help retailers better understand high-vitamin D mushrooms, she said.
