Incorporating Mushrooms Into Your Daily Routine: Tips And Tricks
Dec. 16 2023, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Mushrooms are often overlooked as an everyday food. Sure, they may make cameos in pasta bakes or on an odd pizza. But it’s time to give mushrooms their chance to shine! These underrated edible fungi can work wonders for both your tastebuds and your health. When prepared properly, mushrooms offer a uniquely meaty texture and savory, almost nutty flavor. The impressive nutritional profile supplies key nutrients to support immunity, gut health, digestion, and even cognitive function.
The best part is mushrooms prove endlessly versatile in the kitchen. Their adaptable nature lets them play a supporting role or take center stage in everything from scrambles to skewers. By incorporating more mushrooms into different parts of your daily meals and snacks, you unlock their full potential!
With a few simple tips, seamlessly sneaking more mushrooms into your diet is doable. So read on to discover all sorts of clever and delicious ways to welcome mushrooms into your usual breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and more.
Add Them To Breakfast
Start your day off right with a boost from nutrient-dense mushrooms! Their meaty, umami flavor makes mushrooms a fantastic addition to classic breakfast foods. If you often have eggs in the morning, you can stir sliced mushrooms into your omelet or scrambled eggs. The extra texture and earthiness they add can take your basic egg dishes to the next level.
Meanwhile, for the mornings when you’re having potatoes, you can mix mushrooms into hash browns or potato pancake batter. The added moisture from the mushrooms will surely help you come up with more tender and fluffier potato cakes. Shiitake or cremini mushrooms can also add loads of extra flavor.
Blend The Into Snacks
Mushrooms can also be blended into your snacks for a quick and tasty nutrition boost. For instance, you can bake crunchy mushroom crackers by mixing chopped mushrooms with cracker dough before baking until crisp. Another option is to make crispy mushroom snack chips. To do this, toss mushroom caps in oil and season, and bake them until they’re crispy.
If you’re feeling adventurous and looking for a ‘mushroom’ snack to take you on a next-level journey, perhaps you can experiment with magic mushroom gummies. Imagine the fusion of gummy candies and the earthy wonders of mushrooms—that’s the kind of magic you can enjoy in your free time.
You can find some companies that craft mushroom-infused gummies filled with psychedelic properties and nutritional benefits. Just make sure you take a responsible dose and be aware of your surroundings. You must start in small amounts and see how your body reacts—nobody wants an unexpected trip!
Toss Them In Lunch And Dinner
Mushrooms can pair flawlessly with all different kinds of cuisines and ingredients. They can make excellent additions to your typical lunch and dinner meals, like pasta dishes, rice bowls, flatbreads, grain bowls, and more.
For example, you can mix sliced cremini or white mushrooms into the pasta sauce. It can boost the pasta’s umami flavor, making the pasta truly crave-worthy! Another idea is to add grilled mushrooms to tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, and other Mexican dishes. The mushrooms’ tender bites and charred edges can help balance out the other fillings of the dishes. If you’re having a pizza night, add mushrooms to the flatbread or pizza. Its chewy and meaty texture allows them to stand in for pepperoni, sausage, or other pizza toppings.
Blend Them Into A Smoothie
Perhaps there are days when you simply don’t have time to get busy in the kitchen and prepare a proper meal. In that case, an alternative way to incorporate mushrooms into your diet is by adding them to your smoothie. Sure, it’s not the most common way of cooking mushrooms, but it could be worth a try! Mushrooms could make your smoothie tastier and more nutritious than it usually is. So try blending some mushrooms with your favorite fruits, and you can enjoy an even yummier and healthier drink.
Make A Mushroom Broth
If you truly want to make the most of your mushrooms and savor their original flavor and form, making a mushroom broth is worth a shot. It’s also very easy and only requires a few ingredients. All you need is some mushrooms, a little garlic, onions, and some herbs.
Once you’ve gathered all the needed ingredients, simmer them in a pot for half an hour. Strain the liquid and store it in a proper container for later use. You might need to use them to make mushroom risotto, stews, and soups for an extra punch of flavor.
Enjoy Some Grilled Mushrooms
Who would’ve thought that you could grill mushrooms as if they were meat? So take your culinary skills outdoors and grill some mushrooms for smoky, charred flavor. To start, you need to marinate them first in a mixture of herbs, olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar before you toss them on the grill. Expect that the result will be a mouthwatering side dish or a hearty topping for burgers and sandwiches.
Wrap Up
Mushrooms can lend their rich, savory flavor and dense texture to both sweet and savory dishes across all parts of the day. Their impressive nutrient content also makes them heroes for overall wellness! So mix more mushrooms into your breakfast hashes, lunch bowls, dinner sides, snacks, and even beverages. With many simple ways to enjoy them, mushrooms can easily become dietary MVPs.