Retain The Nutrients Of Mushroom: 3 Best Ways To Cook Them

Fleshy, tiny, and rich in nutrients, mushrooms have been around for hundreds of years. Globally, there exist over 14,000 varieties of mushroom and more than 2,000 varieties are edible!^{1 2}

Mushrooms also called as the food of gods are a rich source of potassium, sodium, dietary fiber, magnesium, iron, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. Mushrooms can help improve the immunity, lower inflammation, improve brain function, and help fight against cancer.³

Mushrooms can be consumed in many ways, however, you must avoid eating it raw as their thick cell walls make them indigestible and the body may not receive benefits from eating them. Therefore, you must always cook mushrooms before eating them, by cooking mushrooms the toxic substances in them are destroyed and they can be consumed more easily.⁴

Let’s look at 3 best ways to cook mushrooms which helps retain maximum nutritional value:

1. Boil The Mushrooms

Eating boiled mushrooms is a good way to retain mushrooms nutritional value as well as make them more digestible. By boiling the mushrooms you destroy agaratine, a potentially toxic substance found in raw mushrooms.⁵ Boiled mushrooms are even a rich source of antioxidants, carotenoids, and ferulic acid.

How to boil the mushrooms: Clean the mushrooms thoroughly. In a pan pour water and let it boil. Once the water temperature reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit, add the mushrooms to it. Let it boil for roughly 10-15 mins, the mushrooms will soften and may darken in color. You can add your favorite seasoning and your nutritious mushrooms are ready for consumption!

2. Grill The Mushrooms

Grilled mushrooms are very high in nutritional value, grilling actually helps increase their antioxidant and polyphenol activity.⁶ You may even add a little oil to them as it may improve the taste, you can choose olive oil to keep the calorie count low.

How to grill the mushrooms: Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and cut them into slices. Apply little oil and place them on grill, let it grill for few minutes and serve them hot. To improve the taste add some seasoning.

3. Microwave The Mushrooms

Microwaving mushrooms is a good way to preserve its nutrients, in fact, it is considered one of the best ways to cook mushrooms.⁷ Microwaving also helps increase the antioxidant activity.

How to microwave the mushrooms: Clean the mushrooms and slice them. Place them in a microwaveable bowl, you may add some oil to it. Cover it and cook at high temperature for 2-3 mins, stir the mushrooms once.

Caution

• Your body may be allergic to mushrooms, seek a professional medical advice before consuming mushrooms.⁸
• Seek medical assistance immediately if you suffer from any problem after consuming mushrooms.